Effects of pesticides in honey and other bee products on human health and environmental sustainability

Abstract

Honey is regarded as a natural and safe product for human that free of any chemical contaminants. However, today some of honey is produced in an polluted environment by different sources of contamitants. These are present in air, water, soil and plants and are transported to beehives and bee products by bees. Pesticide is a general name of chemicals which consist of insecticides, acaricides, fungicides and herbicides. Nectar and pollen collected from pesticide-treated flowers can result in contaminated honey. The residues of pesticides detected in bee products are mostly organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates and neonicotinoids. Plant-derived pesticides, called botanicals, have also been developing quickly. Consumers in Europe are concerned about pesticide residues in food. The small amounts of pesticide residues remain in the honey and other products constituting a potential risk for the human health. Pesticide use also raises a number of environmental concerns.