Simplified Procedure for Organochlorine Pesticides Residue Analysis in Honey

Abstract

A simplified method for analysing organochlorine (OC) pesticides residues in honey was devised. It uses capillary column gas chromatography.

It implies dissolving honey in water. The solution thus obtained is extracted by petroleum ether. The extract is purified on a Florisil micro-column. The recovery for the eleven OC pesticides studied was better than 90% for three levels of fortification. The LOQs lie between 0.27 and 0.48 ng/g.

This technique was applied to 28 samples of honey coming from various geographical areas. p,p'-DDE was the only compound detected in 24 samples (85.7%) and its mean concentration was 0.58 ng/g. The richest p,p'-DDE samples came from Third World countries where OC pesticides were, in the recent past, still in heavy use.

Key Words:

• Honey bee
• capillary gas chromatography
• organochlorine pesticides