Evaluating the potential chronic health risks posed by pesticides to consumers is essential for ensuring food safety and protecting public health. An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method coupled with modified QuEChERS extraction was developed to simultaneously determine 26 pesticide residues in wheat grain and bran. Samples were extracted with acetonitrile with 2% (v/v) acetic acid and cleaned up using C₁₈ sorbent. Method validation demonstrated excellent linearity, accuracy, and precision. When applied to 48 wheat grain and 24 bran samples collected from major wheat-growing regions in China, 12 and 21 pesticides were detected at concentrations ranging from <0.005 to 1.785 mg kg⁻¹ and <0.01 to 2.188 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Chronic hazard quotients (HQc) and acute hazard quotients (HQa) for all pesticides for grain and bran were far below the safety threshold of 100%. These results indicate that pesticide residues in wheat grain and bran present negligible chronic dietary risks to consumers across all age groups.

Trifloxystrobin and bupirimate are widely used as fungicides for controlling powdery mildew in cucumber cultivation. Supervised field trials were conducted in 12 representative regions across China, following Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) guidelines, to investigate their residue patterns and potential dietary exposure risks. Cucumber samples were analyzed using a validated method involving extraction with acidified acetonitrile (2% acetic acid, v/v), cleanup with primary secondary amine (PSA) and graphitised carbon black (GCB), and quantification by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The method demonstrated excellent recovery rates (85–103%) throughout four spiking levels (0.01, 0.1, 0.3, and 1 mg/kg), with relative standard deviations (RSD) ≤ 4.8%. At 3 days after treatment, the residues of trifloxystrobin (including trifloxystrobin acid), bupirimate, and ethirimol in cucumbers were found to range from <0.01 to 0.013 mg/kg, <0.01 to 0.076 mg/kg, and <0.01 to 0.04 mg/kg, respectively. A chronic dietary risk assessment was conducted using a probabilistic model. The results showed an acceptable chronic risk (RQ_c ≤ 2.476%) for trifloxystrobin, bupirimate, and ethirimol across different sexes and ages, supporting the conclusion that the use of these fungicides in cucumber cultivation under the tested conditions was safe for Chinese consumers. More research was needed on children because they are at higher risk than other groups.

Investigating residues of fluxapyroxad and trifloxystrobin in chilli peppers is essential for food safety. In accordance with Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), supervised field trials were conducted to systematically evaluate the residue behavior and dietary exposure risks of these fungicides in chilli peppers. A validated method combining QuEChERS sample preparation with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) was developed to simultaneously quantify fluxapyroxad, trifloxystrobin, and their metabolites in chilli peppers. The method provided satisfactory recoveries of 92–101% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) below 6%, and the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.01 mg/kg for both analytes. Field-trial results showed both fungicides dissipated rapidly in peppers, following first-order kinetics with half-lives of 2.4–5.2 days for fluxapyroxad and 1.8–4.6 days for trifloxystrobin. The terminal residues of fluxapyroxad and trifloxystrobin ranged from <0.010 to 0.23 mg/kg and from 0.014 to 0.49 mg/kg, respectively. The chronic risk quotients of fluxapyroxad and trifloxystrobin were 92.57–92.61% and 13.27–13.30% of their respective acceptable daily intake (ADI), indicating that the dietary risks were acceptable. This study provides residue data and scientific evidence to support establishing and revising maximum residue limits (MRLs) for fluxapyroxad and trifloxystrobin in chilli peppers, as well as the safe use of both fungicides in China.