DIN CEN/TS 16817-2:2016-01

The Technical Specification CEN/TS 16817-2 (DIN SPEC 33972) describes a procedure through which pollen - in particular pollen of genetically modified organisms (GMO) - can be sampled by means of bee colonies. Bee colonies, especially the foraging bees, actively roam an area and are therefore area related samplers. Foragers fix the gathered pollen on the outside of their hind legs (pollen loads). Inside the hive they place these pollen loads into comb cells close to the brood nest (bee bread). Furthermore, foragers gather nectar and honeydew. Nectar contains pollen which fell from the anthers of the blossom into the nectar drop, or pollen which was dispersed by the wind and sticks in the nectar of other blossoms or adheres to the sticky honeydew of plants. Nectar and honeydew are converted to honey and stored by the bees in the beehive. Honey, pollen load and bee-bread may be used as sample matrices for the subsequent analysis of pollen as it is possible to concentrate sufficient amounts of pollen for microscopic and molecular biological diagnostics. Microscopic analysis is used to identify the various pollen types and to quantify the exposure to the target pollen types in question. GMO exposure is analysed by molecular-biological methods: For analysis of pollen DNA quantitative PCR methods are used and described in this Technical Specification (CEN/TS 16817-2). Standard VDI 4330 Part 1 presents the necessary fundamentals for the understanding of this Technical Specification. The sampling of pollen in the sample matrices honey, pollen load and bee-bread needs to be viewed in conjunction with the technical sampling for the GMO-monitoring (CEN/TS 16817-1).

07.080, 13.020.99