In this study 32 pesticide residues and eight polybrominated diphenlyl ether (PBDE) congeners were measured in nine honey samples from Kahramanmaras, Turkey. A new method based on the best recovery was column extraction with n-hexane/acetone followed by gas chromatography electron-capture detection (GC-ECD), and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Generally the pesticide levels were low in the honey samples. gamma-HCH and PCB 28 were being measured in all honey samples. The sum of HCHs in samples varied between 0.71 and 2.47 ng/g. Malathion, bromophos methyl, cis-HCE, chlordane, endrin, p,p'-DDE and o,p'-DDD were not detectable. The mean values of alpha-HCH and beta-HCH were 0.60 and 0.52 ng/g. The mean values of HCB, alpha-chlordan, trans-nonachlor, cis-nonachlor, Heptachlor, aldrin, bromophos ethyl, trans-HCE, alpha-endosulfan, beta-endosulfan, dieldrin were 0.30, 0.05, 0.14, 0.84, 0.04, 0.06, 2.74, 0.03, 0.09, 0.27, 0.36 ng/g respectively. In none of the samples PBDEs were detected. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.