Thiamethoxam and its metabolite clothianidin residues pose a potential threat to human health. This study aims to investigate the residue behavior and acute dietary risk assessment of thiamethoxam and clothianidin on spinach. Thiamethoxam and clothianidin were extracted using a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, safe (QuEChERS) method and analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). At spike levels from 0.01 to 5 mg kg⁻¹, the average recoveries of both analytes were in the range of 94.5–105.5%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 3.8–10.9%. The dissipation behavior of thiamethoxam followed first-order kinetics, with half-lives of ≤1.6 days. Clothianidin appeared readily as a plant metabolite with highest level exhibited during 3 to 5 days after application. Temperature and light may be two main factors for degradation of thiamethoxam. Besides, acute risk assessment of thiamethoxam and clothianidin was evaluated with risk quotients (RQs) <100%, which suggested a low health risk for all consumer groups of Chinese residents.

Isoxaflutole and atrazine are representative pesticides for weed control in corn fields. Formulations containing these two pesticides have been registered in China, and their residues may threaten food safety and human health. In this study, a method for simultaneous determination of isoxaflutole, atrazine, and their metabolites in fresh corn, corn kernels, and corn straw was established based on modified QuEChERS pre-treatment and high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS). The linearity of seven compounds was good (R² ≥ 0.9912), and the matrix effect was 48.5–77.1%. At four spiked levels of 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, and 0.5 mg kg⁻¹, all compounds’ average recovery was 76% to 116%, with relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 18.9%. Field experiments were conducted in Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Beijing, and Yunnan provinces to study the terminal residues. The terminal residues of all compounds were below the LOQ (0.01 mg kg⁻¹) in fresh corn and corn kernels, and atrazine residues in corn straw ranged from <0.05 mg kg⁻¹ to 0.17 mg kg⁻¹. Finally, a dietary risk assessment was conducted based on residues from field trials, food consumption, and acceptable daily intake (ADI). For all populations, the chronic dietary risk probability (RQ_c) of atrazine was between 0.0185% and 0.0739%, while that of isoxaflutole was 0.0074–0.0296%, much lower than 100%. The results may provide scientific guidance for using isoxaflutole and atrazine in corn field ecosystems.

Myclobutanil residue poses a potential threat to consumers’ health. This work aims to investigate the degradation behavior, residue levels, processing factors (PFs) and dietary risk of myclobutanil in tomato. Myclobutanil was analyzed using a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, safe (QuEChERS) method combined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), and average recoveries ranged from 82% to 102% with relative standard deviations RSDs ≤ 9.1%. After spraying myclobutanil miscible oil under field conditions, the initial concentration of myclobutanil was 0.055 mg/kg, and its dissipation followed the first-order kinetics equation with a half-life of 2.88 days. Myclobutanil was mainly present in the tomato skin, and its concentration was about four times that in the whole tomato. The initial concentration of myclobutanil in raw tomato was 0.100 mg/kg. After washing, peeling, homogenization, simmering and canning, the residual level of myclobutanil decreased to 0.067 mg/kg, 0.023 mg/kg, 0.013 mg/kg, 0.044 mg/kg and 0.041 mg/kg, respectively. Although the procedure of simmering led to an increase in myclobutanil concentration, the PFs were all less than 1 in the whole process, showing that the processing procedure significantly decreased the residual level of myclobutanil canned tomato paste in comparison with the raw agricultural commodity. Washing, peeling, and homogenization played critical roles in reducing pesticide residues. The residues of myclobutanil during the processing of tomato pose low dietary exposure risks to consumers in China, which were acceptable. However, the acute and chronic risk quotient for children revealed that it was necessary to monitor the dietary exposure of pesticide residues for children closely.

Spirotetramat is a potential tetronic acid pesticide for controlling various pests with piercing–sucking mouthparts. To clarify its dietary risk on cabbage, we established an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) method and then investigated the residual levels of spirotetramat and its four metabolites in cabbage collected from field experiments under good agricultural practices (GAPs). The average recoveries of spirotetramat and its metabolites in cabbage were 74~110%, while the relative standard deviation (RSD) was 1~6%, and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 0.01 mg kg⁻¹. The terminal residue of spirotetramat was in the range of <0.05~0.33 mg kg⁻¹, the chronic dietary risk (RQ_c) was 17.56%, and the acute dietary risk (RQ_a) was 0.025~0.049%, which means an acceptable dietary intake risk. This study provides data to guide on the use of spirotetramat and to establish the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of spirotetramat on cabbage.