Abstract
Honey taken directly from 59 bee hives on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʽi was analyzed for glyphosate residue using ELISA techniques. Glyphosate residue was detected (> LOQ) in 27% of honey samples, at concentrations up to 342 ppb, with a mean = 118 ppb, S.E.M. 24 ppb. Of 15 honey samples store-purchased on Kauaʽi, glyphosate was detected in 33%, with a mean concentration of 41 ppb, S.E.M. 14. Glyphosate residue was not detected in two samples from the island of Molokai but was in one of four samples from the island of Hawaiʽi. Presence and concentration of glyphosate residues were geospatially mapped with respect to Hawaiian land divisions. Mapping showed higher occurrence of glyphosate that was over LOQ (48%) and concentrations of glyphosate (mean = 125 ppb, S.E.M. 25 ppb; N = 15) in honey from the western, predominantly agricultural, half of Kauaʽi versus the eastern half (4%, mean = 15 ppb; N = 1). Geographic Information System analysis of land use percentage was performed within a circular zone of 1 Km radius around each hive. Various land use types within each circular zone were transcribed into polygons and percent land use calculated. Only agriculture land use showed a strong positive correlation with glyphosate concentration. High glyphosate concentrations were also detected when extensive golf courses and/or highways were nearby. This suggests herbicide migration from the site of use into other areas by bees. Best management practices in use for curtailing pesticide migration are not effective and must be carefully re-assessed.
Highlights
Sixteen (27.1%) of 59 samples had glyphosate concentrations detected over the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) limit of quantitation (LOQ = 15 ppb)
Calculations of mean concentrations were done in two manners: using all sample ELISA data (N = 59, mean = 33.5 ppb, standard error of the mean, S.E.M. = 9.3) or for only those samples with ELISA values greater than the Limit of quantitation (LOQ) (N = 16, mean = 118.3, S.E.M. = 24.0)
The presence of glyphosate residue in honey samples taken directly from the hive has been shown to correlate with areas that geospatial analysis has identified as comprised mainly of large-scale mono-crop agriculture
Summary
Rubio et al [1] tested for glyphosate residues in honey and other common foodstuff and described an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique for inexpensive analysis. Glyphosate in honey traced by geospatial analysis to proximity of large-scale agriculture and transfer by bees collection, processing and analysis of honey samples. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ’Author Contributions’ section. Abraxis Inc. did not have any additional role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. No additional external funding was received for this study
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