Dissipation and potential risk of tristyrylphenol ethoxylate homologs in peanuts by spraying and root irrigation: A comparative assessment

Abstract

Peanuts, known for their nutritional value, health benefits, and delicious taste, are susceptible to agricultural chemical contamination, posing a challenge to the peanut industry in China. While tristyrylphenol ethoxylates (TSPEOs) have garnered attention for their widespread use in pesticide formulations, their dissipation and potential risks in peanuts remain a gap in knowledge. This study, unique in its focus on TSPEOs, investigates their dissipation and potential risks under two common application modes: spraying and root irrigation. The concentration of total TSPEOs in peanut plants was significantly higher when sprayed (435–37,693 μg/kg) than in root irrigation (24–1602 μg/kg). The dissipation of TSPEOs was faster in peanuts and soil when sprayed, with half-lives of 3.67–5.59 d (mean: 4.37 d) and 5.41–7.07 d (mean: 5.95 d), respectively. The residue of TSPEOs in peanut shells and soil were higher with root irrigation (8.9–65.2 and 25.4–305.1 μg/kg, respectively) than with spraying (5.4–30.6 and 8.8–146.5 μg/kg, respectively). These results indicated that the dissipation behavior of TSPEOs in peanuts was influenced by application modes. While the healthy and ecological risk assessments of TSPEOs in soil and peanut shells showed no risks, root irrigation might pose a higher potential risk than spraying. This research provides valuable data for the judicious application of pesticides during peanut cultivation to enhance pesticide utilization and reduce potential risks.