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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Bee Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #324775
Title: Pesticide Exposome: Assessing risks to migratory honey bees from pesticide contamination in the hive environment in the Eastern United States

Author
item VAN ENGELSDORP, DENNIS - University Of Maryland
item TRAYNOR, KIRSTEN - University Of Maryland
item TARPY, DAVID - North Carolina State University
item MULLIN, CHRISTOPHER - Pennsylvania State University
item Pettis, Jeffery

Submitted to: Scientific Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/19/2016
Publication Date: 9/15/2016
Citation: Van Engelsdorp, D., Traynor, K.S., Tarpy, D.R., Mullin, C.A., Pettis, J.S. 2016. Pesticide Exposome: Assessing risks to migratory honey bees from pesticide contamination in the hive environment in the Eastern United States. Scientific Reports. 6:33207.

Interpretive Summary: To calculate the relative risk associated with exposure to easily quantifiable putative risk factors in honey bee colonies, a cohort study of hives belonging to three migratory beekeepers was previously conducted and reported on. Associated with those studies, live adult bee, wax, and bee bread samples were collected from individual colonies for pesticide quantification. Using previously reported Hazard Quotients (HQ), the risk to bees from consuming contaminated food was estimated. Here we report the overall pesticide exposure to bee colonies as they moved into different crops using a HQ model that encompasses contact and oral risk from multiple residues contributing to morbidity and mortality.

Technical Abstract: To calculate the relative risk associated with exposure to easily quantifiable putative risk factors in honey bee colonies, a cohort study of hives belonging to three migratory beekeepers was previously conducted and reported on. Associated with those studies, live adult bee, wax, and bee bread samples were collected from individual colonies for pesticide quantification. Using previously reported Hazard Quotients (HQ), the risk to bees from consuming contaminated food was estimated. Here we report the overall pesticide exposure to bee colonies as they moved into different crops using a HQ model that encompasses contact and oral risk from multiple residues contributing to morbidity and mortality.