Fan Yulong, Jin Hongwei, Chen Jinru, Lin Kai, Zhu Lihua, Guo Yijia, Ji Jiajia, Chen Xiaming
Public Health Service Center, Bao'an District, Shenzhen 518105, China.
School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
Toxics. 2025 Jun 29;13(7):550. doi: 10.3390/toxics13070550.
Neonicotinoids (NEOs) are a class of systemic insecticides widely used in agriculture owing to their high efficacy and selectivity. As one of the most globally consumed beverages, tea may represent a potential dietary source of pesticide residues. However, limited research has examined NEO contamination in tea and its implications for human exposure, highlighting the need for further investigation. Therefore, this study comprehensively evaluated the residue characteristics, processing effects, and human exposure risks of six NEOs-dinotefuran (DIN), imidacloprid (IMI), acetamiprid (ACE), thiamethoxam (THM), clothianidin (CLO), and thiacloprid (THI)-in Chinese tea products. According to the findings, the primary pollutants, ACE, DIN, and IMI, accounted for 95.65% of the total NEO residues in 137 tea samples, including green, oolong, white, black, dark, and herbal teas. The highest total target NEO (∑NEOs) residue level was detected in oolong tea (mean: 57.86 ng/g). Meanwhile, IMI exhibited the highest residue level (78.88 ng/g) in herbal tea due to the absence of high-temperature fixation procedures. Concentrations of DIN in 61 samples (44.5%) exceeded the European Union's maximum residue limit of 10 ng/g. Health risk assessment indicated that both the chronic hazard quotient (cHQ) and acute hazard quotient (aHQ) for adults and children were below the safety threshold (<1). However, children required special attention, as their exposure risk was 1.28 times higher than that of adults. The distribution of NEO residues was significantly influenced by tea processing techniques, such as full fermentation in black tea. Optimizing processing methods (e.g., using infrared enzyme deactivation) and implementing targeted pesticide application strategies may help mitigate risk. These results provide a scientific foundation for enhancing tea safety regulations and protecting consumer health.
新烟碱类杀虫剂（NEOs）是一类系统性杀虫剂，因其高效性和选择性而在农业中广泛使用。作为全球消费最多的饮品之一，茶可能是农药残留的潜在饮食来源。然而，关于茶中NEO污染及其对人体暴露影响的研究有限，凸显了进一步调查的必要性。因此，本研究全面评估了中国茶产品中六种新烟碱类杀虫剂——呋虫胺（DIN）、吡虫啉（IMI）、啶虫脒（ACE）、噻虫嗪（THM）、氯噻啉（CLO）和噻虫啉（THI）的残留特征、加工影响及人体暴露风险。研究结果显示，主要污染物ACE、DIN和IMI占137个茶样（包括绿茶、乌龙茶、白茶、红茶、黑茶和花草茶）中总NEO残留的95.65%。乌龙茶中检测到的总目标NEO（∑NEOs）残留水平最高（均值：57.86纳克/克）。同时，由于缺乏高温杀青程序，IMI在花草茶中的残留水平最高（78.88纳克/克）。61个样品（44.5%）中的DIN浓度超过了欧盟10纳克/克的最大残留限量。健康风险评估表明，成人和儿童的慢性危害商数（cHQ）和急性危害商数（aHQ）均低于安全阈值（<1）。然而，儿童需要特别关注，因为他们的暴露风险比成人高1.28倍。NEO残留的分布受茶叶加工技术的显著影响，如红茶的全发酵。优化加工方法（如使用红外酶失活）和实施有针对性的农药施用策略可能有助于降低风险。这些结果为加强茶叶安全监管和保护消费者健康提供了科学依据。
