Terminal Residue and Dietary Risk Assessment of Atrazine and Isoxaflutole in Corn Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Isoxaflutole and atrazine are representative pesticides for weed control in corn fields. Formulations containing these two pesticides have been registered in China, and their residues may threaten food safety and human health. In this study, a method for simultaneous determination of isoxaflutole, atrazine, and their metabolites in fresh corn, corn kernels, and corn straw was established based on modified QuEChERS pre-treatment and high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS). The linearity of seven compounds was good (R2 ≥ 0.9912), and the matrix effect was 48.5–77.1%. At four spiked levels of 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, and 0.5 mg kg−1, all compounds’ average recovery was 76% to 116%, with relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 18.9%. Field experiments were conducted in Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Beijing, and Yunnan provinces to study the terminal residues. The terminal residues of all compounds were below the LOQ (0.01 mg kg−1) in fresh corn and corn kernels, and atrazine residues in corn straw ranged from <0.05 mg kg−1 to 0.17 mg kg−1. Finally, a dietary risk assessment was conducted based on residues from field trials, food consumption, and acceptable daily intake (ADI). For all populations, the chronic dietary risk probability (RQc) of atrazine was between 0.0185% and 0.0739%, while that of isoxaflutole was 0.0074–0.0296%, much lower than 100%. The results may provide scientific guidance for using isoxaflutole and atrazine in corn field ecosystems.