Determination of pesticides in bee mortality using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Abstract

Introduction. Pesticides used in agriculture can cause the death of bees, which are crucial pollinators and bioindicators of ecological status. In Russia, there is no regulatory framework for the control of residual pesticide content in dead bees, complicating the objective diagnosis of causes of honey bee colony mortality.
Aim. To develop and validate a method for the determination of 22 pesticides in dead bees using gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) with QuEChERS-based sample preparation.
Materials and methods. The research was conducted at the Testing Central Scientific Methodological Veterinary Laboratory of FGBI “ARRIAH” (Moscow) in 2024–2025. A total of 15 samples of dead bees were analyzed. Extraction and purification were performed using the QuEChERS method with acetonitrile, a citrate salt mixture, and PSA and C18 sorbents. Analysis was carried out on a GCMS-TQ8050 (Shimadzu) chromatograph–mass spectrometer equipped with an Rxi-5ms column. Method validation was conducted based on linearity, sensitivity, recovery, and selectivity.
Results. The method demonstrated linearity of calibration curves with coefficients of determination R² > 0.98 for all analytes. Limits of quantification (LOQ) ranged from 0.012 to 0.018, and limits of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.0041 to 0.0062 mg/kg. Recovery rates varied from 88 to 97%. Selectivity was confirmed by the absence of interfering chromatographic peaks at the retention times of the target compounds. The obtained values meet the acceptability criteria for multi-residue analytical methods.
Conclusion. The developed method enables reliable identification and quantification of 22 pesticides in dead bees and can be recommended for use in laboratory practice to determine the causes of acute and chronic poisoning of honey bee colonies, as well as for conducting monitoring studies.

To cite: Khalyavin I.A., Osinova E.S., Murashkin M.R., Novikova A.V. Determination of pesticides in bee mortality using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Agrarian Bulletin of the North Caucasus. 2026;16(1):101-111. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31279/2949-4796-2026-16-1-101-111