Using QUEChERS and liquid chromatography for determining of pesticide residues flumethrin, fluvalinate and in products honeybees (honey, wax and propolis)

The use of pesticides in agricultural cropping systems is often discussed as a factor influencing honey bee health [1]. Furthermore, honey, which is considered a healthy natural product, can be contaminated during its production from both agricultural and beekeeping practices [2,3]. In the study, residue of flumetrin and fluvalinate in products of honeybee were analysed by HPLC with QuEChERS extraction procedures. Appropriate results in terms of specificity, selectivity, accuracy and sensitivity, low cost and quickness make QuEChERS a suitable procedure for determining pesticides in many different matrices as hive products (beeswax, propolis, honey). Furthermore, QuEChERS approach meets important components of green analytical chemistry due to its small amounts of solvent needed compared to the traditional methods. In this protocol the extraction of a sample requires between 60 and 90 min, being evaporation the step that takes more time. The performance of the method provides the best sensitivity and lower matrix effects. A total number of 18 hives with comparable situations of population were selected. The study was conducted for five weeks in a completely randomized design with two treatment groups, including amitraz, flumethrin, fluvalinate with 6 replicates each.The type of product (honey, wax, and Propolis) made no differences among the chemical residuals (P ≥ 0.05), although the difference between treatment groups was significant (P ≤ 0.05). The numerically highest and lowest residuals were respectively observed in propolis and wax. The residuals of fluvalinate in all products was significantly higher than other chemical drugs after which the correspondingly higher residuals were recorded for flumethrin and amitraz.