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Biomonitoring with Honeybees of Heavy Metals and Pesticides in Nature Reserves of the Marche Region (Italy)

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to carry out biomonitoring with honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) to assess the presence of pesticides and heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, nickel, lead) in all of the ten nature reserves of the Marche Region (central–eastern Italy). The study was carried out during the spring and summer seasons when the honeybees were active, over 3 years (2008–2010). Twenty-two colonies of honeybees bred in hives were used. Samples of live and dead honeybees and of honey were collected from 11 sampling stations from May to October in each year. No pesticide pollution was found. Significant differences in heavy metal concentrations were found among years, months and sites, and in particular situations. The analysis reveals that high heavy-metal concentrations occurred exclusively in live honeybees. For the seasonal averages, the most detected heavy metal was chromium, which exceeded the threshold more often than for the other elements, followed by cadmium and lead; nickel never exceeded the threshold. The data are discussed with an evaluation of the natural and anthropic sources taken from the literature and from local situations that were likely to involve heavy metal pollution.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Programma Triennale Regionale Aree protette Regione Marche, 2008–2010, within the project “Use of Apis mellifera in biomonitoring of Nature Reserves.” The comments and suggestions made by three anonymous reviewers helped us to improve this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università Politecnica delle Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy

    Sara Ruschioni, Paola Riolo, Roxana Luisa Minuz & Nunzio Isidoro

  2. Centro Agrochimico Regionale, Azienda Servizi Settore Agroalimentare delle Marche, Regione Marche, via Roncaglia, 20, 60035, Jesi, Italy

    Mariassunta Stefano & Maddalena Cannella

  3. Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Università degli Studi di Bologna, via Fanin, 42, 40127, Bologna, Italy

    Claudio Porrini

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  1. Sara Ruschioni
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  2. Paola Riolo
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  3. Roxana Luisa Minuz
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  4. Mariassunta Stefano
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  5. Maddalena Cannella
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Correspondence to Paola Riolo.

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Ruschioni, S., Riolo, P., Minuz, R.L. et al. Biomonitoring with Honeybees of Heavy Metals and Pesticides in Nature Reserves of the Marche Region (Italy). Biol Trace Elem Res 154, 226–233 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-013-9732-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-013-9732-6

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