Monitoring of pyrethroid residues in Sardinian honey by solid phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography

A rapid, economical and simplified multi-residue method, involving an extraction step and further HPLC analysis is described for the determination of fenpropathrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin and permethrin residues in honey. The method was tested on 74 honey samples, produced in Sardinia during 2000-2001. Pyrethroids were isolated from the matrix by means of solid-phase extraction (SPE) with octadecylsilane tandem-florisil cartridges. Recoveries of the pyrethroids at four different concentrations ranged from 93.6 to 99.2%. The estimated limits of detection ranged from 0.2 to 1.6 mug kg(-1) and limits of quantification ranged from 0.6 to 5.2 mug kg(-1). The stability of the four pyrethroids and their isomers was investigated on a multifloreal honey sample. The pesticides had a different degree of persistence in this matrix after 10 months. Traces of pyrethroid pesticides were detected in only four samples and their concentrations were lower than the limit of quantification. No residues were found in the other samples.