LC-MS/MS analysis of neonicotinoid insecticides: Residue findings in chilean honeys

Raquel Bridi,Arturo Larena,Ady Giordano,Paula Núñez Pizarro,Gloria Montenegro

doi:10.1590/1413-70542018421021117

Raquel Bridi, Arturo Larena + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-70542018421021117

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Abstract

ABSTRACT Neonicotinoids are a relatively new generation of insecticides that have been used for control of pests such as aphids, leafhoppers and whiteflies. This paper presents for the first time a determination of residues of four neonicotinoid insecticides (acetamiprid, thiamethoxam, thiacloprid and imidacloprid) in Chilean honey using QuEChERS extraction and UHPLC-MS/MS analysis. The limits of detection and quantification found for all analytes ranging from 0.34 to 1.43 μg kg-1 and from 0.30 to 4.76 μg kg-1, respectively. The extraction using QuEChERS method provided recoveries over 79% and the precision showed coefficient of variation lower than 20%. These data are in agreement with the international criteria that recommend general recovery limits of 70 - 120%. Of the 16 samples analyzed, in three honey samples neonicotinoids pesticides were detected. These three samples were collected from the same geographical area (Rengo). Fruit and grain production characterize the province of Rengo. The analysis of the botanical origin of these honeys showed the absence of pollen grains of crops and the majority presence of pollen grains of weeds such as Medicago sativa, Galega officinalis and Brassica rapa, which could be associated with crops. Although the residue levels found were low, the results also confirm the actual occurrence of a transfer of neonicotinoid insecticides from exposed honeybees into honey.

Highlights

Neonicotinoid pesticides have become the most widely used class of insecticides worldwide, with largescale applications ranging from plant protection, veterinary products and biocides to invertebrate pest control in fish farming
This paper presents for the first time a determination of residues of four neonicotinoid insecticides in Chilean honey using QuEChERS extraction and UHPLC-MS/MS analysis
In Chile, according the official policy (NCh2981.Of2005) established by the Standards Division of the National Institute for Standardization honey can be classified according to three types of botanical origins: monofloral, bifloral, or polyfloral (Montenegro et al, 2008). Monofloral honeys are those where at least 45% or more pollen grains found in it belong to the same species; bifloral honeys are those where pollens from two species are dominant within the total pollen grains, so that, as a whole, both species cover more than 50% of the total pollen grains, and there is not a difference higher than 5% among them and; polyfloral honeys are those where no species reaches at least 45% of the total pollen grains, nor two of them covers more than 50% of the said total

Summary

Introduction

Neonicotinoid pesticides have become the most widely used class of insecticides worldwide, with largescale applications ranging from plant protection (crops, vegetables, fruits), veterinary products and biocides to invertebrate pest control in fish farming. Various adverse effects on the environment have been reported, which occur via a number of routes including dust generated during riling of dressed seeds, contamination and accumulation in arable soils and soil water, run off into waterways, and uptake of pesticides by non-target plants through their roots or dust deposition on leaves This provides multiple paths for chronic (and acute in some cases) exposure of nontarget animals. Different studies have demonstrated that sub lethal amounts of neonicotinoids alone or combined with other pesticides, such as fungicides (Iwasa et al, 2004) may cause disorientation, reduced communication, impaired learning and memory, reduced longevity and disruption of honeybee brood cycles (Farooqui, 2013; Pisa et al, 2015) Residues of these insecticides may be found in bee products such as honey, pollen, beeswax, and propolis (Jovanov et al, 2015; Kasiotis et al, 2014; Tanner; Czerwenka, 2011). This paper presents for the first time a determination of residues of four neonicotinoid insecticides (acetamiprid, thiamethoxam, thiacloprid and imidacloprid) in Chilean honey using QuEChERS extraction and UHPLC-MS/MS analysis

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