School of Public Health and Zoonoses, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, 141 004, India.
Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, 176062, India.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2018 Dec;25(34):34005-34016. doi: 10.1007/s11356-018-3312-4. Epub 2018 Oct 2.
Honey has multifaceted beneficial properties, but polluted environment and unapproved apicultural practices have led to its contamination. In this study, QuEChERS method followed by chromatographic analysis by GC-μECD/FTD and GC-MS was validated and used for determination of 24 pesticides in 100 raw honey samples from various floral origins of Northern India. Matrix-matched calibrations showed that the method was selective and linear (r > 0.99) with detection limit < 9.1 ng g for all the studied pesticides except for monocrotophos (21.3 ng g). The average recoveries at different fortification levels ranged from 86.0 to 107.7% with relative standard deviation < 20%. Pesticide residues were detected in 19.0% samples, and most prevalent compounds detected were dichlorvos in 6.0% samples followed by monocrotophos (5.0%), profenofos (5.0%), permethrin (4.0%), ethion (3.0%), and lindane (3.0%) with concentrations ranging from 58.8 to 225.5, from 96.0 to 430.1, from 14.6 to 43.2, from 27.8 to 39.6, from 25.6 to 28.0, and from 19.6 to 99.2 ng g, respectively. Honey samples originating from cotton, sunflower, and mustard crops (33.3%) that tested positive for pesticide residues were found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the honey originating from natural and fruity vegetation (13.5%). Therefore, considering the contamination of environmental compartments due to extensive application of pesticides in the study area and their potential for subsequent transfer to honey by the expeditious bees, the results of present study proclaim that honey may be used as an indicator of environmental pollution. Further, estimated daily intakes of all contaminants were found to be at levels well below their acceptable daily intakes suggesting that consumption of honeys at current levels does not pose deleterious effects on human health. However, precautionary measures should always be taken considering the customary honey feeding in infants and cumulative effect of these chemicals in the foreseeable future.
蜂蜜具有多方面的有益特性，但受污染的环境和未经批准的养蜂实践导致其受到污染。在这项研究中，采用 QuEChERS 方法，结合 GC-μECD/FTD 和 GC-MS 进行色谱分析，对来自印度北部不同花卉来源的 100 个原始蜂蜜样品中的 24 种农药进行了测定。基质匹配校准表明，该方法具有选择性和线性（r > 0.99），除了久效磷（21.3ng/g）外，所有研究农药的检测限均<9.1ng/g。在不同添加水平下的平均回收率范围为 86.0%至 107.7%，相对标准偏差<20%。在 19.0%的样品中检测到农药残留，最常见的化合物是在 6.0%的样品中检测到二氯松，其次是久效磷（5.0%）、丙溴磷（5.0%）、氯菊酯（4.0%）、乙硫磷（3.0%）和林丹（3.0%），浓度范围为 58.8 至 225.5ng/g、96.0 至 430.1ng/g、14.6 至 43.2ng/g、27.8 至 39.6ng/g、25.6 至 28.0ng/g 和 19.6 至 99.2ng/g。被检测出农药残留的棉花、向日葵和芥菜作物（33.3%）的蜂蜜样品明显高于（p < 0.05）来自天然和水果植被的蜂蜜（13.5%）。因此，考虑到研究区域中农药的广泛应用对环境各部分的污染以及它们通过快速蜜蜂向蜂蜜转移的潜在可能性，本研究的结果表明，蜂蜜可以用作环境污染的指标。此外，所有污染物的估计每日摄入量均低于其可接受的每日摄入量，表明以目前水平食用蜂蜜不会对人类健康造成有害影响。然而，应始终采取预防措施，考虑到婴儿习惯性食用蜂蜜以及这些化学物质在可预见的未来的累积效应。
