Field dissipation, dietary risk assessment, and soil fate of chlorantraniliprole and abamectin (dual-active formulation) in watermelon under field conditions

≥ 0.995), mean recoveries within 95-109%, and relative standard deviations below 8%, consistent with internationally accepted validation criteria. At the recommended dose, initial fruit residues were 0.081 mg/kg for chlorantraniliprole and 0.125 mg/kg for abamectin (expressed as avermectin B1a equivalents). Residues declined following first-order kinetics, with calculated half-lives of 4.72-5.11 days for chlorantraniliprole and 6.72-7.55 days for abamectin. Both compounds decreased to below their respective limits of quantification (0.03 mg/kg for chlorantraniliprole and 0.01 mg/kg for abamectin) within 7-10 days. No quantifiable residues were detected in soil at harvest. Screening-level dietary risk assessment using conservative Day 0 residue values indicated negligible chronic exposure for chlorantraniliprole (HQ = 0.000041 for adults) and acceptable exposure for abamectin (HQ = 0.125 for adults; 0.375-0.50 for children). Acute exposure assessment for abamectin corresponded to 12.5% of the ARfD. These findings indicate that, under recommended application practices and with adherence to a 10-day pre-harvest interval, consumer exposure remains within acceptable toxicological limits. This study provides integrated residue dissipation and exposure data for chlorantraniliprole-abamectin use in watermelon and contributes evidence relevant to regulatory evaluation and development of crop-specific residue guidelines.