Gas chromatographic determination of acrinathrine and 3-phenoxybenzaldehyde residues in honey

A procedure involving an extraction step and further gas chromatographic analysis with flame ionization detection to determine residues of acrinathrine and its main metabolite, 3-phenoxybenzaldehyde, in honey is proposed. Residues can be isolated from the matrix by means of liquid–liquid extraction with a mixture of benzene–isopropanol, by solid-phase extraction with octadecylsilane cartridges or Florisil packed columns, the latter method giving higher recoveries. Assays on spiked honey samples are carried out to test the procedures that are afterwards applied to honey samples from treated beehives.