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QuEChERS Adaptability for the Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Beehive Products Seeking the Development of an Agroecosystem Sustainability Monitor
journal contribution
posted on 2015-05-13, 00:00 authored by Silvina Niell, Florencia Jesús, Cecilia Pérez, Yamandú Mendoza, Rosana Díaz, Jorge Franco, Verónica Cesio, Horacio HeinzenBeehive products could be powerful
monitors of pesticide residues
originating in agroecosystems during production cycles. Their ready
availability provides enough samples to perform analytical determinations,
but their chemical complexity makes residue analysis a real challenge.
Taking advantage of the plasticity of QuEChERS coupled to LC-MS/MS,
validated methodologies were developed for bees, honey, beeswax, and
pollen and applied to real samples for the simultaneous determination
of 19 of the most employed pesticides in intensive cropping fields.
Beehives placed in Uruguayan agroecosystems accumulated the pesticides
thiacloprid, imidacloprid, methomyl, carbaryl, hexythiazox, azoxystrobin,
pyraclostrobin, tebuconazole, and haloxyfop-methyl at 0.0001–0.01
mg/kg levels. The oscillations on the amount and occurrence of residue
findings for specific apiaries were correlated statistically with
the sampling season and the agroecosystem where the beehives were
located, showing the potential of bees and bee products to record
relevant information to survey the chemicals applied in their surroundings.