Consumer Risk Assessment Associated with Intake of Pesticide Residues in Food of Plant Origin from the Retail Market in Poland

The aim of this study was to characterize short- and long-term risk for consumers associated with dietary intake of pesticide residues in fruits, vegetables, and other foodstuffs available on the Polish market based on 2010–2013 official surveillance results. Among 779 samples collected from 2010 to 2013 no pesticide residue was found in 39.7% samples while 58.5% contained residues at or below the EU Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs). Non-compliances (residues above the respective MRLs) were found in 14 samples (1.8%). Most of the estimated daily intakes were well below 1% of respective acceptable daily intake (ADI) values. The highest intake for children and adults was about 7% and 1.5% of ADI, respectively. For non-compliant results acute risk was characterized. Predicted short-term intakes for children and adults ranged from 0.7% to 425%, and from 0.2% to 100% of respective acute reference dose, respectively. Results of chronic risk characterization show that consumers in Poland are adequately protected; however, incidental cases where residue levels may potentially pose a threat to consumers’ health due to acute exposure cannot be excluded.     

Concentration and health risk assessment of nitrates in vegetables from conventional and organic farming

The aims of the study were to determine: (1) nitrates concentrations in vegetables from conventional and organic farming and (2) potential health risk assessment relating to vegetables containing nitrates. The analyses were made on the 27 types of vegetables. The nitrates concentrations were determined by the potentiometric method with the CyberScan ION 510 ionometer. The highest nitrates concentrations were found for lettuce, both from conventional and organic farming. The root and bulb vegetables (potato, carrot, parsley root, radish, celery root) from conventional farming had higher nitrates concentrations than those from organic farming. For leafy vegetables (beet leaves, broccoli, chive from onion, kale, dill, lettuce, celery leaves, chive, spinach), nitrates concentrations were higher in case of organic than conventional farming. Total daily nitrates intake in vegetables from conventional farming was equal to 1.45 mg NO₃ kg^?1 bw day^?1, which is 39.2% of the acceptable daily intake (ADI), and for organic farming, it was equal to 1.91 mg NO₃ kg^?1 bw day^?1 (28.5% ADI). Health risk from vegetables containing nitrates consumption was low, both for organic (HI_O = 0.66) and conventional (HI_C = 0.86) farming. However, in case of the organic farming, this value was approaching the limit of the acceptable risk value.     

Heavy metal phyto-accumulation in leafy vegetables irrigated with municipal wastewater and human health risk repercussions

In this study, heavy metal phyto-accumulation potential of selected cultivars of two leafy vegetables on irrigation with municipal wastewater and human health risks were investigated. Municipal wastewater chemistry was recorded significantly different from groundwater control and led to the two-fold high enrichment of soil heavy metal contents (Ni, 19.46; Pb, 23.94; Co, 4.68; Cd, 1.4 in mg/kg, respectively). Interactive effects for phyto-accumulation of most heavy metals were also recorded significant at p?相似文献   

Evaluation of metal contamination and risk assessment to human health in a coal mine region of India: A case study of the North Karanpura coalfield

The present study aimed to evaluate metal contamination level in coal mine water of the North Karanpura coalfields and assess the possible health risk due to the intake of untreated mine water. Fourteen coal mine water samples were collected from the study area and analyzed for Al, As, Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Se, and Zn using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The heavy metal pollution index (HPI) was used to calculate metal pollution level in the coal mine water. The hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) were estimated for health risk to child and adult by using the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) methods. The concentrations of Al, Fe, Mn, and Ni in coal mine water were exceeding the acceptable as well as the maximum permissible limits specified for drinking and domestic uses. The HPI values were below the critical pollution index level of 100 except at one location. The estimated HQ and HI values for adult and children were greater than the standard limits in nearly half of the water samples. High HQ and HI values suggest that suitable treatment of coal mine water will require before its utilization in domestic and drinking purposes.     

