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Murcia-Morales M, Tzanetou EN, García-Gallego G, Kasiotis KM, Vejsnaes F, Brodschneider R, Hatjina F, Machera K, Van der Steen JJ. Environmental assessment of PAHs through honey bee colonies - A matrix selection study. Heliyon 2024; 10:e23564. [PMID: 38187233 PMCID: PMC10770451 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The steady conditions of temperature, humidity and air flux within beehives make them a valuable location for conducting environmental monitoring of pollutants such as PAHs. In this context, the selection of an appropriate apicultural matrix plays a key role in these monitoring studies, as it maximizes the information that will be obtained in the analyses while minimizing the inaccurate results. In the present study, three apicultural matrices (honey bees, pollen and propolis) and two passive samplers (APIStrips and silicone wristbands) are compared in terms of the number and total load of PAHs detected in them. Samplings took place in a total of 11 apiaries scattered in Austria, Denmark, and Greece, with analyses performed by GC-MS/MS. Up to 14 different PAHs were identified in silicone wristbands and pollen, whereas the remaining matrices contained a maximum of five contaminants. Naphthalene, 1-methylnaphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, and pyrene were found to be the most prevalent substances in the environment. Recovery studies were also performed; these suggested that the chemical structure of APIStrips is likely to produce very strong interactions with PAHs, thus hindering the adequate desorption of these substances from their surface. Overall, silicone wristbands placed inside the beehives proved the most suitable matrix for PAH monitoring through honey bee colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Murcia-Morales
- Chemistry and Physics Department, University of Almeria, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3), 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Evangelia N. Tzanetou
- Laboratory of Chemical Control of Pesticides, Department of Pesticides Control and Phytopharmacy, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 145 61 Kifissia, Greece
| | - Guillermo García-Gallego
- Chemistry and Physics Department, University of Almeria, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3), 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Konstantinos M. Kasiotis
- Laboratory of Pesticides' Toxicology, Department of Pesticides Control and Phytopharmacy, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 145 61 Kifissia, Greece
| | | | - Robert Brodschneider
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Fani Hatjina
- Department of Apiculture, Institute of Animal Science, Ellinikos Georgikos Organismos ‘DIMITRA’, Nea Moudania GR-63200, Greece
| | - Kyriaki Machera
- Laboratory of Pesticides' Toxicology, Department of Pesticides Control and Phytopharmacy, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 145 61 Kifissia, Greece
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Hegedus C, Andronie L, Uiuiu P, Jurco E, Lazar EA, Popescu S. Pets, Genuine Tools of Environmental Pollutant Detection. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2923. [PMID: 37760323 PMCID: PMC10525180 DOI: 10.3390/ani13182923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In a shared environment, our companion animals became unintended sentinels for pollutant exposure consequences, developing even earlier similar conditions to humans. This review focused on the human-pet cohabitation in an environment we all share. Alongside other species, canine and feline companions are veritable models in human medical research. The latency period for showing chronic exposure effects to pollutants is just a few years in them, compared to considerably more, decades in humans. Comparing the serum values of people and their companion animals can, for example, indicate the degree of poisonous lead load we are exposed to and of other substances as well. We can find 2.4 times higher perfluorochemicals from stain- and grease-proof coatings in canine companions, 23 times higher values of flame retardants in cats, and 5 times more mercury compared to the average levels tested in humans. All these represent early warning signals. Taking these into account, together with the animal welfare orientation of today's society, finding non-invasive methods to detect the degree of environmental pollution in our animals becomes paramount, alongside the need to raise awareness of the risks carried by certain chemicals we knowingly use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Hegedus
- Department of Fundamental Sciences, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Luisa Andronie
- Department of Biophysics, Meteorology and Climatology, Faculty of Forestry and Cadastre, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Paul Uiuiu
- Department of Fundamental Sciences, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Eugen Jurco
- Department of Technological Sciences, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Eva Andrea Lazar
- Association for the Welfare of Horses, 725700 Vatra Dornei, Romania;
| | - Silvana Popescu
- Department of Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
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