Insects as Indicators of Environmental Pollution: A Tool for Ecosystem Assessment

Abstract

Bioindicators, encompassing a diverse array of organisms such as plants, plankton, animals, and microbes, provide valuable insights into ecosystem health and environmental fluctuations.Advances in environmental contamination research have highlighted the potential of bioindicators as sensitive and effective tools. Identifying species that can accurately indicate environmental disruptions and their effects on biodiversity is the core focus of bioindicator research. This review focuses on the role of insects as a valuable resource for assessing environmental contaminants, exploring their potential in detecting and monitoring pollutants. Insects are particularly suited for assessing the impacts of anthropogenic activities on ecosystems due to their proximity to toxic elements in soil, water, and air, which facilitates the detection of environmental pollutants.As key indicators of environmental changes, insects have been the central focus of our study, particularly in monitoring soil, water, and air quality. The majority of insects, such as beetles, ants, honeybees, and butterflies, are crucial biological indicators in this study, as they are highly sensitive to environmental changes and effective in monitoring pollutants.