Solid-phase microextraction /gas-chromatographic /mass-spectrometric analysis of p-dichlorobenzene and naphthalene in honey

Petros A Tarantilis (1)

1 Department Analytical Chemistry

Protection of honey combs from wax moth Galleria mellonella involves the use of physical, biological or chemical control methods. Chemical control may results of residues in the extracted honey. The presence of residues of p-dichlorobenzene and naphthalene in honey were investigated by means of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas-chromatography and mass-spectrometry (GC/MS). The method was linear between 5 ìg/kg and 200 ìg/kg of honey for p-dichlorobenzene and 1 ìg/kg and 200 ìg/kg of honey for naphthalene. Limits of detection were 1 ìg/kg and 0.1 ìg/kg respectively. The relative standard deviations were 2.59% and 7.92% for p-dichlorobenzene and naphthalene respectively. Application of the method to 90 unifloral Greek honeys revealed that in 25.6% of the samples the concentration of either one of the pesticides overreached the Maximum Residue Level (MRL) value. Maximum concentrations were 163.03 ìg/kg of honey for p-dichlorobenzene and 193.74 ìg/kg of honey for naphthalene. Naphthalene was found in traceable amounts in 78.9% of the samples, but only 5.6% of them contained concentrations above the MRL value. This indicates the use of pre-contaminated honey comb foundations or built combs. Nevertheless, because naphthalene is naturally present in some plant species growing in Greece, the contribution of nectar from such a floral source should not be debarred.

Keywords: Life Sciences

Petros A Tarantilis. Solid-phase microextraction /gas-chromatographic /mass-spectrometric analysis of p-dichlorobenzene and naphthalene in honey. Food Additives and Contaminants, 2008, 25 (10), pp.1272-1277. ⟨10.1080/02652030802007546⟩. ⟨hal-00577386⟩