Pesticide residues in bee products collected from cherry trees protected during blooming period with contact and systemic fungicides

Pesticide (vinclozolin, iprodione and methyl tiophanate) residues were dete rmined in honey, pollen and bee bread from a plantation of cherry (Prunus c erasus) cv. English morello. The least contaminated were honey samples, whi ch contained up to 0.1 mg.kg(-1) and pollen with up to 0.25 mg.kg(-1), and the most contaminated was bee bread with up to 23.6 mg.kg(-1) of the used f ungicides. Obtained results suggest that residues of vinclozolin and iprodi one present in pollen grains are chemically modified (possibly conjugated) and thus undetected by the method used. During fermentation of bee bread th e conjugates are hydrolysed and free pesticides: released. Experiments show ed that both vinclozolin and iprodione applied to old leaves were transport ed to young leaves and flowers. Thus, despite contact mode of action declar ed by producers, they also show systemic properties. This assumption may be corroborated by the dynamics of pollen contamination (4-5 days of lag peri od between the spray time and time of incidence of maximum contamination). (C) Inra/DIB/AGIB/Elsevier, Paris.