Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubation), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
Institute of Environmental Health, Wuhan Centers for Disease Prevention & Control, Wuhan, Hubei, 430024, PR China.
Water Res. 2021 Feb 1;189:116630. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116630. Epub 2020 Nov 10.
Neonicotinoid insecticides (NNIs) are the most extensively used insecticides worldwide, threatening ecosystem and human health. However, nationwide studies of NNIs and their metabolites in drinking water are limited. In order to characterize the contamination status of NNIs in drinking water throughout China, we collected 884 drinking water samples including 789 tap water and 95 groundwater samples from 32 provinces (covering seven regions of mainland China: south, central, east, north, northeast, northwest, and southwest) and Hong Kong. Ten NNIs and six of their main metabolites were determined in the water samples. The relative potency factor method was used to assess the cumulative concentrations of NNIs and their metabolites (imidacloprid-equivalent total NNIs, IMI) based on the chronic reference doses (cRfDs) of the NNIs or the toxic effects of the mataboilites. The IMI varied among the studied regions, with a median concentration of 24.5 ng/L and a maximum concentration of 8,622 ng/L. The predominant NNIs in drinking water were acetamiprid (ACE) and imidacloprid (IMI). Compared with tap water derived from groundwater, much higher concentrations of IMI and NNIs were found in tap water derived from surface water. Different concentrations and patterns of NNIs in drinking water were observed in different regions, provinces, and capital cities, mainly due to regional and provincial differences in crop types and volumes of pesticide usage. The concentrations of NNIs in the drinking water of provincial capitals and small/medium cities were higher than the concentrations in rural areas. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of IMI was at least two orders of magnitude lower than the cRfD of IMI, while the NNIs in 16 drinking water samples exceeded the acceptable value (100 ng/L) recommended by the European Union. This study provided a nationwide profile of the occurrence of NNIs and their metabolites in the drinking water of China and the associated potential cumulative human health risks, taking into account of the toxicity differences between NNIs and their metabolites.
新烟碱类杀虫剂（NNIs）是全球使用最广泛的杀虫剂，对生态系统和人类健康构成威胁。然而，全国范围内关于饮用水中 NNIs 及其代谢物的研究有限。为了描述中国饮用水中 NNIs 的污染状况，我们采集了来自中国大陆 32 个省（包括中国七个地区：南部、中部、东部、北部、东北部、西北部和西南部）和香港的 884 个饮用水样本，包括 789 个自来水样本和 95 个地下水样本。在水样中测定了 10 种 NNIs 和其中 6 种主要代谢物。采用相对效力因子法，根据新烟碱类杀虫剂的慢性参考剂量（cRfD）或代谢物的毒性效应，评估了 NNIs 及其代谢物（吡虫啉等效总 NNIs，IMI）的累积浓度。研究区域的 IMI 存在差异，中位数浓度为 24.5ng/L，最高浓度为 8622ng/L。饮用水中主要的 NNIs 是噻虫嗪（ACE）和吡虫啉（IMI）。与地下水自来水相比，地表水自来水的 IMI 和 NNIs 浓度更高。不同地区、省份和省会城市的饮用水中 NNIs 的浓度和模式存在差异，主要是由于作物类型和农药使用量的区域和省级差异。省会城市和中小城市的饮用水中 NNIs 浓度高于农村地区。IMI 的估计日摄入量（EDI）至少比 IMI 的 cRfD 低两个数量级，而 16 个饮用水样本中的 NNIs 超过了欧盟推荐的可接受值（100ng/L）。本研究提供了中国饮用水中 NNIs 及其代谢物的全国概况，以及考虑到 NNIs 与其代谢物之间的毒性差异，评估了相关的潜在累积人类健康风险。
