HONEY CAN BE USED AS AN INDICATOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION - A REWIEV
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37000/abbsl.2023.108.27Keywords:
Honey, environmental pollution, biomarker, toxic substance, heavy metalAbstract
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) collect nectar and pollen using an area of approximately 5 km in diameter. At the same time, they actually take biological samples from thousands of points of this land. Therefore, honey samples can be used as an important biomarker to detect environmental pollution. Because the content of honey also reflects the quality of the soil, water and air in the region where the bee lives. The determination of the following chemical substances in honey provides important data about environmental pollution. Pesticides and Chemicals: Pesticides and other chemicals used in agricultural areas may leave residues in plant nectars and soil. When bees produce honey using these nectars, traces of these chemicals may be present in the honey. Analysis of honey with pesticide residues can be helpful in demonstrating the level of environmental pollution. Heavy Metals: Heavy metals can accumulate in the environment because of air, water, and soil pollution. Bees can get these heavy metals through nectar and plants they collect. High heavy metal levels in honey can be an indicator of environmental pollution. Nectars collected by bees from flowers may contain such substances. In addition, changes in the smell and taste of honey can be used as an indicator of environmental pollution. Because environmental pollution can affect vegetation and soil, this can change the smell and taste of nectar collected by bees. Monitoring the odor and taste profile of honey can be an indicator of environmental changes. Particularly in regions where large-scale wars take place, chemical substances emitted by weapons, heavy metals, and toxic substances released due to environmental destruction are transmitted to soil and water. For this reason, the extent of environmental pollution can be determined by taking honey samples from various regions and analyzing them.
References
Al Naggar, Y. A., Naiem, E. S. A., Seif, A. I., & Mona, M. H. (2013). Honey bees and their products as a bio-in-dicator of environmental pollution with heavy metals. Mellifera, 13, 1-20.
Alloway, B. J. (2013). Sources of heavy metals and metalloids in soils. Heavy metals in soils: trace metals and metalloids in soils and their bioavailability, 11-50.
Appannagari, R. R. (2017). Environmental pollution causes and consequences: a study. North Asian International Research Journal of Social Science & Humanities, 3(8), 151-161.
Bălă, G. P., Râjnoveanu, R. M., Tudorache, E., Motișan, R., & Oancea, C. (2021). Air pollution exposure— the (in) visible risk factor for respiratory diseases. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28, 19615-19628.
Bargańska, Ż., Ślebioda, M., & Namieśnik, J. (2016). Honey bees and their products: Bioindicators of environmental contamination. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 46(3), 235-248. 5.Baweja, P., Kumar, S., & Kumar, G. (2020). Fertilizers and pesticides: Their impact on soil health and environment. Soil health, 265-285.
Bogdanov, S. (2006). Contaminants of bee products. Apidologie, 37(1), 1-18.
Bradford, John Hamilton; Stoner, Alexander M. (2017-08-11). "The Treadmill of Destruction in Comparative Perspective: A Panel Study of Military Spending and Carbon Emissions, 1960–2014". Journal of World-Systems Research. 23 (2): 298–325.
Briggs, D. (2003). Environmental pollution and the global burden of disease. British medical bulletin, 68(1), 1-24.
Burden, C. M., Morgan, M. O., Hladun, K. R., Amdam, G. V., Trumble, J. J., & Smith, B. H. (2019). Acute sublethal exposure to toxic heavy metals alters honey bee (Apis mellifera) feeding behavior. Scientific reports, 9(1), 4253.
Calatayud-Vernich, P., Calatayud, F., Simó, E., & Picó, Y. (2018). Pesticide residues in honey bees, pollen and beeswax: Assessing beehive exposure. Environmental Pollution, 241, 106-114.
Carpenter, D. O. (2006). Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): routes of exposure and effects on human health. Reviews on environmental health, 21(1), 1-24.
Celli, G., & Maccagnani, B. (2003). Honey bees as bioindicators of environmental pollution. Bulletin of Insectology, 56(1), 137-139.
Ceobs 2023. https://ceobs.org/how-does-war-damage-the-environment/
Conrad, K., & Wastl, D. (1995). The impact of environmental regulation on productivity in German industries. Empirical economics, 20, 615-633.
Conti, M. E., & Botrè, F. (2001). Honeybees and their products as potential bioindicators of heavy metals contamination. Environmental monitoring and assessment, 69, 267-282.
Cunningham, M. M., Tran, L., McKee, C. G., Polo, R. O., Newman, T., Lansing, L., ... & Guarna, M.
M. (2022). Honey bees as biomonitors of environmental contaminants, pathogens, and climate change. Ecological Indicators, 134, 108457.
