Nonacaricide Pesticide Residues in Honey: Analytical Methods and Levels Found

Contamination of honey by the herbicide asulam and its antibacterial active metabolite sulfanilamide

A number of antibacterial drugs (antibiotics) like sulfonamides, tetracyclines and streptomycin are used for the treatment of bacterial diseases in beehives. Yet, the finding of sulfanilamide residues in some 15 Swiss honeys out of some 350 samples could not be explained by such apicultural practice. Bees occasionally collect nectar from meadows treated with the herbicide asulam. Such honey is not only contaminated by asulam, but also by its degradation product sulfanilamide. This is the first report that the use of a herbicide causes the appearance of residues of an antibacterial active metabolite belonging to the category of sulfonamide drugs in food. The relevance of this finding lies in the fact that the use of the herbicide asulam might cause unacceptable residue levels of sulfanilamide in a product fbr human consumption.

Analytical methods for pesticide residue determination in bee products

Monitoring pesticide residues in honey, wax, and bees helps to assess the potential risk of these products to consumer health and gives information on the pesticide treatments that have been used on the field crops surrounding the hives. The present review seeks to discuss the basic principles and recent developments in pesticide analysis in bee products and their application in monitoring programs. Consideration is given to extraction, cleanup, chromatographic separation, and detection techniques.