Occurrence of Pesticide Residues in Spanish Honey Measured by QuEChERS Method Followed by Liquid and Gas Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

In the current study, the QuEChERS extraction method with slight modifications, followed by liquid and gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, was applied for the determination of 399 pesticide residues in 91 raw honey samples from northeastern Spain. The quality control procedure established in Document No. SANTE/12682/2019 was successfully followed: the responses in reagent blank and blank honey samples were below 30% of the reporting limit (0.01 mg kg−1) for all analysed compounds, the correlation coefficients (R2) were higher than 0.99 in most calibration curves, the deviation of back-calculated concentration from the true concentration was below ±20% (using the standard of 50 μg L−1 concentration), and the recoveries of spiked samples on matrix were within the range of 70–120% for almost all analytes. Only chlorfenvinphos (2–7.8 ng/g) and coumaphos (8.8–37 ng/g) were detected in 13 samples, and neither were observed to exceed their maximum residue limits (MRLs). Dietary risk assessment for pesticide residues in honey above their lowest calibrated level (LCL) was performed, and two different age groups, adults and infants, were considered as populations at risk. The contribution of honey lay far below the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for both pesticide residues. Therefore, according to our results, honey is unlikely to pose concerns for consumer health in terms of its contribution to dietary long-term exposure. However, to maintain the level of compliance, pesticide residues in honey should be continuously monitored.

Determination of acaricides in honeys from different botanical origins by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

“…This leads to the frequent application of doses higher than those recommended, and it is highly likely that acaricide residues appear in the different beehive products (Nozal, Imaz, Bernal, Nieto, Higes, & Bernal, 2021) including honey. Indeed, acaricide residues have been found in honeys from different countries (Almeida, Oloris, Faria, Ribeiro, Cantini, & Soto, 2020;Bajuk et al, 2017;Calatayud-Vernich, Calatayud, Simó, & Picó, 2016;Chiesa et al, 2016;Gaweł et al, 2019;Jiménez, Bernal, & Atienza, 1996;Kamel, & Al-Ghamdi, 2006;Kumar, Gill, Bedi, & Kumar, 2018;Lasheras, Lázaro, Burillo, & Bayarri, 2021;Panseri et al, 2020;Lazarus et al, 2021;Martel., Zeggane, Aurières, Drajnudel, Faucon, & Aubert, 2007;Notardonato, Avino, Cinelli, & Russo, 2014;Notardonato et al, 2016;Panseri et al, 2020;Rafique et al, 2018;Rial-Otero, Gaspar, Moura, & Capello, 2007;Shamsipur, Yazdanfar, & Ghambarian, 2016;Shendy, Al-Ghobashy, Mohammed, Alla, & Lofty, 2016;Zheng et al, 2018), and maximum residue levels have been established by regulatory agencies like the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission see Table 1; European Union Pesticide Database, 2022) to protect the consumer´s health.…”

A Comprehensive Narrative Review on the Hazards of Bee Honey Adulteration and Contamination

“…Due to pest control treatments of hives or through the transfer of contaminated beeswax, veterinary medicinal drugs (such as antibiotics banned in beekeeping or legal acaricides) can be found in honey [26][27][28][29][30]. At the same time, honey must not contain traces of metals or the heavy metal content should be minimal, as defned by EU food regulations [8,[31][32][33].…”

“…Long-term consumption of pesticide-contaminated honey may lead to a range of health issues, including neurological disorders, hormonal imbalances, and an increased risk of certain cancers. As those pesticides accumulate in the human body over time, their efects can be insidious, emphasizing the urgency of monitoring and controlling pesticide use in beekeeping practices [27,31,33,53,54].…”

Screening and Quantitation of Pesticide Residues in Indian Honey Samples by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS

“…Pesticide analysis supported LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS instrumentation that permits the determination of widespread agricultural pesticides worldwide such as chlorpyrifos, imidacloprid, dimethoate, and tebuconazole (19) . The QuEChERS extraction strategy with slight alterations, taken after by fluid and gas chromatographytandem mass spectrometry, was connected for the assurance of pesticide buildups in crude nectar tests from northeastern Spain was performed by Lasheras et al and identified Chlorfenvinphos and coumaphos buildups (20) . Xiao et al detected carbendazim and pyrethroids among the honey samples of China using a modified version of the QuEChERS multi-residue method (21) .…”