Abstract
Multiple insecticides' residues after the mixed application of several neonicotinoids cause combined pollution and bring new challenges to food safety and pest control during agricultural production. In this study, three neonicotinoid insecticides, namely imidacloprid (IMI), acetamiprid (ACE), and thiamethoxam (TMX), were mixed and evenly sprayed on Brassica chinensis L. in the field. Then, the insecticides' residues were dynamically monitored to determine the differences in their rates of dissipation and final residues after 10 days. The results showed that the dissipation kinetics of neonicotinoids still conformed to the first-order kinetic model for binary or ternary application of neonicotinoid mixtures, with all determination coefficients (R2) being above 0.9 and the dissipation half-life (DT50) being 2.87-6.74 d. For treatment groups with five times the recommended dosages (IMI 300 g·hm-2, ACE 900 g·hm-2, and TMX 600 g·hm-2), mixed insecticides had a slower dissipation rate, and the DT50 values of mixtures were longer than those of single insecticides. Moreover, the final insecticide residues with mixed application were higher than those of single compounds at 10 d after spraying. Thus, mixed applications of neonicotinoids may increase food safety risks as they increase the final insecticide residues in Brassica chinensis L., and care should therefore be taken when considering the combined use of such compounds.