Dietary exposure to pesticide residues and associated health risks in infants and young children – Results of the French infant total diet study

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.105529Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • First infant TDS on pesticide residues.

  • 78 pesticides detected at levels below the maximum residue levels.

  • 67% of the baby food samples with detected residue(s)

  • For 278 pesticides, the exposure levels are below the toxicological reference values.

  • For 20 other pesticides, recommendations are provided to refine the assessment.

Abstract

A total diet study (TDS) was undertaken to estimate the chronic dietary exposure to pesticide residues and health risks for the French infants and young children below 3 years old. As a whole, 516 pesticides and metabolites were analysed in 309 food composite samples including 219 manufactured baby foods and 90 common foods, which cover 97% of infants and young children's diet. These composite samples were prepared using 5,484 food products purchased during all seasons from 2011 to 2012 and processed as consumed. Pesticide residues were detected in 67% of the samples and quantified in 27% of the baby food samples and in 60% of the common foods. Seventy-eight different pesticides were detected and 37 of these quantified at levels ranging from 0.02 to 594 µg/kg. The most frequently detected pesticides (greater than 5% samples) were (1) the fungicides 2-phenylphenol, azoxystrobin, boscalid, captan and its metabolite tetrahydrophthalimide, carbendazim, cyprodinil, difenoconazole, dodine, imazalil, metalaxyl, tebuconazole, thiabendazole, (2) the insecticides acetamiprid, pirimiphos-methyl and thiacloprid, (3) the herbicide metribuzin and (4) the synergist piperonyl butoxide. Dietary intakes were estimated for each of the 705 individuals studied and for 431 pesticides incl. 281 with a toxicological reference value (TRV). In the lower-bound scenario, which tends to underestimate the exposure, the TRV were never exceeded. In the upper-bound scenario that overestimates exposure, the estimated intakes exceeded the TRV for dieldrin and lindane (two persistent organic pollutants) and propylene thiourea, a metabolite of propineb. For these three substances, more sensitive analyses are needed to refine the assessment. For 17 other detected and/or prioritised pesticides, the risk could not be characterised due to the lack of a valid TRV, of certain food analyses or the absence of analytical standards for their metabolites.

Keywords

Food safety
Infants and young children
Pesticide residues
Total diet study
Exposure assessment
Risk characterization

Abbreviations

ADI
Acceptable daily intake
ANSES
French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety
ATDS
Australian Total Diet Study
ATSDR
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
BAC
Benzalkonium chloride
CI
Confidence interval
CRA
Cumulative risk assessment
CV
Coefficient of variation
DDAC
Didecyldimethylammonium chloride
DNT
Developmental Neurotoxicity
EC
European Commission
EFSA
European Food Safety Authority
EOGRTS
Extended One-Generation Reproductive Toxicity Study
EU
European Union
GEMS/Food
Global Environment Monitoring System - Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment Program (WHO)
iTDS
Infant Total Diet Study
JMPR
Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues
LB
Lower-bound scenario
LOD
Limit of detection
LOQ
Limit of quantification
MRL
Maximum residue level
NZTDS
New Zealand Total Diet Study
P90
90th percentile
PBO
Piperonyl butoxide
POP
Persistent organic pollutant
PTDI
Provisional tolerable daily intake
RD-Mo
Residue definition for the monitoring
RD-RA
Residue definition for dietary risk assessment
TDS
Total diet study
TDS2
Second French Total Diet Study
THPI
Tetrahydrophthalimide
TRV
Toxicological reference value
UB
Upper-bound scenario
US-EPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
WHO
World Health Organization

Cited by (0)

1

R.J. Fussell′s present affiliation is Thermo Fisher Scientific, Hemel Hempstead, UK.