Revealing some Elements and Heavy Metals in Honeybee and Beeswax Samples Collected from Different Environments

Revealing some Elements and Heavy Metals in Honeybee and Beeswax Samples Collected from Different Environments

Dalal M. Aljedani

Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

ABSTRACT

Honeybees and their products are good bioindicators because they are inextricably linked to the natural environment they inhabit. The objectives of this research were to detect and identify pollution extent by the levels of metals in honeybees (foragers) (Apis mellifera jemenatica) and beeswax, including some elements such as K, Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and heavy metals such as Pb, Ni, Cd, Cr, in different environments in Makkah region of Saudi Arabia. Sampling regions included were as follows: R1, highways; R2, urbanized areas; R3, industrialized areas; and R4, ecologically clean areas. Results of the present study indicating the metal contents in honeybees collected from apiaries in different environmental regions show that the concentrations (mg/g) of metals in bee bodies and wax are found to be of significant value (P < 0.05); the highest value among all metals was found to be 0.000. However, it was found that the regions containing the highest concentrations of metals were industrialized areas (R3), urbanized areas (R2), and highways (R1), respectively, whereas the lowest concentration of metals was found in ecologically clean areas (R4). The obtained results showed that the concentrations of metals detected in honeybee samples were higher than those detected in wax samples in all the studied areas. Moreover, it is safe to say that bees and wax are regarded as good indicators of environmental pollution by toxic substances (metals).

Keywords: Bee products, Heavy metals, Mineral elements, Environmental pollution, Honeybee workers.

DISCUSSION

It is difficult to assess the extent of pollution caused by human exposure to hazardous toxic metals in the environment. The most direct approach to revealing the heavy metal status in the environment is the chemical analysis of the environment matrix [4]. However, indirect methods for assessing environmental cleanliness based on the use of living organisms as bioindicators for determining the quality of the environment were widely used [22]. Pollinator guides offer new ways to evaluate ecosystem health because of the relationship between species diversity and abundance changes from the log-normal standard expected from ecological principles [23]. Honeybees are considered to be the most important environmental pollution indicators [24]. The results of this study confirmed detected the varying levels of most of the tested metals in bee bodies of foragers honeybee workers (A. mellifera jemenatica) compared to the bee products (wax) samples, was samples inhabiting in different regions and environments in the Makkah region of Saudi Arabia. This is what they have explained [4]. That the content of macro-and micro-elements in the body of bees varied across a wide range of sand depended on several factors, including soil types and nectariferous plants, beekeeping methods, and bee workers' physiological and health status and the periods of the year [25]. About toxic metals, the beekeeping area's ecological status is crucial [25, 26].

The results of the present study confirmed that most regions containing concentrations of the metals were Industrialized (R3), while the lowest in the Ecologically clear (R4), this can be explained that by what he said by [27] contaminated heavy metal discovered in and around urbanized and industrialized areas, mining sites, and heavily-used agricultural regions, in many regions around the globe. Previous studies have shown that many heavy metals are used by crops growing in contaminated soil and demonstrate high concentrations of plant tissue relative to crops cultivated in control soils [7, 27, 28]. 

Furthermore, the accumulation of heavy metals such as copper, cadmium, lead, zinc, and nickel showed in their leaves and flowers [7, 28, 29]. In addition to influencing the productivity and survival of crops, pollinators that rely on these crops are exposed to possibly toxic metals. They [30] may lead to a decrease in the diversity of species, brood development, and survival of wild and managed pollinator species, as demonstrated in regions known to have high concentrations of metal contamination.

