Quantitative analysis of pesticide residues in wine grapes during a downy mildew infestation using LC-MS/MS and associated risk assessment

Pesticide use in agriculture poses risks to the environment and consumer health. This study analyzed 10 pesticide residues in wine grapes affected by Downy Mildew. Red and white grape samples were extracted using the roQ-QuEChERS kit, and pesticide levels were measured with LC-MS/MS. Results showed contamination with one to three pesticide residues in 72 % of the analyzed samples, with 31 % containing over four different pesticides. Metalaxyl and dimethomorph were the most frequently detected, while mandipropamid had the highest average concentration (12.5 ng/mL). All detected pesticide levels were below safety thresholds, indicating no health risks. Risk assessment using PRIMo 4 confirmed no risks for adults or children at the detected residue levels. Moreover the cumulative risk associated with the simultaneous presence of multiple pesticides in the same grape sample, calculated by the HI approach, resulted below the EFSA reference values and was therefore considered acceptable.