Pesticide Residues in Fresh Vegetables in Türkiye: Regulatory Compliance, Risk Ranking, and Deterministic and Probabilistic Dietary Risk Assessment

Pesticide residues in fresh vegetables require comprehensive evaluation to determine their regulatory compliance, relative priority, and potential dietary health implications. In this study, 300 sweet pepper, cucumber, tomato, and courgette samples (n = 75 each) collected in Türkiye were analysed for 218 pesticides using the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) extraction method coupled with liquid chromatography-high-resolution-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS/MS). Quantifiable residues were found in 31% of samples, with detection frequencies of 49.3% in pepper, 34.7% in cucumber, 32% in tomato, and 8% in courgette. Nineteen samples (6.3%) contained residues exceeding European Union (EU) maximum residue levels, with cucumber showing the highest exceedance rate (17.3%). Residue quality was further characterised using the Index of Quality for Residues (IqR), while a risk-ranking approach identified acetamiprid as the highest-priority pesticide, particularly in cucumber and pepper. Deterministic assessment indicated low chronic dietary concern for both adults and children. Potential acute concern was identified for acetamiprid in three cucumber samples for adults and 11 for children, and in two tomato samples for children. Probabilistic assessment using Monte Carlo simulation supported the chronic findings, with all 95th percentile hazard index values remaining below 1, including under the combined-consumption scenario. These findings demonstrate the value of integrating residue occurrence, regulatory compliance, residue quality, risk prioritisation, and dietary exposure assessment for pesticide residue surveillance.