In our study, we did detect evidence for finding some of the metals (mg/g) in bee bodies and wax samples, from statistical tests we showed that revealed levels of concentration of metals in bee bodies were highest than wax samples compared to tested metals. We found a significant value (P<0.05) at (0.000). Furthermore, [4] the bee body was found to be the most effective barrier for transferring Cd to honey, the highest sensitivity to heavy metal pollution was observed in honeydew honey compared to nectar honey (P<0.05), bees were first demonstrated to be used as biofilters for toxic metals and to prevent contamination of honey. Numerous studies use bees and wax in various countries to biomonitor heavy metals in environments. The obtained results are in agreement with other findings. The results in this study demonstrate that the highest concentration of the element Cadmium (Cd) was found in the bee and wax samples in the region of Industrialized (R3) amounted to (0.081 in bee and 0.075 in wax) (mg/g). While the ecologically clean (R4) region was completely free of any contamination, we agree with what the researcher has reached that metals and metalloids – like cadmium – that are not detected pre-ingestion at sublethal, yet toxic concentrations may be readily consumed and pose a significant threat to the health and survival of the colony [31, 32]. Furthermore, this is what he reached [33] the concentration of heavy metals in urban and agricultural woodland bee bodies located in south-western Poland was tested. Cd levels (0.6 and 0.7 mg kg⁻¹ d.m.) and Pb levels (1.98 and 1.91 mg kg⁻¹ d.m.) were found. [24] it was noted that the levels of Pb and Cd in the Moldavian forest area in honeybee organs, were significantly smaller than in industrial zone specimens. [34] Concentrations of Cd in Italian bee bodies were considerably greater than in the hon-ey sample. Moreover, according to [35], the concentration of Cd and Pb in bee bodies depended on the season and could lead to environmental activists, not from anthropogenic activity.

The absence of cadmium contaminated food being reject-ed by the bees is particularly interesting since[36] showed that cadmium is highly toxic to the honeybee, even at the concentrations they tested. In foragers, concentrations similar to those they used significantly increased adult mortality [36]. In previous studies, scientists have proven that the working honeybees flying, due to their active contact with the atmosphere and environment components, reflects the level of pollution area. The heavy metals present in the atmosphere can be stored on the bees’ body brushes, in pollen, or can be absorbed with nectar, mildew, or water. The norms regarding the maximum permissible concentrations of heavy metals in the bees’ bodies are not established. However, it is clear, that excessive levels are important reasons for regression and even the disappearance of species A. mellifera [24].

Honeybee Products (wax) was regarded as a potential indicator of environmental pollution as a consequence of a bio-accumulative method in the periphery of urban and industrial regions as well as in extra-urban crossroads where traces of certain mineral compounds and/or heavy metals have been discovered [37]. They also discovered small and variable levels of heavy metals in honey, attributing variability among others to variables like the floral source, season, time of year, and rainfall. For this reason, he found that as a reliable and delicate indicator, honey could not be used [38]. The honeybee itself was a better bioindicator of industrial and urban heavy metal pollution., this agrees with [39] Honey and honeybees were evaluated to identify potential thermoelectric power plant contamination in Mugla (Turkey). The analyzed honey samples did not find toxic concentrations of heavy metals, but they discovered greater concentrations of Pb and Cd in honeybees, verifying better use of honeybees as heavy metal pollution bioindicators than honey. The findings of this research indicate that in all areas studied, the levels of metals found in honeybees are greater than wax., this is consistent with [34] When statistically significant differences were observed between heavy metal levels in honeybees and, to a lesser extent, pollen, propolis and wax (but not honey) in areas around the city of Rome and levels measured in the center of the city. Other scientists, however, indicated greater levels of heavy metals in urban and industrial polluted honey than honey from unpolluted rural regions [40-42].

This finding further emphasizes the elevated level of environmental pollution with these metals at such locations and the possibility of using honeybee workers as a bioindicator for environmental pollution with heavy metals, maybe during active movement, the metals enter the bees’ body through the air spray and are absorbed by both through the surface of the porous body and breathing. Our study did detect evidence for finding some of the metals (mg/g) in bee bodies and wax in different regions. Firstly, in the region (R1): there is no sensitivity difference between bee and wax for Cd, Cr, and Ni but otherwise metals were a sensitivity difference. Secondly, the present study indicated that in the region (R2) it can be noted that there is a sensitivity difference between bee and wax for all study parameters except Ni there is no significant difference between bee and wax. Also, in the region (R3) it can be noted that there is no significant difference between bee and wax for Cd and Na, but there is a significant difference for other parameters. Finally, in the region (R4) it can be noted that there is a significant difference between bee and wax for all study parameters.

