Bioaccessibility dependence of dietary risk assessment of the exposure to neonicotinoids through banana and mango consumption in China－based on a 6-year monitoring survey

Neonicotinoids are among the most frequently detected pesticide groups in banana and mango samples in China, potentially leading to a synergistic accumulation of dietary risks for humans. This study aims to assess the dietary risk of neonicotinoids based on a 6-year monitoring survey of 809 bananas and 393 mangoes in China, utilizing the probabilistic assessment methods, corrected by pesticide bioaccessibility. The bioaccessibility of four commonly used neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, acetamiprid, thiamethoxam and clothianidin) in mangoes and bananas ranged from 63.32% to 87.57%. A total of 49.87% of whole mango fruits and 33.62% of whole banana fruits contained one or more neonicotinoids. In pulp samples, the detection rates were 52.73% for mangoes and 28.84% for bananas. Imidacloprid was the most frequently detected pesticide and exhibited the highest exceedance rates. The residual levels of pesticides in whole fruits were significantly higher than those in pulps for most samples. Following bioaccessibility correction, the dietary risks of individual neonicotinoids and cumulative dietary risks decreased by 12.79-38.81% and 19.71%-42.44%, respectively. Although the hazard quotient values remained within the acceptable range, the dietary exposure risks of younger populations, such as children or infants should be further addressed.