Monitoring pesticide residues in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) from Al-Qassim region, Saudi Arabia: Occurrence, quality, and risk evaluations

Abstract

The Al-Qassim region, a prominent agricultural hub in Saudi Arabia, significantly contributes to the national production of vegetables and fruits. This study validated the standard EN-QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) method in conjunction with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) to determine 90 multiple pesticide residues in three categories of peppers: green bell, green hot and red chilli peppers. Validation criteria, including linearity range, accuracy, precision, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification (LOQ), were within the acceptance range of the SANTE/11312/2021 guideline. The validated method was then used to analyse 536 pepper samples collected in 2023 from the Al-Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. The analysis of 536 pepper samples revealed that 394 samples (73.51 %) contained pesticide residues, with 126 (23.51 %) exceeding the established maximum residue limits (MRLs). The most frequently identified pesticide was imidacloprid (171 samples, 31.9 %) and acetamiprid (94 samples, 17.54 %), followed by bifenazate and difenoconazole, which were each detected in 66 samples (12.31 %). Among the remaining 32 pesticides, 24 were detected in 1%–10 % of the samples, whereas 8 were detected in <1 %. The 36 pesticides detected were classified into 14 insecticides (38.9 %), 14 fungicides (38.9 %) and 8 acaricides (22.2 %). Notably, the overall detection rate of the pesticides was relatively higher in red chilli peppers (232 %) compared with bell peppers (165 %), followed by green hot peppers (132 %). Red chilli peppers also showed the highest residue concentrations of various pesticides. Neonicotinoids and triazoles exhibited the highest detection rates in this study. The residue quality index (IqR) of the samples analysed fell into the categories excellent (26.49 %), good (31.72 %), and adequate (14.06 %), with 28.73 % of the samples deemed inadequate. Long-term dietary exposure was examined for adults and children. This study highlights the crucial role of continual observation in defending public health and securing the trade standardisation and safety.