Pesticide Residues in Soybeans and Soybean Oil: Transfer Dynamics During Processing and Risk Assessment

Abstract

This study investigated pesticide residues in soybeans and soybean oil and tracked their variations during oil pressing. The results showed that residue levels ranged from 0.45 μg·kg–1 to 41.80 μg·kg–1 in soybean, and from 0.72 μg·kg–1 to 11.80 μg·kg–1 in soybean oil. Although overall low and within the safe range, these residues exhibited significant variability. Malathion, pyraclostrobin, and o,p′-DDT were the most frequently detected compounds. Health risk assessment, based on hazard quotients (HQ) and hazard index (HI) for different age groups, demonstrated that exposure to pesticide residues from the studied soybean oil posed negligible acute or chronic health risks. Most pesticides having processing factors (PFs > 1) in both cold and hot pressing, except for imidacloprid and bentazone, indicating accumulation in the oil phase relative to soybeans. This work provides insights into pesticide transfer during soybean oil processing and supports the safety of soybean oil products.