Heavy metal contamination and health risk assessment in drinking water of Sistan and Baluchistan,Southeastern Iran

Access to safe and clean drinking water is an essential element of healthy life also known as the primary human needs. The present study was conducted to investigate heavy metal (HM) concentrations of drinking water. Excess health risk of HM (Cr, Pb, and Cd) intake is related to the drinking water consumption in local population. HMs concentrations were analyzed by using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer and were compared with permissible limits regulated by country and World Health Organization (WHO). The hazard quotient (HQ) and Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) were determined to show the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects of HMs, respectively. HQs were found in the order of Pb > Cd > Cr and subsequently HI index was also estimated for all HM in two age groups (children and adults). The comparisons indicate no possibility of non-carcinogenic effects to the local population. The values for ELCR were found in the order of Cr > Cd > Pb. The ELCR index was found above acceptable risk levels for chromium and cadmium in both children and adults groups. Furthermore, intermetal correlation results revealed that heavy metals have common sources resulting from geogenic and anthropogenic activities and these are major sources of water contamination in Sistan and Baluchestan province.     

Concentration of arsenic in groundwater,vegetables, human hair and nails in mining site in the Northern Thai Nguyen province,Vietnam: human exposure and risks assessment

This study was aimed to examine the risk of chronic arsenic (As) exposure for the residents living in Nui Phao, Thai Nguyen in the northern Vietnam. Groundwater, vegetables, human hair, and nail samples were collected from volunteers living in Nui Phao. The results revealed that 75% of the groundwater samples had As exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water guideline of 10 µg L^?1. The result of As concentration for most of the vegetable samples was greater than the WHO/FAO safe (0.1?mg kg^?1). The result of hair and nail samples in this study showed that 3.5 and 20% of the samples had As concentration exceeding the level of As toxicity in hair and nails, respectively. The result of health risks indicated that the potential health risk of As contamination is greater for groundwater than vegetables. The total hazard quotient (HQ) value through vegetables ingestion and drinking water exceeded 1.0 suggesting potential health risk for local residents. The calculation of potential carcinogenic risk through both consumption of vegetables and drinking water was low cancer risk in adults. Other food sources and the exposure pathways are needed to exactly assess health risks in this area.     

Health risks of consuming apples with carbendazim,imidacloprid, and thiophanate-methyl in the Chinese population: Risk assessment based on a nonparametric probabilistic evaluation model

The pesticides carbendazim (CA), imidacloprid (IM), and thiophanate-methyl (TH) are used extensively in apple production. However, the presence of pesticide residues in apples has been associated with a wide range of human health hazards. To assess whether apples are safe to consume, evaluating their potential health risk is of great significance. We tested apples from two dominant apple-producing areas for the presence of pesticide residues and constructed a statistical model to evaluate their health risks. Of the three commonly used pesticides, thirty-two samples (11.3% of all tested samples) were residue-free and 231 (81.9%) contained CA residues, which was the most frequently detectable pesticide, followed by TH (52.1%) and IM (39.0%). All of the samples were below the maximum residue limits. The probabilistic assessment results indicated that the pesticide intake risks for kids (aged 2–6 years) and children (aged 7–13 years) were significantly higher than those of other groups, so that they were the vital monitoring objects. Our findings indicate that consumption of apples with these three pesticides does not pose a health threat for the population. Nevertheless, we recommend an investigation into continuous monitoring and stricter regulations on fruits' quality and safety throughout China.     

Application of the Hazard Quotient Method in Remedial Decisions: A Comparison of Human and Ecological Risk Assessments

