Human health risk assessment of pesticide residues in honeysuckle samples from different planting bases in China

The buds and initial flowers of honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica Thunb.) are most widely used in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). In recent years, the problem of pesticide residues in honeysuckle has attracted much attention. This research aimed to study pesticide residual situation of honeysuckle in China and estimate the potential health risks for consumers using the HQ (hazard quotient) and HI (hazard index) methods. A reliable and robust method was established to determine and quantify 137 pesticide residues simultaneously by highperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) for 151 honeysuckle samples from different planting bases in China in 2017 and 2018. Fifty-four pesticides were detected in total, including 10 unauthorized pesticides (chlorpyrifos, fipronil, carbofuran, omethoate, isofenphos-methyl, triazophos, methomyl, dimethoate, methidathion, and methamidophos). One hundred and fifty (99.3%) samples contained at least 1 and up to 31 pesticides and/or their metabolites, with concentrations ranging from 0.001 to 3.087mg/kg. Carbendazim, chlorbenzuron, imidacloprid, chlorpyrifos, and acetamipridwere themost frequently detected pesticides in 2017 and 2018, and the corresponding detection rates were 95.31%, 64.06%, 65.63%, 53.13%, 57.81%, and 98.85%, 88.51%, 70.11%, 77.01%, 57.47%, respectively. The acute hazard quotient (HQ(a)) of carbofuran was 1.54 for specific population (fetus, infants, and pregnant or nursing women), which indicated that it posed a potential acute health risk. In the cumulative risk assessment, the acute hazard index (HIa) of insecticides in honesuckle for children and the specific populationwere 1.34 and 3.36, respectively, suggesting that they posed potential acute cumulative health risks. These results were of theoretical and practical value for evaluating the safety of honeysuckle and improving its quality and safety. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study found a wide range of pesticide residues in honeysuckle, including unauthorized pesticides, posing potential acute health risks to specific populations. These research results are of theoretical and practical value for evaluating the safety and improving the quality of honeysuckle.