Transportation and Transformation of Legacy Pesticides, Currently Used Pesticides, and Degradation Products: From Corn Planting to Corn Flour Processing

Pesticide residues in food are a critical issue affecting food safety. The pesticide contaminants in food include currently used, legacy pesticides, and degradation products. Thus, this study analyzed the effects of planting and processing on the transfer and degradation of pesticide residues in corn. Specifically, we studied the transportation and transformation of 26 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), 6 currently used pesticides, and 2 degradation products throughout corn planting and flour processing. For the currently used pesticide, diquat applied in this study did not significantly affect its concentration in soils. Different from this, λ-cyhalothrin application increased its concentration in soils. Therein, λ-cyhalothrin degraded to 3-PBA in a short time, and 3-PBA degraded faster than λ-cyhalothrin. The concentrations of legacy, currently used pesticides, and degradation products were higher in bran than in corn flour, indicating that the outer portions of corn kernels accumulated more pesticides. However, the results for λ-cyhalothrin were the opposite, indicating that the surrounding of bran is more favorable for degrading λ-cyhalothrin. The short- and long-term risks of consumer exposure to these pesticide residues via corn consumption are relatively insignificant based on the implementation time and dose in this study.