This paper evaluates the relative roles of the human health hazard index (HI) and the ecological risk assessment hazard quotient (HQ) in remedial decision-making. Through an analysis of HI outcomes drawn from Superfund Records of Decision, the reduced importance of the HI statistic in human health risk assessments is demonstrated, and the high visibility of the ecological risk assessment (ERA) HQ for terrestrial receptors (birds and mammals) is underscored. Three HQ method limitations common to both HHRA and ERA, deriving either from the mathematical construct of the HQ (a simple binary measure, indicating that an animal's exposure either exceeds its toxicity value or does not) or from dose-response outcomes in animal trials, are reviewed. Two additional HQ limitations unique to ERA (i.e., a propensity for the HQ to easily exceed its threshold value, and a propensity for it to assume values that are unreasonably high), and deriving from the complexities of estimating bird and mammal dietary intakes of contaminants and the availability of toxicological effects information, are also identified. The paper cautions of the potential to err in concluding that terrestrial site receptors are at risk when the HQ threshold is exceeded, and regardless of the toxicological information (NOAELs, LOAELs, etc.) used. It recognizes that because other methods of terrestrial assessment are presently unavailable, HQs are sometimes, out of necessity, used to justify a remedial action. The analysis and discussion are intended to remind ecological risk assessors that the HQ is a measure of a level of concern only and not a measure of risk     

Arsenic and Heavy Metal Concentrations in Drinking Water in Pakistan and Risk Assessment: A Case Study

The present study was performed to assess drinking water quality and potential health risk in the Nowshera District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. For this purpose drinking water samples were collected from local available sources and analyzed for physico-chemical characteristics, arsenic (As) and heavy metals. Results revealed high levels of toxic heavy metals such as chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and As contaminations in the drinking water. Results were evaluated for chronic risk including average daily intake (ADI) and hazard quotient (HQ). Among heavy metals the HQ values were highest for Cd (5.80) and As (2.00). Therefore, populations in the study area may be at a low level of chronic toxicity and carcinogenic risk. Statistical analyses showed that contribution of different drinking water sources to the mean contaminant levels in the study area was insignificant (p =.53). Correlation analysis further revealed that anthropogenic activities were the main sources of contamination, rather than geogenic. This study strongly recommends the treatment of urban and industrial wastewater in the vicinity of the study area and provision of safe drinking water.     

A Pragmatic Approach to Assess the Exposure of the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) When Subjected to Pesticide Spray

Plant protection spray treatments may expose non-target organisms to pesticides. In the pesticide registration procedure, the honey bee represents one of the non-target model species for which the risk posed by pesticides must be assessed on the basis of the hazard quotient (HQ). The HQ is defined as the ratio between environmental exposure and toxicity. For the honey bee, the HQ calculation is not consistent because it corresponds to the ratio between the pesticide field rate (in mass of pesticide/ha) and LD₅₀ (in mass of pesticide/bee). Thus, in contrast to all other species, the HQ can only be interpreted empirically because it corresponds to a number of bees/ha. This type of HQ calculation is due to the difficulty in transforming pesticide field rates into doses to which bees are exposed. In this study, we used a pragmatic approach to determine the apparent exposure surface area of honey bees submitted to pesticide treatments by spraying with a Potter-type tower. The doses received by the bees were quantified by very efficient chemical analyses, which enabled us to determine an apparent surface area of 1.05 cm²/bee. The apparent surface area was used to calculate the exposure levels of bees submitted to pesticide sprays and then to revisit the HQ ratios with a calculation mode similar to that used for all other living species. X-tomography was used to assess the physical surface area of a bee, which was 3.27 cm²/bee, and showed that the apparent exposure surface was not overestimated. The control experiments showed that the toxicity induced by doses calculated with the exposure surface area was similar to that induced by treatments according to the European testing procedure. This new approach to measure risk is more accurate and could become a tool to aid the decision-making process in the risk assessment of pesticides.     

Occurrence and risk assessment of organophosphorus pesticide residues in Chinese tea

Tea is the second widely consumed beverage next to water. Tea drinking is one of the important pathways for human exposure of organonphosphorus pesticide. Consequently, incidence of organonphosphorus pesticide residues and risk assessment should be clear. In this study, the level of organonphosphorus pesticide residues in 810 Chinese teas manufactured between 2010–2013 was investigated using gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry and a flame photometric detector. Incidence of organonphosphorus pesticide residues occurred with a frequency of 29% and the average concentration of 93 μg kg^?1. The residue levels varied from tea types, sale spots, and production area. Chlorpyrifos, isocarbophos, and triazophos were the only three organonphosphorus pesticides with detectable residues, and the detectable rates were 13.0%, 13.6%, and 17.4%, respectively. The corresponding average daily intake of chlorpyrifos, isocarbophos, and triazophos by tea drinking was 0.000083 μg kg^?1 bw day^?1, 0.0036 μg kg^?1 bw day^?1, and 0.0022 μg kg^?1 bw day^?1. These results showed that the total hazard quotient of organonphosphorus pesticide pesticides from tea drinking was less than 0.02 and that the tea-drinking originated organonphosphorus pesticide exposure had a little adverse health effect for human being.     

