3.1.2. Fungicides

In the present study, the most frequently identified fungicide was carbendazim (present in 60% of samples), followed by azoxystrobin (10%), tebuconazole (6.66%), and boscalid (3.33% samples). Similarly, Gaweł et al. [20] showed the presence of the fungicides carbendazim (38%), azoxystrobin (11%), tebuconazole (10%), and boscalid (5%) in Polish honey, as well as other fungicides that were not detected in our study, including cyproconazole (6%), flutriafol (5%), tetraconazole (3%), dimoxystrobin, difenoconazole, propiconazole, and prothioconazole-desthio (1% each).

Only two honey samples contained both a triazole fungicide (tebuconazole) and cyanosubstituted neonicotinoids (acetamiprid and thiacloprid). This combination of pesticide residues increases the toxicity of cyano-substituted neonicotinoids [31]. The degradation of cyano-substituted neonicotinoids (acetamiprid and thiacloprid) takes longer than in the case of nitro-substituted neonicotinoids (thiamethoxam, clothianidin, and imidacloprid).
