Levels of selected pesticides in honey samples from Kahramanmaraş, Turkey

In this study 32 pesticide residues and eight polybrominated diphenlyl ether (PBDE) congeners were measured in nine honey samples from Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. A new method based on the best recovery was column extraction with n-hexane/acetone followed by gas chromatography electron-capture detection (GC-ECD), and mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Generally the pesticide levels were low in the honey samples. γ-HCH and PCB 28 were being measured in all honey samples. The sum of HCHs in samples varied between 0.71 and 2.47 ng/g. Malathion, bromophos methyl, cis-HCE, chlordane, endrin, p,p′-DDE and o,p′-DDD were not detectable. The mean values of α-HCH and β-HCH were 0.60 and 0.52 ng/g. The mean values of HCB, α-chlordan, trans-nonachlor, cis-nonachlor, Heptachlor, aldrin, bromophos ethyl, trans-HCE, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan, dieldrin were 0.30, 0.05, 0.14, 0.84, 0.04, 0.06, 2.74, 0.03, 0.09, 0.27, 0.36 ng/g respectively. In none of the samples PBDEs were detected.