Residues and Dietary Risk Assessment of Imidacloprid in Bamboo Shoot (Phyllostachys praecox), Winter Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Dongzao), Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo, and Fritillaria

Abstract

The widespread use of pesticides poses significant risks to food and environmental safety. Imidacloprid is one of the most effective neuroactive neonicotinoid insecticides and is effective against a broad spectrum of piercing–sucking pests. A rapid, efficient, and high-throughput analysis method for the determination of imidacloprid was developed in four minor crops with six matrices (bamboo shoot, winter jujube, fresh and dry D. officinale, and fresh and dry Fritillaria) by solid-phase extraction and HPLC-MS/MS. The procedure showed satisfying recoveries (72~111%) and RSDs (1~13%). A total of 288 samples were tested in China (Aba and Luan). Imidacloprid residues were 100% detected in fresh and dry D. officinale and winter jujube, with concentrations ranging from 0.048 to 1.550 mg·kg−1. Imidacloprid residues were also abundant in fresh and dry Fritillaria (maximal concentration of 0.021 and 0.063 mg·kg−1, respectively), followed by bamboo shoot, which had the lowest detection rate of imidacloprid (6%). Using the risk quotient (RQ) method, the long-term (RQc) and short-term (RQa) dietary risks of imidacloprid in bamboo shoot, winter jujube, fresh and dry D. officinale, and fresh and dry Fritillaria were further monitored. Based on the imidacloprid residues in this paper, the RQc and RQa were 15.03% and 0.0008~1.7604%, respectively. The RQ values were far less than 100%, showing that Chinese consumers face little health risk as a result of imidacloprid intake.