The next panic - lead in honey?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'll put this here anyway regardless of what section it should be in - I know it's Ireland but there are a lot of old lead mines in Wales so it's why the WBKA has highlighted it. I think Wally is getting his knickers in a knot over nothing, but you never know!

"I have just picked up this warning issued by the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for which there was link in Apinews. As you will see, the source of the lead has not yet been established but if it is from nectar sources in areas associated with lead mining this could have considerable implications for beekeepers in Wales. It had been my previous understanding that plants did not pick up much lead through their roots (this comes from when there was tetra-ethyl lead in petrol and its effect on roadside verges where it was found to be mostly on the outside of the plant). However, a quick Google reveals that lead is taken up by plants but I can find absolutely no information as whether it can find its way into nectar.

Without being alarmist, I think this warning should go out to all beekeeping associations because I am sure Food Standards will pick-up on this and we may find that there will be a programme of honey testing. There is nothing that can be done about the lead mining source (if proven) - except that beekeepers may have to move their bees away from problem areas. However, if they are still using antiquated extractors or ripening tanks - which have been illegal for years - they had better get their act together PDQ."

 

[ratcatcher]

those of us born before the 70's, chewed our cots and most other items that were painted with lead paint, and were still here happy as larry,
these people have to put up these worries, as they are sad and normally ugly, and it's the only way to get people to talk to them

 

[madasafish]

It's stupid. Lead in nectar means bees would be unable to take off.

 

[Finman]

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We douple

 

[Finman]

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We do not use lead in petrol any more. Do you there?.
It blocks catalysator

 

[BrianO]

Intersting.

If it is as a result of testing as obviously is, then it should be heeded. Obviously contaminant is concentrated in the nprocess of honey producing.

Remember last year going to association autumn lecture where guest beek showed pics of his creosote treated hives and lamented the fact creosote was no longer available.

Scary.

 

[pargyle]

I very much doubt that the miniscule amounts of lead that plants could draw up from mining spoil waste could transfer in sufficient quantities via nectar and the bees to contaminate the honey.

I suspect that someone has painted their hives with old lead plumbate based white paint and as it degrades in the sun the bees are carrying the lead residue onto the comb ...

Some idiot scientist not looking for the most obvious source of contamination before scaring the public witless ....

 

[Vramin]

those of us born before the 70's, chewed our cots and most other items that were painted with lead paint, and were still here happy as larry,
these people have to put up these worries, as they are sad and normally ugly, and it's the only way to get people to talk to them

Well the grammar and content of this post suggest that lead may have done you more harm than you realise! You obviously don't know Wally either. If you do then you wouldn't be talking such crap, as he is neither sad nor ugly, but is in fact widely respected.

 

[Mammoth]

It's stupid. Lead in nectar means bees would be unable to take off.

Exactly......lead never did me any harm, and I'm a duck.
I've also got H1+H5N1 which makes me a flying pig with a really runny nose.

Forgive the joviality but the longer in years I am on this earth, the less tolerant I feel of scaremongering born out of any government department who has not completed adequate due diligence before release such information!

The guidance on linking / recording production is however very relevant if produce is for resale...
'To minimise their loss in the event of a problem being identified with their honey, large scale beekeepers should have a system that will link Apiary/Apiaries of production, to honey bucket/buckets to Lot Numbers on jars and then to outlet for honey.'

 

[REDWOOD]

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We do not use lead in petrol any more. Do you there?.
It blocks catalysator

Lead was taken out of petrol along with antifreeze which had a devastating affect on us. Euro 6 emission will have air coming out of the exhaust cleaner than the air that went into the engine.

 

[pargyle]

Intersting.

If it is as a result of testing as obviously is, then it should be heeded. Obviously contaminant is concentrated in the nprocess of honey producing.

Remember last year going to association autumn lecture where guest beek showed pics of his creosote treated hives and lamented the fact creosote was no longer available.

Scary.

Yes ... I can remember a neighbour,in my youth, who used to treat his gates and fences with a mixture of creosote and used black engine oil - goodness only knows what quantities of lead was in that in those days - lead in petrol, white metal bearings, anti knock additives. Add this to the drinking water that arrived in lead pipes and at times was stored in lead cisterns ... it's a wonder anyone around in the 1950's has half a brain left ... now, what was this thread about ?

 

[oliver90owner]

The DAFM report is misleading in that it does not actually quote the residues found - only that they exceeded the limits set.

Might be one part per million over the limit or might be five times the limit, who knows.

What would the Chinese do (or any importer/exporter, for that matter)?

That is right, it would be added to a huge amount of product, such that the overall level of contamination was virtually zilch. Used as a very minor addition to some prepared foodstuff, the lead level would be totally irrelevant.

Not saying whether their actions were right, wrong or anything, but there may be alternatives to simple destruction without any other details.

A similar analogy might be selling honey as baker's honey, simply on the HMF content.

 

[victor meldrew]

Thousands of miles of lead pipes are still part of the water supply network , some equally partially informed scientists ,insisted in mass medication of the population by sodium fluoride .
Fluoride is supposed to dissolve calcium and so protect the teeth of children .
Lead pipe , used to have a lining of lime scale, providing a barrier between lead and water, I wonder how much of this protective barrier is intact?
VM


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[Gilberdyke John]

Not heard that before - any references?

 

[Finman]

Yes ... I can remember a neighbour,in my youth, who used to treat his gates and fences with a mixture of creosote and used black engine oil - ?

It was under 10 y when on British Beekeeping forum it was adviced to paint hives with creosote.

 

[Finman]

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If nectar has lead, how in earth a queen stays alive. It eates a huge amount of food in one day.

Oooor...if bees suck poisons from hive wall.

 

[victor meldrew]

Not heard that before - any references?

I did end my post with a question mark!
Fluoride assists in re mineralising tooth enamel by promoting the uptake of calcium and altering the ph balance but my brush with academia ended at the age of 15 years and that was over 60 years ago , so I maybe a little rusty
VM


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[kazmcc]

It was under 10 y when on British Beekeeping forum it was adviced to paint hives with creosote.

But not when the bees are using it! Does anyone remember when I had a member of our group decided, without consulting me, to creosote our hive?

 

[victor meldrew]

Finmans right ,a mixture of creosote and old sump oil was recommended in the BBKA paper' the preservation of beehives'
VM


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[user 6228]

Any dust toxic or inert in the environment gets picked up by bees and thus goes into the hive and will then be found in anything that has pollen in it. Not news. I'm not surprised you can find lead from near lead workings.
I wouldn't be surprised to find it where lots of lead is used for shielding...like here.