Human exposures and potential health hazard assessment of Hg and Pb in some major imported frozen fish species in Nigeria

The levels of mercury and lead in three major species of imported frozen fish—Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus), sardine (Sardinella sindesis), and scumbera (Scumbria spp)—were determined and potential health hazard resulting from their ingestion by Nigerians was assessed. Sample digestion was carried out as prescribed in the Food and Agricultural Organisation/Swedish International Development Agency wet digestion method. Quantitation of the Hg and Pb content of the digested samples and blanks was carried out spectrophotometrically using thiozone as the ligand. The ranges of level of Hg in the samples in mg/Kg were: 0.03–0.42 for Scomber scombrus and 0.03–0.37 and 0.020–0.31 for Scumbria and Sardinella sindesis, respectively. Also, Pb had value ranges in mg/Kg of 0.20–0.28, 0.24–0.32, and 0.15–0.32 in Scomber scombrus, Scumbria, and Sardinella sindesis, respectively. Potential health hazard assessment that was carried out showed no risk status for children and adults consuming Sardinella sindesis and scumbera and adults consuming Scomber scombrus (HQ < 1). The results further showed a risk (HQ = 1.022 and THI = 1.036) for children taking Scomber scombrus.     

Effects of the replacement of concentrate and fibre-rich hay by high-quality hay on chewing,rumination and nutrient digestibility in non-lactating Holstein cows

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of high-quality hay with an elevated sugar content alone or with graded amounts of concentrate feed on chewing and ruminating activity, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and ruminal pH at different time points after feeding in the free ruminal liquid (FRL) and the particle-associated ruminal liquid (PARL). Eight rumen cannulated non-lactating Holstein cows were arranged in a Latin square design in four experimental runs lasting 25 d each. The four diets tested were 60NQ (60% normal-quality hay + 40% concentrate), 60HQ (60% high-quality hay + 40% concentrate), 75HQ (75% high-quality hay + 25% concentrate) and 100HQ (100% high-quality hay). Normal and high-quality hays differed in sugar contents (11.3% vs. 18.7% in dry matter [DM]), neutral detergent fibre (NDF; 57.7% vs. 46.3% in DM), acid detergent fibre (ADF, 35.0% vs. 23.5% in DM) and crude protein (CP, 11.3% vs. 23.5% in DM). Data showed that ATTD of DM, CP, NDF and ADF was higher with the high-quality hay diets. Time spent eating was reduced with high-quality hay. However, time spent ruminating was longest in Group 100HQ. In all groups, ruminal pH of FRL and PARL decreased with time after the morning feeding. But 10 h later, pH of Group 100HQ was higher again compared with the other groups. Considering the average pH in FRL over all measured time points, cows in Groups 60NQ and 100HQ had higher pH values of 6.85 and 6.83, respectively. Regarding pH values in PARL, animals of Group 60NQ displayed the highest pH value (6.68), whereas the lowest value of 6.21 was found in Group 60HQ. Overall, results suggest that high-quality hay maintains the diet’s structural effectiveness by stimulating rumination and stabilising ruminal pH while greatly improving ATTD. However, the structural effectiveness of the high-quality hay gets impaired with increasing proportion of concentrate feed in the diet.     

