Determination of Bromopropylate (Folbex-VA) Residue in Honey Produced in Iran (Damavand Region)

Varroa mite (Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman) is considered one of the most important pests of honey bee colonies throughout the world. This mite feeds on honey bee hemolymph, transmits some viruses, and inflicts heavy economic losses on the beekeeping industry worldwide. Beekeepers use various miticides, including Folbex-VA fumigant strips, in bee colonies to control Varroa mite populations. This lipophilic compound dissolves in wax first. It is then released into honey.  Pesticides used to control pests and diseases may remain in raw and processed products that are used by humans and livestock. These pesticide residues can cause health hazards because of their chronic or acute toxicity in humans. Consequently, this research measured Folbex-VA residues in six honey production regions in Damavand County (Ayeneh Varzan, Aru, Havir, Mosha, Tar Lake, and Damavand) in two months (the final spring and summer months). The GC-MS was used in the isolation and identification processes of Folbex-VA. A factorial experiment using a completely randomized design was performed to analyze the data, and a comparison of the means was carried out using Duncan’s multiple range tests at the significance level of ۱%. The results indicated that  in the last month of spring, pesticide residues were higher than the Maximum Residue Level (MRL) set by the European Union (EU) in the samples taken from Ayeneh Varzan, Havir, and Masha but at the MRL in the samples taken from Aru, Tar Lake and Damavand. However, in the last month of summer, pesticide residues in the samples taken from all six regions were below the MRL adopted by the EU.

کلیدواژه ها:

Varroa destructor ، Honey ، Folbex-VA ، residue ، Damavand