The current research reinforces the concept that due to local environmental exposure; an elevated concentration of heavy metals is reflected in honeybee workers. Sever-al researchers commend the option of using bees to monitor environmental purity[43,44]. A survey was conducted to determine levels of heavy metals in honeybee employees. Heavy metal concentrations ranged from 3.53- 6.26, 27.65- 30.80, 0.05- 0.19, 375.4- 446.5 and 3406.35- 5161.25 ppm respectively for Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and Fe. Similarly,[34]. In honeybee employees, levels of Cd and Pb ranged from 2.87 to 4.23 ppm for Cd and 0.61 to 1.25 ppm for Pb. The levels published in Cu, Zn, and Cd were lower than those published in this report [44] and Pb was lowest than those reported by [34]. These differences may be attributed to the varying degrees of heavy metal contaminations at each location. Honeybees (A. mellifera L.) have great potential for detecting and monitoring environmental pollution, given their wide-ranging foraging behavior [8].  Honeybees collect particles deposited in the flowers and other places where bees collect resins (propolis) and water along with nectar, pollen, water, and propolis. The branched hairs on the bee's body, about pollen, gathered from the anthers, readily retain non-floral particles from atmospheric deposition. Each honeybee can thus function as a micro-sampler of the setting and a colony of honeybees as a sampler unit. About a quarter of the colony's population is a forager honeybee worker during the active foraging period of the honeybee colony [10].

Meanwhile, K has been the most efficient mineral element content environment variable than Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Zn, and Cr. On the other hand, Mn was the least environmental variable of levels of bee and wax heavy metals. While Cr was the most efficient heavy metal content environment variable than Pb and Ni. In contrast, Cd was the least environmental variable of the bee and wax heavy metals concentrations. On the other hand, as for the comparison in terms of regions, it was found that the most regions containing concentrations of the metals were Industrialized (R3), Urbanized (R2), and Highways (R1) respectively have high concentrations, while the lowest concentration was Ecologically clean (R4). This is similar to the study results Carried out by [15] who found that the highest contamination level among the heavy metals in question was iron (Fe). In the honeybee samples, the highest Fe concentrations were in the Makkah region (8.794) Asir (6.222) Jazan (6.205), and Al-Baha (2.088). In the honey samples, the highest Fe concentrations were found in bees of Asir (1.904) Jazan (1.843) Al-Baha (1.340), and Makkah (0.907). In addition, there found that the most concentrated mineral element is potassium (K) in four agricultural areas, this is consistent with the results of the present study. This is consistent with the results of the study [4] Potassium is the most abundant component, Mg and Ca levels in bee organs were significantly lower And these components' concentrations in honey were about seven times lower. Mn, Fe, Zn, and Cu with that discovered detected in bee bodies.

The content of heavy metals in the bee's body depending on a large number of factors: the extent and the location of the apiary, type of soil and nectar plant from the area, the ecological status of the area, the methodology of increasing bee families (including food stimulation supplements), working bees age, physiological status and health of bee colonies, etc. [25]. Generalizing present research results, we can conclude that concentrations of metals in the bee's body in all research areas are far away and much lower, compared with the noxious dose for bees established by [24].

CONCLUSION

One of the more significant findings to emerge from this study is: the effectiveness and the usefulness of honeybees and wax in the assessment of environmental clearness and evaluate the effectiveness as a bioindicator. The following conclusions can be drawn from the present study when were that the analysis of honeybee workers (A. mellifera jemenatica) and their products (wax). For the determination of the environmental pollution with metals by comparing data obtained by different sampling sites in Saudi Arabia. It was found that most regions containing concentrations of the metals were Industrialized (R3), Urbanized (R2), and Highways (R1) respectively, while the lowest concentration was recorded in Ecologically clean (R4). So, beekeepers should be interested in identifying bee-sensitive and beekeeping sites to obtain good products and free from any environmental contaminants. However, when compared to the mineral levels in this study with international standards they are still within the permissible limits. So, further data collection is required to determine exactly. Because of the recommendation that the quality and safety of honeybees and their products are related to the health and safety of human beings, so it is necessary to be paid attention to.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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