Risk Assessment of Metals from Consuming Vegetables, Fruits and Rice Grown on Soils Irrigated with Waters of the Ebro River in Catalonia, Spain

The concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) were determined in samples of various edible vegetables (artichoke, cauliflower, lettuce, tomato), fruits (apple, mandarin, orange, pear) and rice grown in soils irrigated with water from the Ebro River in Tarragona Province (Catalonia, Spain). Although all food items were randomly acquired in various localities of the area, the local origin was always verified. Arsenic was only detected in rice (all samples) and apple (one sample), while Cd and Hg could not be detected in any of the samples. In general terms, metal concentrations were quite similar or lower than the levels recently reported in the literature. The health risks caused by metal exposure from consuming these agricultural products were assessed for the Catalan population living in the zone under evaluation. For all elements, when the lower bound values were considered, the Hazard Quotient (HQ) was <1, while using the Upper bound values, only for As (children and male seniors) HQ was >1. The intake of the analyzed elements through consumption of the nine selected food items does not mean additional health risks for the consumers of the area.     

Health Hazard Assessment of Pyridaben Residues in Egyptian Strawberries

Dissipation behavior and hazard assessment of the insecticide/acaricide pyridaben applied to strawberries were investigated under the climatic conditions of Egypt. A validated gas chromatographic method (GC-μECD) was used to determine pyridaben residues when applied at the recommended rate and twice this rate. The average recoveries were in the range between 95.8% and 103% with associated relative standard deviation not exceeding 14.5%. The estimated limit of quantification for pyridaben was 0.005 mg/kg. The field results showed that pyridaben dissipated rapidly in strawberries and had a half-life of approximately 2.3 days. The hazard assessment was evaluated by using the hazard quotient (HQ). The results showed that the HQ value was significantly less than HQ = 1. This result implied that the hazard of pyridaben use in strawberries even at double the recommended dosage was negligible to human. This study could provide guidance for the safe and reasonable use of pyridaben in strawberries and to prevent health problems to consumers; however, further hazard assessment studies are needed to ascertain the hazard of pyridaben residues on strawberries to vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant women, and elderly consumers.     

Analysis of Some Pesticide Residues in Tomatoes in Ghana

Pesticide residues, both natural and synthetic, can be found in most of the things we eat, for example, fruits, vegetables, bread, meat, poultry, fish, and the processed foods made from them. Some of this pesticide contamination is legal, but does this mean it is safe? Much of it is illegal, with residues found in excess of regulatory safe levels. Identifying and determining the level of trace contaminants in our food and environment is critical in protecting and improving human health and the environment. This study evaluates the residue levels of select pesticides used on tomato crops in Ghana that are likely to have accumulated in the tomatoes during application. The results obtained confirm that pesticide residues were indeed present in the tomatoes and further analysis quantified the amount present. Analysis of some organochlorine and organophosphorus residue levels in the fruits indicated that chlorpyrifos, which is an active ingredient of pesticides registered in Ghana under the trade name dursban 4E or terminus 480 EC for use on vegetables, has the greatest residue level of 10.76 mg/kg. The lowest residue level observed was that of pirimiphos-methyl with 0.03 mg/kg. Human health risk assessment was performed on the results obtained from the analysis using Human Health Evaluation computerized software-RISC 4.02. The risk assessment showed cancer risk for adults and children due to the presence of endosulfan and chlopyrifos. Endosulfan is not registered in Ghana as a pesticide for use on vegetables, therefore the detection of endosulfan in several samples indicates misuse of agrochemicals among Ghanaian farmers.     

Heavy Metal Contamination in Urban Surface Soil of Klang District (Malaysia)

