Assessment of spatial and temporal variations in trace element concentrations using honeybees (Apis mellifera) as bioindicators

Nenad M Zaric,Ljubiša Stanisavljević,Konstantin Ilijević,Ivan Gržetić,Isidora Deljanin,Mirjana Ristić

doi:10.7717/peerj.5197

Abstract

With the increase in anthropogenic activities metal pollution is also increased and needs to be closely monitored. In this study honeybees were used as bioindicators to monitor metal pollution. Metal pollution in honeybees represents pollution present in air, water and soil. Concentrations of As, Cs, Hg, Mo, Sb, Se, U and V were measured. The aim of this study was to assess spatial and temporal variations of metal concentrations in honeybees. Samples of honeybees were taken at five different regions in Serbia (Belgrade - BG, Pančevo - PA, Pavliš - PV, Mesić - MS, and Kostolac - TPP) during 2014. Spatial variations were observed for Sb, which had higher concentrations in BG compared to all other regions, and for U, with higher concentrations in the TPP region. High concentrations of Sb in BG were attributed to intense traffic, while higher U concentrations in the TPP region are due to the vicinity of coal fired power plants. In order to assess temporal variations at two locations (PA and PV) samples were taken during July and September of 2014 and June, July, August and September of 2015. During 2014 observing months of sampling higher concentrations in July were detected for Sb and U in BG, which is attributed to lifecycle of plants and honeybees. During the same year higher concentrations in September were observed for As, Sb in PA and Hg in PV. This is due to high precipitation during the peak of bee activity in spring/summer of 2014. No differences between months of sampling were detected during 2015. Between 2014 and 2015 statistically significant differences were observed for Hg, Mo and V; all elements had higher concentrations in 2014. This is in accordance with the trend of reduction of metal concentrations in the bodies of honeybees throughout the years in this region.

Highlights

Metal pollution can be of natural and anthropogenic origin
Most of the analyzed elements were above the limit of detection (LOD) during 2014, except Sb at location PV during July (Table S1)
The rest of the elements were ranked in the descending order: in BG As>Se>V>Hg>Sb>Cs; PA Se>V>As>Cs>Hg>Sb; PV Se>As>V>Sb>Hg>Cs; As>V>Se>Hg>Cs>Sb; and thermal power plants (TPP) region V>As>Se>Cs>Hg>Sb

Summary

Introduction

Metal pollution can be of natural and anthropogenic origin. Due to industrialization in the last few decades human activities have become a primary source of metal pollutionHow to cite this article Zaric et al (2018), Assessment of spatial and temporal variations in trace element concentrations using honeybees (Apis mellifera) as bioindicators. Metal pollution can be of natural and anthropogenic origin. Due to industrialization in the last few decades human activities have become a primary source of metal pollution. Metals in soil can have natural origin, namely from the parent rock, but anthropogenic activities can be the primary source. Anthropogenic sources of metals can be traffic, industry, energy production (thermal power plants fired by coal), intense agriculture, etc. This pollution can be spread throughout the environment, including air, water and soil, and have an impact on living organism (Fargašová, 2001; Diels, Van der Lelie & Bastiaens, 2002; Shanker et al, 2005)

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