The concentration and human health risks attributed to pesticide residues in cucumber: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Prolonged consumption of vegetables containing pesticide residues can pose a risk to the health of individuals over time. Methods: This study aimed to retrieve the studies on the concentration of pesticides such as acetamiprid, chlorpyrifos, and diazinon in cucumber through a systematic review, and then, a meta-analysis focusing on specific subgroups. Finally, the hazard quotient (HQ) was used to assess the non-carcinogenic risk posed to consumers. Results: The sequence of pesticides according to pooled (mean) concentration was acetamiprid (140.91 µg/kg)>diazinon (59.03 µg/kg)>chlorpyrifos (40.49 µg/kg). Also, the countries were sorted based on the pooled concentration of chlorpyrifos: Spain (180.00 µg/kg)>Egypt (124.90 µg/kg)>Kazakhstan (49.95 µg/kg)>Greece (20.50 µg/kg)>Saudi Arabia (20.00 µg/kg)>Jordan (3.54 µg/kg)>Iran (3.10 µg/kg). The order for diazinon and acetamiprid was Iran (43.20 µg/kg)>Saudi Arabia (33.00 µg/kg)>China (4.60 µg/kg) and Turkey (231.70 µg/kg)>Egypt (220 µg/kg)>Pakistan (100.00 µg/kg)>Kazakhstan (99.34 µg/kg), respectively. Conclusion: The HQ of acetamiprid, chlorpyrifos, and diazinon was less than 1 for all countries; hence, the consumption of cucumbers containing these pesticides does not pose a non-carcinogenic risk.