Gavrilescu, M., Demnerová, K., Aamand, J., Agathos, S., & Fava, F. (2015). Emerging pollutants in the environment: present and future challenges in biomonitoring, ecological risks and bioremediation. New biotechnology, 32(1), 147-156.
Harada, K. H., Soleman, S. R., Ang, J. S. M., & Trzcinski, A. P. (2022). Conflict-related environmental damages on health: lessons learned from the past wars and ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Environmental health and preventive medicine, 27, 35.
Hu, Y., Liu, X., Bai, J., Shih, K., Zeng, E. Y., & Cheng, H. (2013). Assessing heavy metal pollution in 16.the surface soils of a region that had undergone three decades of intense industrialization and urbanization. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 20, 6150-6159.
Låg, M., Øvrevik, J., Refsnes, M., & Holme, J. A. (2020). Potential role of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in air pollution-induced non-malignant respiratory diseases. Respiratory research, 21(1), 1- 22.
Lambert, O., Veyrand, B., Durand, S., Marchand, P., Le Bizec, B., Piroux, M., Puyo, S., Thorin, C., Delbac, F., & Pouliquen, H. (2012). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: bees, honey and pollen as sentinels for environmental chemical contaminants. Chemosphere, 86(1), 98–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.09.025
Ma, J., Hung, H., Tian, C., & Kallenborn, R. (2011). Revolatilization of persistent organic pollutants in the Arctic induced by climate change. Nature Climate Change, 1(5), 255-260.
Martinello, M., Manzinello, C., Dainese, N., Giuliato, I., Gallina, A., & Mutinelli, F. (2021). The honey bee: an active biosampler of environmental pollution and a possible warning biomarker for human health. Applied Sciences, 11(14), 6481.
Matin, G., Kargar, N., & Buyukisik, H. B. (2016). Bio-monitoring of cadmium, lead, arsenic and mercury in industrial districts of Izmir, Turkey by using honey bees, propolis and pine tree leaves. Ecological Engineering, 90, 331-335.
Omelchuk, O., Sadohurska, S. (2022). Nature and War: How Russian Invasion Destroys Ukrainian Wildlife. https://www.yournec.org/nature-and-war-how-russian-invasion-destroys-ukrainian-wildlife/ 23.Patel, A. B., Shaikh, S., Jain, K. R., Desai, C., & Madamwar, D. (2020). Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Sources, Toxicity, and Remediation Approaches. Frontiers in microbiology, 11, 562813. Perugini, M., Di Serafino, G., Giacomelli, A., Medrzycki, P., Sabatini, A. G., Persano Oddo, L., Marinelli, E., & Amorena, M. (2009). Monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in bees (Apis mellifera) and honey in urban areas and wildlife reserves. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 57(16), 7440–7444. 24.Rehman, K., Fatima, F., Waheed, I., & Akash, M. S. H. (2018). Prevalence of exposure of heavy metals and their impact on health consequences. Journal of cellular biochemistry, 119(1), 157-184.
Reuveny, R., Mihalache-O’Keef, A. S., & Quan Li. (2010). The effect of warfare on the environment.
Journal of Peace Research, 47(6), 749–761.
Sharma, N., & Singhvi, R. (2017). Effects of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on human health and environment: a review. International journal of agriculture, environment and biotechnology, 10(6), 675- 680.
Skalny, A. V., Aschner, M., Bobrovnitsky, I. P., Chen, P., Tsatsakis, A., Paoliello, M. M. B., Buha Djordevic, A., & Tinkov, A. A. (2021). Environmental and health hazards of military metal pollution. Environmental research, 201, 111568.
Teeters, B. S., Johnson, R. M., Ellis, M. D., & Siegfried, B. D. (2012). Using video‐tracking to assess sublethal effects of pesticides on honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 31(6), 1349-1354.
Tudi, M., Daniel Ruan, H., Wang, L., Lyu, J., Sadler, R., Connell, D., ... & Phung, D. T. (2021). Agriculture development, pesticide application and its impact on the environment. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(3), 1112.
Vardhan, K. H., Kumar, P. S., & Panda, R. C. (2019). A review on heavy metal pollution, toxicity and remedial measures: Current trends and future perspectives. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 290, 111197.
Weir, D. 2014. The Environmental Consequences of Targeting Syria’s Oil Refineries. Accessed September
http://www.toxicremnantsofwar.info. Accessed February 5, 2015.
Weldeslassie, T., Naz, H., Singh, B., & Oves, M. (2018). Chemical contaminants for soil, air and aquatic ecosystem. Modern age environmental problems and their remediation, 1-22.
Zurbrugg, C. (2002). Urban solid waste management in low-income countries of Asia how to cope with the garbage crisis. Presented for: Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) Urban Solid Waste Management Review Session, Durban, South Africa, 6.
