Health risks of dietary ethirimol exposure demand attention in China: A study of nationwide applications

Abstract

The health risks for dietary exposure after large-scale ethirimol application demand attention to protect the human population from hazardous effects. The occurrence, dissipation and terminal magnitude of ethirimol were revealed by original deposition of <0.005−28.1 mg kg−1, half-lives of 0.6–14.5 d, and terminal concentrations of <LOQ−20.7 mg kg−1. The dietary risks and noncarcinogenic effects of ethirimol were 4.694–166.973% and 3.286–116.881% using a probabilistic estimation. The age of the population was negatively correlated with the hazard quotients, and the risk magnitudes for rural residents was significantly higher than those for urban groups, with a risk order of cos lettuce > spinach > leaf lettuce > pepper > cucumber > papaya > pumpkin > stem lettuce > muskmelon > wax gourd > mango. The high-potential health risks of ethirimol should be continuously emphasized for susceptible children aged 2–13 years, especially those residing in rural areas and presenting increasing vegetable intake.