Environmental assessment of PAHs through honey bee colonies – A matrix selection study

Abstract

The steady conditions of temperature, humidity and air flux within beehives make them a valuable location for conducting environmental monitoring of pollutants such as PAHs. In this context, the selection of an appropriate apicultural matrix plays a key role in these monitoring studies, as it maximizes the information that will be obtained in the analyses while minimizing the inaccurate results. In the present study, three apicultural matrices (honey bees, pollen and propolis) and two passive samplers (APIStrips and silicone wristbands) are compared in terms of the number and total load of PAHs detected in them. Samplings took place in a total of 11 apiaries scattered in Austria, Denmark, and Greece, with analyses performed by GC-MS/MS. Up to 14 different PAHs were identified in silicone wristbands and pollen, whereas the remaining matrices contained a maximum of five contaminants. Naphthalene, 1-methylnaphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, and pyrene were found to be the most prevalent substances in the environment. Recovery studies were also performed; these suggested that the chemical structure of APIStrips is likely to produce very strong interactions with PAHs, thus hindering the adequate desorption of these substances from their surface. Overall, silicone wristbands placed inside the beehives proved the most suitable matrix for PAH monitoring through honey bee colonies.