Ultratrace detection of organophosphate pesticide in maize flour: risk assessment and food safety
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58951/fstoday.2025.012Keywords:
Food Matrices, Cereals, Chromatography, Multiresidue, Risk quotient, ToxicityAbstract
The expansion of agriculture plays an important role in the Brazilian economy. Maize represents one of the country's main commodities. However, the intensive use of pesticides to increase productivity has generated environmental and human health impacts due to the toxicity of these products. This study aimed to use a validated methodology by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-Q/MS) for analyzing pesticides in maize flour and estimating the risk of contamination in this product. The results showed that, among the compounds investigated in the samples, only the Fenitrothion residue was detected, at levels below the FAO/ANVISA maximum residue limits (MRLs). Although this compound belongs to the group of organophosphate pesticides, capable of causing serious damage to the central nervous system, when associated with prolonged exposure in people with low body weight, the values found for the risk quotient (RQ) in this study (1.32 and 1.52 for men and women, respectively) did not present a potential risk to the consumer. Based on the results obtained in the present study, it is suggested to expand the toxicological monitoring of maize products to ensure food security.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Maria Larisse Pinheiro Uchoa, Séfura Maria Assis Moura, Renata Chastinet Braga, Luana Guabiraba Mendes, Jéssica Roberta Pereira Martins, Yago Queiroz dos Santos, Maria Aparecida Liberato Milhome
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