Dietary exposure to pesticide residues and associated health risks in infants and young children – Results of the French infant total diet study. (April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nougadère, Alexandre; Sirot, Véronique; Cravedi, Jean-Pierre; Vasseur, Paule; Feidt, Cyril; Fussell, Richard J.; Hu, Renwei; Leblanc, Jean-Charles; Jean, Julien; Rivière, Gilles; Sarda, Xavier; Merlo, Mathilde; Hulin, Marion
• Is Part Of: Environment international. Volume 137(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-04
• Subjects: Food safety -- Infants and young children -- Pesticide residues -- Total diet study -- Exposure assessment -- Risk characterization; 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; Environmental protection -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Environmental monitoring -- Periodicals; Environmental Monitoring -- Periodicals; Environnement -- Protection -- Périodiques; Hygiène du milieu -- Périodiques; Environnement -- Surveillance -- Périodiques; Environmental health; Environmental monitoring; Environmental protection; Periodicals; 333.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105529
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0160-4120

Abstract

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.