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Honey is a natural sweet substance bees produce, frequently consumed by humans due to its high nutritional and antimicrobial value. This product can be manufactured in an environment exposed to agricultural pesticides, which can be transmitted by bees to the hives and thus present in the honey. These pesticides can affect the quality of honey and pose a risk to human health. Therefore, the surveillance of pesticide in honey is one of the requirements for ensuring consumer safety. In general, most pesticides are present in very low concentrations, so the search for analytical methods capable of identifying these residues in contaminated honey samples is necessary. This work aims to provide an overview of the current studies on pesticides, present at ultra-trace levels (ng.L−1) in different honey products, as well as available extraction and analysis techniques to assess the level of these contaminants. In addition, and focusing on the identification efficiency, advantages and disadvantages of these analytical methods were given. Finally, future trends and recommendations were shown in the light of the global results. [Display omitted] • An overview of the analytical techniques for pesticide residues determination in honey samples. • Benefits and disadvantages of different extraction techniques and protocols. • Various separation and detection methods for determination of pesticides in honey. • Challenges and future directions regarding the examination of pesticides in honey samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceuticals are a group of man-made commercial and synthetic products and an important mainstay of modern society. However, their presence in aquatic environments is identified as a potential risk, causing harm to living things even at low concentrations ranging from ng L−1 to μg L−1. Due to their pseudo-persistence, bio-accumulation, and low elimination rate by conventional treatments, the majority of these xenobiotic contaminants and their metabolites are routinely released into the environment by sewage treatment plants and last longer in an aquatic environment. This review aims to provide an extensive report and a current state of knowledge concerning various classes of pharmaceutical compounds (PCs). It also discusses the occurrence, the analytical methods for the determination of PC micro-pollutants, and the remediation methods noted in recent literature focusing on the most recent advances. In this context, this review highlights the statistical data regarding the status of PCs in detection, analysis, and removal methods in aqueous media. In addition, this review provides an overview of the conventional and advanced technologies for the removal of PCs from water sources, offering critical comments, and discussing the challenges related to improving existing technologies for sustainable and eco-friendly management of water resources. It likewise emphasizes the importance of the combination of different treatment methods to reach up to 100% PC removal. Finally, gaps in the literature were found, and recommendations for further research were also cited in accordance with this paper. To the best of our knowledge, this review paper is among the rare works that deal with both: i) the analysis of large varieties of PCs in different water matrices, ii) the removal and identification of target analytes and their by-products generated during the elimination processes, and iii) the possible degradation pathways proposed by different studies. [Display omitted] • Occurrence of PCs in different water matrices are discussed. • Analytical methods for identifying PCs in waters are elucidated critically. • Advanced treatment methods for PCs removal are systematically reviewed. • Performed analytical techniques for by-products identification are described. • Possible mechanistic ways of PCs elimination by AOPs are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]