Carbendazim residues in vegetables in China between 2014 and 2016 and a chronic carbendazim exposure risk assessment

Abstract

Carbendazim is a possible human carcinogen. It is persistent and very toxic, and has been banned in Australia, the USA, and most European Union countries. Various carbendazim formulations are still allowed to be produced and used in China. The results of analyses of carbendazim residues in vegetables in 31 Chinese provinces performed between 2014 and 2016 are presented here. A dietary risk assessment for carbendazim residues in vegetables is also presented. More than 20496 samples of more than 24 types of vegetable were collected between 2014 and 2016 from throughout China, and the carbendazim residues in the samples were determined. Carbendazim was detected in 1674 samples. The carbendazim concentrations were lower than the US and Japanese limit of 0.01 mg/kg in >18000 samples (91.9% of the samples analyzed). Carbendazim was not detected in 91.7% of the samples. The vegetables carbendazim was most commonly detected in were cowpeas, celery, beans with pods, lettuces, cucumbers, and leeks. For the samples in which carbendazim was detected, there were no differences in the carbendazim concentrations in vegetables from different locations. The mean carbendazim concentration was higher in lettuces than other vegetables. The dietary risk assessment indicated that long-term exposure to carbendazim in ingested vegetables does not pose risks to human health. The hazard quotients were higher for cowpeas, celery, leeks, and lettuces than the other vegetables but did not indicate that consuming these vegetables poses risks to human health.