Residue dynamics and food safety evaluation of novel insecticides on tomato fruit.

This study focused on evaluating the persistence and conducting a risk assessment of chlorantraniliprole, emamectin benzoate, spinosad, and indoxacarb in tomato fruits. A modified QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) method along with LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) was employed for method validation and analysis of tomato samples. Each pesticide was administered at three application rates: the recommended dose (1 ×), 25% higher than the recommended dose (1.25 ×), and double the recommended dose (2 ×). Pesticide applications were made at 15-day intervals, and fruit samples were taken at regular intervals after the second treatment. The dissipation kinetics of the insecticides followed first-order kinetics. The mean initial deposits were 0.57, 0.63, and 1.11 mg kg-1 for chlorantraniliprole; 0.23, 0.61, and 1.11 mg kg-1 for emamectin benzoate; 0.10, 0.23, and 0.59 mg kg-1 for spinosad; and 0.23, 0.41, and 0.97 mg kg-1 for indoxacarb at 1 × , 1.25 × , and 2 × dosage, respectively. The half-life of chlorantraniliprole, emamectin benzoate, spinosad, and indoxacarb were 1.2, 1.5, and 2.2; 2.2, 1.7, and 2.1; 2.12, 2.13, and 2.04; and 1.6, 1.8, and 2.2, respectively, at 1 × , 1.25 × , and 2 × dosage. The theoretical maximum daily intake (TMDI) for both rural and urban populations was found to be well below the maximum permissible intake (MPI) for all the pesticides tested. Moreover, a health risk assessment indicated no risk to Indian consumers using these pesticides as the dietary exposure was found less than the MPI values, provided that recommended agricultural practices are followed.