Elucidating the Role of Honey Bees as Biomonitors in Environmental Health Research
Recently, the One Health concept, which recognizes the interconnectedness of environmental, animal, and human health, has gained popularity. To collect data on environmental pollutants potentially harmful to human health over time, researchers often turn to natural organisms known as biomonitors. Ho...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Insects |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/11/874 |
| _version_ | 1827639651777642496 |
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| author | Katharina Sophia Mair Johanna Irrgeher Daniela Haluza |
| author_facet | Katharina Sophia Mair Johanna Irrgeher Daniela Haluza |
| author_sort | Katharina Sophia Mair |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recently, the One Health concept, which recognizes the interconnectedness of environmental, animal, and human health, has gained popularity. To collect data on environmental pollutants potentially harmful to human health over time, researchers often turn to natural organisms known as biomonitors. Honey bees, in particular, prove to be exceptionally valuable biomonitors due to their capacity to accumulate pollutants from the air, soil, and water within a specific radius during their foraging trips. This systematic literature review summarizes the previous application of the bee species <i>Apis mellifera</i> in pollutant monitoring in articles published during the period of 2010–2020. Nineteen studies were included in this systematic literature review. Of these studies, the majority (<i>n</i> = 15) focused on the detection of heavy metals in honey bees and beehive products, while 4 studies focused on air pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or particulate matter. The matrix most often applied was the whole honey bee. The included studies demonstrated that honey bees and hive products deliver quantitative and qualitative information about specific pollutants. In this regard, the whole honey bee was found to be the most reliable biomonitor. We found that the included studies differed in design and the methods used. Standardized studies could foster a more consistent interpretation of the levels detected in beehive matrices from an environmental health perspective. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:44:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ac8d91d214c64a97998b6feb1cfa70d5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:44:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-ac8d91d214c64a97998b6feb1cfa70d52023-11-24T14:48:40ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502023-11-01141187410.3390/insects14110874Elucidating the Role of Honey Bees as Biomonitors in Environmental Health ResearchKatharina Sophia Mair0Johanna Irrgeher1Daniela Haluza2Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergology and Endocrinology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, AustriaDepartment of General, Analytical and Physical Chemistry, Chair of General and Analytical Chemistry, Montanuniversität Leoben, 8700 Leoben, AustriaCenter for Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, AustriaRecently, the One Health concept, which recognizes the interconnectedness of environmental, animal, and human health, has gained popularity. To collect data on environmental pollutants potentially harmful to human health over time, researchers often turn to natural organisms known as biomonitors. Honey bees, in particular, prove to be exceptionally valuable biomonitors due to their capacity to accumulate pollutants from the air, soil, and water within a specific radius during their foraging trips. This systematic literature review summarizes the previous application of the bee species <i>Apis mellifera</i> in pollutant monitoring in articles published during the period of 2010–2020. Nineteen studies were included in this systematic literature review. Of these studies, the majority (<i>n</i> = 15) focused on the detection of heavy metals in honey bees and beehive products, while 4 studies focused on air pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or particulate matter. The matrix most often applied was the whole honey bee. The included studies demonstrated that honey bees and hive products deliver quantitative and qualitative information about specific pollutants. In this regard, the whole honey bee was found to be the most reliable biomonitor. We found that the included studies differed in design and the methods used. Standardized studies could foster a more consistent interpretation of the levels detected in beehive matrices from an environmental health perspective.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/11/874honey<i>Apis mellifera</i>particulate matterbiomonitoringair pollution |
| spellingShingle | Katharina Sophia Mair Johanna Irrgeher Daniela Haluza Elucidating the Role of Honey Bees as Biomonitors in Environmental Health Research Insects honey <i>Apis mellifera</i> particulate matter biomonitoring air pollution |
| title | Elucidating the Role of Honey Bees as Biomonitors in Environmental Health Research |
| title_full | Elucidating the Role of Honey Bees as Biomonitors in Environmental Health Research |
| title_fullStr | Elucidating the Role of Honey Bees as Biomonitors in Environmental Health Research |
| title_full_unstemmed | Elucidating the Role of Honey Bees as Biomonitors in Environmental Health Research |
| title_short | Elucidating the Role of Honey Bees as Biomonitors in Environmental Health Research |
| title_sort | elucidating the role of honey bees as biomonitors in environmental health research |
| topic | honey <i>Apis mellifera</i> particulate matter biomonitoring air pollution |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/11/874 |
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