Honeys from Patagonia revealed notable pesticide residues in small-scale agricultural landscapes in the past decade

Abstract

Bees are major pollinators of wild and cultivated plants. Pesticides have been pointed out as a major driver of wild bee declines and of notorious honey bee colony losses, with high pesticide inputs frequently linked to large-scale agriculture. We explored the presence of pesticide residues in Apis mellifera honeys from a region characterised by small-scale agriculture in North-western Patagonia, Argentina in 2014. We compared Argentine and European Union (EU) regulations for pesticide residues found, and investigated the correlation with the botanical diversity of honey palynological spectrum. We identified residues of four pesticides in seven out of ten samples (the organophosphates Chlorpyrifos-ethyl, Pirimiphos-methyl and Dichlorvos, and the pyrethroid Cypermethrin); with concentrations higher than the maximum residue levels allowed in honey by UE. We found moderate evidence that the number of pesticides in honey correlated negatively with the diversity of pollen spectrum. Our results suggest risks due to pesticides to pollinators and human health also in small-scale agricultural areas. We highlight the need of strengthen regulations and controls in Argentina and Latin America regarding pesticide use in agriculture and pesticide residues in honey.