Long-term monitoring of lipophilic acaricide residues in commercial Swiss beeswax

A national survey on pesticides in recycled beeswax originating from beekeeping has been conducted in Switzerland for almost three decades. It allowed obtaining a good overview of the lipophilic products used for beekeeping within the last 30 years.

Our survey illustrates that several beekeeping-associated pesticides persist in recycled beeswax for many years. Most recent analyses show lower residue levels in Swiss beeswax as compared to previous years. Nowadays Swiss beekeepers mostly use hydrophilic substances for treatment against the Varroa destructor that do not accumulate in beeswax, thus reducing exposure of the honey bees to lipophilic contaminants.

The use of the veterinary drugs containing bromopropylate or tau-fluvalinate two decades ago led to substantial residues in commercial beeswax. These contaminants are still detectable although in Switzerland the corresponding products have been out of use for many years. The level of coumaphos substantially increased in 2015 up to an annual value of 3.25 mg·kg-1 , suggesting that at least a few beekeepers used coumaphos-containing products. Consequently, an information campaign was launched, and the annual value decreased again. Maximal levels of thymol up to an annual value of 87.5 mg·kg-1 were measured in 2009. Since that time, a steady decrease of thymol residues suggests that beekeepers less frequently use thymol-containing products. Twenty-five years ago, 1,4-dichlorobenzene (PDCB) was widely used for the control of the wax moth, resulting in residues in beeswax up to an annual value of 10.9 mg·kg-1 whereas nowadays, PDCB residues are rarely detected in Swiss beeswax. Conclusions: Our survey illustrates that several beekeeping-associated pesticides persist in recycled beeswax for many years. Most recent analyses show lower residue levels in Swiss beeswax as compared to previous years. Nowadays Swiss beekeepers mostly use hydrophilic substances for treatment against the Varroa destructor that do not accumulate in beeswax, thus reducing exposure of the honey bees to lipophilic contaminants.