Quantifying dietary exposure to pesticide residues using spraying journal data

- A novel method estimating realistic average pesticide residue levels in foods was developed and evaluated.
- The method uses spraying journal data and supervised residue trials in combination.
- The method offers advantage estimating low level (left censored) residues, important for cumulative risk assessment.
- Risk assessment showed low health risk from domestic pesticide usage in the Danish population.

Relatively few studies are available on the combined risk of realistic dietary pesticide exposure. Despite available studies showing low risk, public concern remains. Recent methods used to estimate realistic exposure levels have a number of drawbacks, and better methods are needed. Using a novel approach, we estimated the combined exposure in the Danish population, resulting from pesticide usage in Danish agriculture. The complete Danish spraying journal data from 2014, and supervised trial residue levels reported by EFSA, were used in combination, generating residue estimates in 25 crops. Cumulative risk assessments were made for six typical Danish consumer diets. In terms of intake of cereals, sugar, fruits and vegetables, the 25 crops included accounted 70% of the diets of Danish consumers. The Hazard Index (HI) method was used to assess the consumer risk. Despite the conservative (cautious) approach, low HI values where obtained. Highest HI was 14% of the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for Children. The main advantages of the new exposure estimation method are 1) comprehensive use data not relying on random samples, 2) coverage of all pesticides used, and 3) more precise estimates of residues that are below the standard reporting limits in the national monitoring program.