Department of Rehabilitation, Wuyi University, Wuyishan, Fujian, 354300, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, 100021, China.
Wuhai Inspection and Testing Center, Wuhai, 016000, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, 100021, China.
Environ Pollut. 2020 Nov;266(Pt 2):115119. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115119. Epub 2020 Jun 29.
The extensive use of neonicotinoids (NEOs) has caused the release of wide-ranging of residues to the environment and food, and their potential health risks are now receiving more attention. In this study, three surveys were conducted to obtain the overall profiles of NEO residue levels (seven NEOs and one metabolite) in Chinese tea over a period of seven years. A total of 726 tea samples were tested, and nearly 87% of the samples were found to have detectable NEO residues. The overall average detection frequency of acetamiprid was the highest, reaching 73%. Imidacloprid residues in 4.6% of the samples exceeded the Chinese maximum residue limits, whereas clothianidin and nitenpyram had been detected in Chinese tea samples since 2014. The applications of thiacloprid and thiamethoxam gradually increased, and some tea samples with high residue levels appeared in China. These findings signal the replacement of new and old varieties of NEOs in China. Both long- and short-term cumulative exposures to NEOs were calculated based on optimistic and pessimistic models recommended in the EFSA guidelines. In the three survey periods, the average total imidacloprid-equivalent concentrations were 484.63, 1713.36, and 1148.34 μg/kg, respectively. Combined with the refined point estimates and probabilistic models used in this study, the hazard quotients of NEO residues in tea for Chinese tea consumers were found to be low and within the bounds of safety.
新烟碱类杀虫剂（NEOs）的广泛使用导致其广泛残留在环境和食物中，其潜在的健康风险正引起越来越多的关注。本研究通过三次调查，在七年时间内获得了中国茶叶中新烟碱类杀虫剂残留（七种新烟碱类杀虫剂及其一种代谢物）的整体水平。共检测了 726 个茶叶样本，近 87%的样本中检测到了新烟碱类杀虫剂残留。其中，噻虫胺的总体平均检测频率最高，达到 73%。4.6%的样本中残留的吡虫啉超过了中国最大残留限量，而噻虫啉和吡虫清自 2014 年以来已在中国茶叶样品中检出。噻虫嗪和噻虫胺的应用逐渐增加，中国部分茶叶样品中出现了高残留水平。这些发现表明，中国新烟碱类杀虫剂的老品种和新品种都在更替。基于 EFSA 指南中推荐的乐观和悲观模型，计算了新烟碱类杀虫剂的长期和短期累积暴露量。在三个调查期间，平均总吡虫啉当量浓度分别为 484.63、1713.36 和 1148.34μg/kg。结合本研究中使用的精细点估计值和概率模型，发现中国茶叶消费者摄入茶叶中新烟碱类杀虫剂残留的危害指数较低，处于安全范围内。