This study aimed to determine bioavailability of heavy metal concentrations (Al, Fe, Zn, Cu, Co, Cd, Pb and Cr) in 76 urban surface soil samples of Klang district (Malaysia). This study also aimed to determine health risks posed by bioavailability of heavy metals in urban soil on adults and children. For bioavailability of heavy metal concentrations, a physiologically bioavailability extraction test in vitro digestion model was used. Mean values of bioavailability heavy metal concentrations for this study were found to be the highest in Al (25.44 mg/kg) and lowest in Cr (0.10 mg/kg). Results of Spearman correlation coefficient (r) values showed significant correlations were observed for Al-Fe (r = 0.681), Cd-Co (r = 0.495), Cu-Zn (r = 0.232), Fe-Pb (r = 0.260), Fe-Zn (r = 0.239). For cluster analysis, output showed that these heavy metals could be classified into four clusters: Cluster 1 consisted of Cd, Cr, Co, and Pb; Cluster 2 consisted of Zn and Cu; Cluster 3 consisted of Fe; and Cluster 4 consisted of Al. For Clusters 1 and 2, anthropogenic sources were believed to be the sources, while for Clusters 3 and 4 the heavy metals originated from natural sources. Health risks were determined in adults and children through health risk assessment. For adults, Hazard Quotient (HQ) value was <1, indicating no non-carcinogenic risk, while for children, the HQ value was >1, indicating a non-carcinogenic risk. Meanwhile, for carcinogenic risk, heavy metal contamination in the Klang district might not pose a carcinogenic risk to adults while it may pose a carcinogenic risk to children because TR values in this study were >1.0E-04 for children. Output has identified the general health risk in the Klang district. Moreover, this study's findings will contribute to fill in the gap of knowledge on heavy metals' impacts on human health and urban development in the Klang District.     

Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Urban Soil of Karachi,Pakistan

The potential health risk due to lifetime exposure to copper, lead, chromium, zinc, and iron in urban soil of Karachi, Pakistan, was evaluated. Mean concentrations of Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, and Fe in topsoil samples were 33.3 ± 12.8, 42.1 ± 55.8, 9.6 ± 4.2, 99.5 ± 37.3, and 908.4 ± 57.8 mg kg^?1, respectively. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency model was adopted for the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk assessment from different exposure pathways. Risk assessment indicated that the overall results for the carcinogenic risk were insignificant. However, the carcinogenic risk from Pb due to oral ingestion of soil exceeded the value of 1 × 10^?6, in some areas of the city. It indicates that the exposure to Pb-contaminated soil may cause adverse health effects in humans, especially in children. The Hazard Quotient (HQ) for different metals through ingestion and dermal pathways was also found to be less than 1. The combined Hazard Index (HI) for children through different routes of exposure was 8.9 times greater than for adults. It indicates that the children are more susceptible to non-carcinogenic health effects of trace metals compared to adults. Particularly, non-carcinogenic risk of Pb to children via oral ingestion needs special attention.     

GC-FPD measurement of urinary dialkylphosphate metabolites of organophosphorous pesticides as pentafluorobenzyl derivatives in occupationally exposed workers and in a general population in Shanghai (China)

Measurement of organophosphorus (OP) pesticide metabolites in human biological fluids is an important biomarker of pesticides exposure. We measured the urinary excretion of OP pesticide metabolites to evaluate occupational and non-occupational exposure to OP pesticides in the Chinese population in Shanghai (Eastern China). We collected urine samples from 30 exposed workers in a dimethoate emulsion packing division and from 60 healthy adults without any report of occupational exposure. DMP, DMTP, DMDTP, DEP, DEDP and DEDTP were measured by GC-FPD after derivatization with pentafluorobenzyl bromide. The LOQ values (1 mL urine) were 2.0 μg/L for DMP and DETP, 4.0 μg/L for DEP and DEDTP, 8.0 μg/L for DMDTP, and 10.0 μg/L for DMTP. Dimethyl phosphates were detected in the majority of the urine samples, i.e., 90–100% in the exposed group and 80–87% in the control group. The concentration of the urinary diethyl phosphates DEP and DETP was above the LOQ values in 40 and 20% of samples for the exposed group, and in 50 and 30% of the samples for the control group, respectively. DEDTP was not detectable in the urine samples except for a post-shift exposed worker (detection frequency, 6.7%). Median creatinine-adjusted values (μg/g cr.) for DAP in Chinese with pre-shift, post-shift and without occupational exposure to OP were 316, 584 and 170 for DMP, below LOQ, 115 and 114 for DEP, 840, 1730 and 693 for DMTP, and 255, 756 and 135 for DMDTP, respectively. In all subjects, the highest excretion levels were found for DMTP. Several OP pesticide metabolites were frequently detected in urine samples of both populations studied.