The hygienic regulations of the safe application of the combined pesticides in the system of protection of the apple plants against pests, diseases, and weeds

Abstract

Background: The quality and safety of agricultural product, grown with the application of chemical plant protection products, is an urgent problem of preventive medicine. The occurrence of multiple pesticide residues in the foodstuffs is of concern to the general public and is engaging scientists in the search for approaches to the assessment and control of multi-residues. Objective: We analyzed a range of the active substances of combined pesticides used in Ukraine in modern apple orchard protection systems, characterized a hazard and assessed the combined exposure to several pesticides at their joint ingress with apples into the human body. Materials and methods: In the work, we applied the methods of analytical research of the range of active substances of pesticides, registered and used in Ukraine in modern systems of apple orchard protection, by functional purpose (herbicides, insecticides, acaricides, fungicides); used the normative documents of national legislation on hygienic regulation of pesticides and methodological approaches to the assessment of the combined effects of pesticide mixtures in the foodstuffs. Results: According to the results of the analysis of the residues of active substances of pesticides in apples, the conclusion about the low level of short-term (acute) risk for health consumers has been made. However, it is impossible to ignore a presence of many pesticides with a similar mechanism of biological action in food, and hence, a possibility of their additive or synergistic effect on health. Conclusions: Further research should be aimed at assessing the exposure and identifying the health hazards of the consumers from the combined effect of pesticides, applied for vegetables and cereals, by established groups of substances with a general effect mode / mechanism.