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• 19% leafy vegetable samples contained synthetic pyrethroids. • 81 samples were detected with more than 2 SPs. • The detection rate of the individual SP tended to show a downward trend. • Dietary exposures of synthetic pyrethroids in leafy vegetables were acceptable. Leafy vegetables have high nutritional value and are very popular in China. However, the long-term variation in residues and integrated risks of synthetic pyrethroids (SPs) in these vegetables have not been well examined. In this study, a total of 1005 samples were collected from 55 markets during 2017–2019. The cumulative exposure to nine kinds of SPs in Zhejiang, China, through the consumption of nine leafy vegetables was analyzed, and the potential integrated risk was assessed by the relative potency factor. A total of 191 samples were detected with SPs residues. The most frequently detected SPs were λ-cyhalothrin and cypermethrin. The integrated risk assessment results revealed that the dietary risk for these SPs via leafy vegetable exposure is acceptable for children, adults and elderly individuals. The data provided here will be helpful for the government to formulate food policies in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread use of neonicotinoid (neonic) insecticides in China's agricultural sector has led to high residual concentrations in the agroecosystem. Since soil is the primary source of direct pesticide exposure, soil contamination is a significant concern, particularly in regions with extensive agricultural production. This study aims to determine the spatial distribution of neonics in farmlands from four southern provinces that are home to China's crucial commercial grain bases. By combining eight neonics into imidacloprid-equivalent total neonics (IMI RPF) using the relative potency factor method, the ecological risks to humans were also assessed. The results showed that imidacloprid had the highest detection rate (96%–100%), followed by thiamethoxam and clothianidin, which ranged from 44% to 64%. Maximum and average IMI RPF values in soil samples from Zhejiang Province were 277.02 and 46.05 μg kg−1 (dry weight), respectively. Guangdong (maximum = 191.62 μg kg−1, mean = 39.70 μg kg−1) and Jiangxi (maximum = 199.13 μg kg−1, mean = 28.95 μg kg−1) had comparable IMI RPF while Jiangsu had the lowest level of total neonics, with a maximum of 86.07 μg kg−1 and a mean of 19.49 μg kg−1. A significant positive correlation between IMI RPF and total organic carbon in soils was also found. The average daily doses of neonics from soil-borne exposure through food intake, soil ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact calculated for adults and children in each province were all lower than the reference dose (RfD, 57 μg kg−1 d−1) of imidacloprid. However, the potential health risk to human health cannot be disregarded, given their increasing use and pervasiveness in the environment. Our results help to raise concerns about the safety of the agroecological environment under neonic exposure in the major agricultural provinces of southern China. [Display omitted] • Zhejiang had the highest total neonicotinoid level in soils, up to 277.02 μg kg−1. • Imidacloprid was detected most frequently, followed by thiamethoxam. • The average daily doses were below the reference dose of imidacloprid. • The peaks of residual levels overlap significantly with the plain regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]