Metal concentrations around thermal power plants, rural and urban areas using honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) as bioindicators

Abstract

Honeybees are great bioindicators because they cover wide areas during their foraging activity. Our study included industrial, urban and rural region, where samples were taken in July and September. Industrial region with three apiaries in the area covered two thermal power plants, Kostolac A and B. Two apiaries covered a wide urban region of Belgrade, and the rural region consisting of mainly agricultural–woodland area near village Mesić was covered with one apiary. Aim of this study was to investigate the capability of bees as bioindicators to detect different concentrations of metals in foraging regions, during two sampling periods, and to compare concentrations of Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sr and Zn found in their bodies. Significant differences were detected for Al, Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, and Ni between at least two analyzed regions. Significant differences in concentrations between sampling dates were found for Al, Ba, Co, Cr and Fe in at least one of the locations. For Cd, Mn, Na, Pb, Sr and Zn, no significant differences were found between locations or sampling dates, suggesting equal and stable levels of concentration for these elements in the environment.