Agricultural pesticide residues in honey and wax combs from Southeastern, Central and Northeastern Mexico

Abstract

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) play an important ecological and economical role. Recently, Europe and the US have reported an increase in honey bee colony losses owing to several factors. Several possible causes for colony losses have been proposed, including exposure to pesticides such as agrochemicals for crop protection and pesticides for veterinarian use inside the hive. Mexico lacks reports about pesticide residues in hive products (honey, beeswax, pollen, propolis and royal jelly). This study presents the analysis of 93 agricultural pesticide residues found in honey and beeswax samples from Yucatan, the main area of beekeeping in Mexico, and from hives in Northeastern and Central Mexico, as well as in commercial wax samples. The number and concentrations of pesticides found are dependent of region. Yucatan hive samples had the lowest levels of agrochemicals. In Yucatan, the main agrochemical found in honey was the fungicide phenylphenol, while in wax combs, the agrochemicals found in the highest concentrations were the phenylphenol and the organochlorine 2,4′-DDT. In Northeastern Mexico, the main pesticides detected in wax and/or honey were malathion, chlorpyrifos, phenylphenol and thiabendazole, whereas in Central Mexico, the most common residues were chlorpyrifos and imidacloprid. Commercial wax showed low levels of pesticides residues. Malathion concentration in one sample of honey taken from Northeastern Mexico exceeded the European Maximum Residue Levels (MRL = 0.05 mg/kg).