Honey as a bioindicator of environmental organochlorine insecticides contamination
Abstract Honey is a suitable matrix for the evaluation of environmental contaminants including organochlorine insecticides. The present study was conducted to evaluate residues of fifteen organochlorine insecticides in honey samples of unifloral and multifloral origins from Dir, Pakistan. Honey samp...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Instituto Internacional de Ecologia
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Brazilian Journal of Biology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842023000100255&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1798019736638849024 |
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| author | M. Attaullah M. A. Nawaz I. Ilahi H. Ali T. Jan S. Khwaja A. Hazrat I. Ullah Z. Ullah S. Ullah B. Ahmad R. Ullah |
| author_facet | M. Attaullah M. A. Nawaz I. Ilahi H. Ali T. Jan S. Khwaja A. Hazrat I. Ullah Z. Ullah S. Ullah B. Ahmad R. Ullah |
| author_sort | M. Attaullah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Honey is a suitable matrix for the evaluation of environmental contaminants including organochlorine insecticides. The present study was conducted to evaluate residues of fifteen organochlorine insecticides in honey samples of unifloral and multifloral origins from Dir, Pakistan. Honey samples (5 g each) were extracted with GC grade organic solvents and then subjected to Rotary Evaporator till dryness. The extracts were then mixed with n-Hexane (5 ml) and purified through Column Chromatography. Purified extracts (1μl each) were processed through Gas Chromatograph coupled with Electron Capture Detector (GC-ECD) for identification and quantification of the insecticides. Of the 15 insecticides tested, 46.7% were detected while 53.3% were not detected in the honey samples. Heptachlor was the most prevalent insecticide with a mean level of 0.0018 mg/kg detected in 80% of the samples followed by β-HCH with a mean level of 0.0016 mg/kg detected in 71.4% of the honey samples. Honey samples from Acacia modesta Wall. were 100% positive for Heptachlor with a mean level of 0.0048 mg/kg followed by β-HCH with a mean level of 0.003 mg/kg and frequency of 83.3%. Minimum levels of the tested insecticides were detected in the unifloral honey from Ziziphus jujuba Mill. Methoxychlor, Endosulfan, Endrin and metabolites of DDT were not detected in the studied honey samples. Some of the tested insecticides are banned in Pakistan but are still detected in honey samples indicating their use in the study area. The detected levels of all insecticides were below the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) and safe for consumers. However, the levels detected can cause mortality in insect fauna. The use of banned insecticides is one of the main factors responsible for the declining populations of important insect pollinators including honeybees. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T16:44:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0b71ea996cc74757b84c110488c8c413 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1678-4375 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T16:44:28Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | Instituto Internacional de Ecologia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brazilian Journal of Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-0b71ea996cc74757b84c110488c8c4132022-12-22T04:13:35ZengInstituto Internacional de EcologiaBrazilian Journal of Biology1678-43752021-09-018310.1590/1519-6984.250373Honey as a bioindicator of environmental organochlorine insecticides contaminationM. Attaullahhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3381-5698M. A. NawazI. IlahiH. AliT. JanS. KhwajaA. HazratI. UllahZ. UllahS. UllahB. AhmadR. UllahAbstract Honey is a suitable matrix for the evaluation of environmental contaminants including organochlorine insecticides. The present study was conducted to evaluate residues of fifteen organochlorine insecticides in honey samples of unifloral and multifloral origins from Dir, Pakistan. Honey samples (5 g each) were extracted with GC grade organic solvents and then subjected to Rotary Evaporator till dryness. The extracts were then mixed with n-Hexane (5 ml) and purified through Column Chromatography. Purified extracts (1μl each) were processed through Gas Chromatograph coupled with Electron Capture Detector (GC-ECD) for identification and quantification of the insecticides. Of the 15 insecticides tested, 46.7% were detected while 53.3% were not detected in the honey samples. Heptachlor was the most prevalent insecticide with a mean level of 0.0018 mg/kg detected in 80% of the samples followed by β-HCH with a mean level of 0.0016 mg/kg detected in 71.4% of the honey samples. Honey samples from Acacia modesta Wall. were 100% positive for Heptachlor with a mean level of 0.0048 mg/kg followed by β-HCH with a mean level of 0.003 mg/kg and frequency of 83.3%. Minimum levels of the tested insecticides were detected in the unifloral honey from Ziziphus jujuba Mill. Methoxychlor, Endosulfan, Endrin and metabolites of DDT were not detected in the studied honey samples. Some of the tested insecticides are banned in Pakistan but are still detected in honey samples indicating their use in the study area. The detected levels of all insecticides were below the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) and safe for consumers. However, the levels detected can cause mortality in insect fauna. The use of banned insecticides is one of the main factors responsible for the declining populations of important insect pollinators including honeybees.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842023000100255&tlng=eninsecticideshoneybeesinsect pollinatorspublic healthGC-ECD |
| spellingShingle | M. Attaullah M. A. Nawaz I. Ilahi H. Ali T. Jan S. Khwaja A. Hazrat I. Ullah Z. Ullah S. Ullah B. Ahmad R. Ullah Honey as a bioindicator of environmental organochlorine insecticides contamination Brazilian Journal of Biology insecticides honeybees insect pollinators public health GC-ECD |
| title | Honey as a bioindicator of environmental organochlorine insecticides contamination |
| title_full | Honey as a bioindicator of environmental organochlorine insecticides contamination |
| title_fullStr | Honey as a bioindicator of environmental organochlorine insecticides contamination |
| title_full_unstemmed | Honey as a bioindicator of environmental organochlorine insecticides contamination |
| title_short | Honey as a bioindicator of environmental organochlorine insecticides contamination |
| title_sort | honey as a bioindicator of environmental organochlorine insecticides contamination |
| topic | insecticides honeybees insect pollinators public health GC-ECD |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842023000100255&tlng=en |
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