Pesticide residue levels in several food samples coming from the Fermo area, Marche region

In agriculture pesticides are used to control insects, weeds, fungi and rodents that can damage crops. Despite the beneficial effects on plant production, they can represent a risk for non-target organisms, including humans [1]. Several pesticides are recognized as endocrine disruptors (EDs) since they can interfere with the dysregulation of sexual, thyroid and neuro-endocrine hormones contributing to earlier pubertal onset. Exposure to pesticides can be considered an important factor associated with precocious puberty and premature thelarche in girls [2]. The main objective of the PEACH project was to evaluate the association between exposure to pesticides and idiopathic premature thelarche in girls, through the measurement of pesticides in urine and the dietary intake, by analysing locally produced foods. Girls (2-7 years old) living in an agricultural area of Marche region (Centre of Italy) with idiopathic premature thelarche, matched to healthy subjects (controls), were enrolled (N=60+60). They were asked to fill in the food frequency questionnaire and to deliver urine samples. Furthermore, sampling of locally produced foods was performed. Food and urine were analysed by LC or GC-MS/MS to detect the pesticide levels. All the urine samples analysed (N=60 cases and N=60 controls) showed pesticide levels below the quantification limit (LOQ). Otherwise, several pesticides were detected in fruits and vegetables (N= 13 cases and N=12 controls) sampled in the local farms. Small fruits and berries, in particular grape and strawberry, and stone fruits (apricots, peaches, cherries, and plums) reported the highest number of pesticides including carbamates, pyridinylethylbenzamide, benzamide, phenylpyrrole and triazole fungicides and insecticides as neonicotinoids and carbohydrazide. The pome fruit and cucurbits (melon and watermelon) reported only the presence of fluopyram, (fungicide) and imidacloprid (neonicotinoid). Leafy vegetables reported the presence of a systemic fungicide, the metalaxyl and boscalid. Differently, the great part of vegetables and fruit from private gardens reported pesticide levels below the LOQ except 3 samples of cases and 1 control that resulted contaminated by boscalid, cyprodinil and tebuconazol. Fenazaquin, phosmet and deltamethrin were found in olive oil from private garden, while no pesticide was detected in all other commodity categories as meats (red and withe), eggs and honey sampled in local and private gardens. Among all detected compounds, the triazole and pyrimidine fungicides were the most representative family in a large majority of the samples. Interestingly, the results of this study highlighted the presence of pesticides mixtures in several commodities groups, especially fruits and vegetables, confirming the importance to gather co-occurrence data to evaluate the human exposure to multiple pesticides and the associated risk for human health [3]. The project PEACH (RF-2016-02364628) is funded by the Italian Ministry of Health.