Residue dynamics and risk assessment of dimethoate in sweet potato, purple flowering stalk, Chinese kale, celery, and soil

Residue dynamics and risk assessment of the insecticide dimethoate applied to sweet potato, purple flowering stalk, Chinese kale, celery were investigated under the climatic conditions of China. The dissipation experiments indicated that the half-lives of dimethoate in purple flowering stalk, Chinese kale, celery, and soil were 5.9–6.5, 3.8–5.1, 3.5–5.4, 3.4–3.6 d, respectively. The terminal residues of dimethoate and omethoate in the vegetables and soil ranged from 0.008 to 1.73 mg kg⁻¹ at preharvest intervals of 3, 5, and 7 d. The results showed risk quotient (RQ) of <1 for sweet potato, Chinese kale, and celery, and of >1 for purple flowering stalk when under the age of 18, indicating that spraying dimethoate on sweet potato, Chinese kale, and celery at the recommended dosage is safe for human consumption, whereas spraying it on purple flowering stalk is associated with some risks to human health.