Distribution of Sulfathiazole in Honey, Beeswax, and Honeybees and the Persistence of Residues in Treated Hives

Abstract

This study was performed to evaluate the distribution and depletion of sulfathiazole in different beehive matrices: honey, honeybees, "pre-existing" honeycomb, "new" honeycomb, and capping wax. Sulfathiazole was dissolved in sugar syrup or directly powdered on the combs, the matrices were sampled at different time points, and sulfathiazole residues were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. In honey, the higher concentration of sulfathiazole (180 mg kg(-1)) occurred 2 weeks after the last treatment in syrup. In beeswax, drug concentration was higher than in honey, particularly with powder administration, with a maximum level (340 mg kg(-1)) 3 days following the last treatment. The strongest contamination in honeybees (28 mg kg(-1)) was achieved with sulfathiazole administered in powder 3 days after the second treatment. The high persistence of sulfathiazole in the different beehive matrices suggests that it could be a reliable marker of previous treatments performed by beekeepers.

Development, validation and application to real samples of a liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of tetracyclines in beeswax

“…with ongoing exchange and transport processes [9]. It has also been reported that when hives were treated with other antibiotics such as sulfonamides, residues of these compounds could be present not only in honey, but also in beeswax [10,11]. This research shows the distribution of the drugs across the two compartments (honey and beeswax) that directly contact each other.…”

“…Therefore, the residues of antibiotics are a significant risk for the quality of bee products and for human health. The accumulation of antibiotics like sulfonamides in beeswax has been well documented . But no information about tetracycline residues in beeswax has been reported and no reference for determination of TCs in beeswax has been found.…”

Development and validation of a liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of nitroimidazole residues in beeswax

“…The log P oct/wat values of nitroimidazoles are in the same range as those of chloramphenicol (1.02) and sulfonamides (between -0.12 for sulfadiazine and 1.13 for sulfaquinoxaline) and suggest higher accumulation potential in hydrophilic honey than in lipophilic beeswax. Nonetheless, as in case of chloramphenicol and sulfonamides [6][7][8] applied in bee colonies and later found, as residues, not only in honey but also in beeswax, nitroimidazoles that have already been found in honey [5] are expected to be incorporated into beeswax as well. The distribution and fate of nitroimidazoles within a hive have not been studied yet.…”

“…Moreover, beeswax is listed in the Pharmacopeia of different countries and it is an authorized food preservative in the European Union under the symbol of E 901. It has been shown that when hives were treated with chloramphenicol or sulfonamide, residues of these compounds were found not only in honey but also in beeswax probably due to the partitioning between the two compartments that are in direct contact with each other. Beeswax is an organic lipophilic material while honey a hydrophilic sugar aqueous solution thus the partitioning of a molecule between these two compartments is comparable to that between n ‐octanol and water .…”

Removal of Sulfa Antibiotics in Low-Remperature Water Using Scoria

“…Sulfathiazole (ST), sulfamethazine (SM2), and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) have commonly been used as additives for sulfa antibiotics of which trace levels have been detected [11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. Four types of sulfa antibiotics were found in samples of soil and groundwater in a farm in northeastern China [18].…”