Neonicotinoid pesticides: residue detection and dietary risk assessment in commercially available plant-based agricultural products in North China.

Neonicotinoid pesticides were detected, and dietary risk assessment was performed in commercially available vegetables and fruits in North China from 2021 to 2024. A modified QuEChERs (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) pretreatment method combined with UPLC-MS/MS (ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry) was applied to the detection. The validation and evaluation of the method were performed in terms of matrix effect, recovery (75.5 ~ 104.6%), limit of quantification (2.08 ~ 7.53 μg/kg), and linear correlation coefficient (0.9913 ~ 0.9995). Twelve neonicotinoid pesticides were detected in 128 samples. Forty-three samples were positive for neonicotinoid pesticides, with a detection rate of 33.6%. Multicomponent pesticide residues were detected in 12 samples, accounting for 9.4%. Neonicotinoid pesticides exceeded the corresponding MRLs (maximum residue limits) in 10 samples, accounting for 7.8%. Thiamethoxam was the most detected neonicotinoid pesticide, with positive detections in 18 samples. Clothianidin from ginger had the highest Hazard index. The effects of neonicotinoid pesticide residues were within acceptable limits in both adults and minors. MRLs and ADI (acceptable daily intake) limits for many neonicotinoid pesticides in food were not well established in some countries and regions. Residues of neonicotinoid pesticides in commercially available agricultural products require adequate attention and further surveillance.