Determination of pesticide residues in fruits: a systematic review and meta-analyses

Pesticides are hazardous chemical contaminants for the ecosystem that have been widely used in households and agriculture to eliminate pests for several decades, and have a variety of adverse effects on our health. This systematic review and meta-analysis study was conducted to evaluate the concentration of different pesticides (insecticide, fungicide, herbicide, acaricide, ovacide, nematicide, miticide, and veterinary substance) in various fruits based on the type of fruit and the mainland. The related studies regarding the concentration of pesticides in various fruits which have been published in recommended databases including Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus from November 17, 1995, to October 26, 2021, were analyzed. The degree of heterogeneity between the studies was evaluated by the I2heterogeneity statistic. The random effects model was used to calculate the pooled concentration in subgroups such as mainland and types of fruits. The mean concentration of pesticides in various fruits was 0.44 mg/kg. In this context, the overall rank order of pesticides means concentrations in the fruits were as follows: fungicide> nematicide > insecticide > herbicide > acaricide > ovacide > veterinary substance. The highest and the lowest pesticide means concentrations were related to raspberries (1.4, 8.5 mg/kg) and nectarine (0.012, 0.019 mg/kg), respectively. Furthermore, according to the studied continents, the pesticide concentration was in the order of fungicide> veterinary substance > nematicide > insecticide > herbicide > acaricide > ovacide > miticide. The highest concentration of pesticides in Europe and North America was related to veterinary substances and herbicides while in Africa, Asia, and South America it was related to fungicides. The results of this meta-analysis can be useful in different risk management models, and can help health strategists to reduce the concentration of different pesticide residues in various fruits.