Table 1.
Pesticides found in Belgian beeswax samples (n = 10)
| Pesticide | Concentration (µg/kg)f | # Positive | Acute 48 h LD50 (µg/bee) | Type | MRL in honey (µg/kg) | Registration in Belgium | Earlier finding in beeswax | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Due to VMP use | Due to Pesticide use | VMP use in beekeeping | Pesticide use | ||||||
| Pesticides used in beekeeping | |||||||||
| Coumaphos | (6; 7; 8); 15; 16; 31; 35; 39; 66 | 9 | No data | aca | 100 | 10 | Noa (forbidden since 2009) | No | Yes |
| Pesticides used in beekeeping and/or applied to crops | |||||||||
| Bromopropylate | (7); 11; 18; 46; 46; 78; 89 | 7 | 183 | aca | No MRL | 10 | Noa (forbidden since 2007) | No (forbidden since 2007) | Yes |
| Tau-fluvalinate | 11; 12; 17; 17; 23; 27; 28; 30; 40; 83 | 10 | No data | ins, aca | No MRL required | 10 | Noa (forbidden since 2008) | Yes | Yes |
| Amitraz | 11; 19 | 2 | 50 | ins, aca, vet | 200 | 10 | Noa (forbidden since 2006) | No (forbidden since 2004) | Yes |
| Piperonyl butoxide | 10 | 1 | 294 | opc, vet | No MRL required | 10g | No | Yesb | Yes |
| Pesticides applied to crops | |||||||||
| Gamma-HCH | (7) | 1 | 0.011 | ins, aca | No MRL | 10 | No | No | Yes |
| Delta-HCH | (5; 8; 8; 9; 9); 13; 29 | 7 | 0.011c | ins, aca | No MRL | 10 | No | No | |
| Alpha-HCH | (9) | 1 | 0.011c | ins, aca | No MRL | 10 | No | No | |
| DEET | 13; 35; 36; 38; 41 | 5 | No data | ins, rep | No MRL | 10g | No | Nod | |
| Propargite | 12; 17; 27; 43; 65 | 5 | 47.9 | aca | No MRL | 10g | No | No | |
| Chlorfenvinphos | (8; 9); 11; 13; 15 | 5 | 0.55 | ins, aca, vet | No MRL | 10 | No | No | Yes |
| p,p′-DDE | 10 | 1 | 5e | ins | No MRL | 50 | No | No | Yes |
| p,p′-DDT | (6; 8); 44 | 3 | 5e | ins | No MRL | 50 | No | No | |
| o,p′-DDT | 11 | 1 | 5e | ins | No MRL | 50 | No | No | |
| 4,4′-Dibromobenzo Phenone | (5; 7; 8) | 3 | No data | No MRL | 10g | No | No | Yes | |
| Boscalid | 12; 13 | 2 | 100 | fun | No MRL | 500 | No | Yes | Yes |
| Parathion-methyl | 16 | 1 | 19.5 | ins | No MRL | 10 | No | No | Yes |
| Bromophos | (6) | 1 | 0.44 | ins | No MRL | 10g | No | No | |
Coumaphos : O,O-diethyl O-3-chloro-4-methyl-2-oxo-2H-chromen-7-yl phosphorothioate; p,p’-DDE: 1,1-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2-dichloroethene, p,p’-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene; o,p’-DDT: 1,1,1-trichloro-2-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethane or o,p’-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane; p,p’-DDT: p,p’-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane; DEET: N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, diethyltoluamide, delphene or detamide; 4,4’-dibromobenzophenone: also known as bis(4-bromophenyl)methanone; HCH: hexachlorocyclohexane
MRL maximum residue limit/maximum residue level, VMP veterinary medicinal product, aca acaricide, ins insecticide, vet veterinary treatment, rep repellant, fun fungicide, opc other product constituent
aNo longer registered to be used as a veterinary drug in beekeeping against Varroa destructor
bNot a plant protection product but a synergist
cData for lindane = gamma-HCH
dNo registration to be applied to crops, on the market as insect repellent
eData for DDT
fEstimated concentration given between brackets for concentrations <LOQ, LD50 lethal dose for 50 % of subjects
gDefault value since no MRL was established