The integrated exposure assessment and potential risks of five organophosphorus pesticides in vegetables in Zhejiang, China (2018-2020).

Abstract

This research surveyed the concentrations of five organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) in vegetables with the purpose of assessing the potential integrated health risks of residents. From 2018 to 2020, 870 samples of eight kinds of vegetables from Zhejiang Province were collected. Gas chromatography coupled with a flame photometric detector (GC-FPD) analyzed the five OPs. OPs were most frequently detected in celery (18.9% of samples), cowpeas (18.3% of samples), and leeks (16.9% of samples) compared to other vegetables. Among the 11 cities in Zhejiang, the cities with high detection rates of OPs were Ningbo and Hangzhou. The integrated concentrations of OPs in different cities ranged from 71.9 to 376μg/kg. The cumulative risk assessment revealed that the estimated daily intake (EDI) of leek in Wenzhou was the highest, which was 0.0077 (mg/kg bw) and 0.0059 (mg/kg bw) in adults and children respectively. The health risks of residents who consume these vegetables were within a safe range. The data provided demonstrate the distribution and potential health hazards of OPs in commonly consumed vegetables.