Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia.
Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia; Energy and Environmental Contaminants Research Centre, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia.
Environ Pollut. 2018 Nov;242(Pt A):54-62. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.06.063. Epub 2018 Jun 22.
This study investigates trace element concentrations (arsenic (As), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn)) and Pb isotopic compositions in an Australian native bee species, Tetragonula carbonaria, and its products of honey and wax. Co-located soil and dust samples were simultaneously analysed with the objective of determining if the bees or their products had potential application as a proxy for monitoring environmental contamination. The most significant relationships were found between Pb concentrations in honey (r = 0.814, p = 0.014) and wax (r = 0.883, p = 0.004) and those in co-located dust samples. In addition, Zn concentrations in honey and soil were significantly associated (r = 0.709, p = 0.049). Lead isotopic compositions of native bee products collected from background sites adjacent to Sydney national parks (Pb/Pb = 1.144, Pb/Pb = 2.437) corresponded to local geogenic rock and soil values (Pb/Pb = 1.123-1.176, Pb/Pb = 2.413-2.500). By contrast, inner Sydney metropolitan samples, including native bees and wax (Pb/Pb = 1.072-1.121, Pb/Pb = 2.348-2.409), co-located soil and dust (Pb/Pb = 1.090-1.122, Pb/Pb = 2.368-2.403), corresponded most closely to aerosols collected during the period of leaded petrol use (Pb/Pb = 1.067-1.148, Pb/Pb = 2.341-2.410). A large range of Pb isotopic compositions in beehive samples suggests that other legacy sources, such as Pb-based paints and industrials, may have also contributed to Pb contamination in beehive samples. Native bee data were compared to corresponding samples from the more common European honey bee (Apis mellifera). Although Pb isotopic compositions were similar in both species, significant differences in trace element concentrations were evident across the trace element suite, the bees and their products. The statistical association between T. carbonaria and co-located environmental contaminant concentrations were stronger than those in European honey bees, which may be attributable to its smaller foraging distance (0.3-0.7 km versus 5-9 km, respectively). This implies that T. carbonaria may be more suitable for assessing small spatial scale variations of trace element concentrations than European honey bees.
本研究调查了澳大利亚本土蜜蜂物种 Tetragonula carbonaria 及其蜂蜜和蜂蜡产品中的微量元素浓度（砷 (As)、锰 (Mn)、铅 (Pb) 和锌 (Zn)) 和 Pb 同位素组成。同时分析了同地点的土壤和灰尘样本，目的是确定蜜蜂或其产品是否有可能作为监测环境污染物的替代物。在蜂蜜 (r = 0.814, p = 0.014) 和蜂蜡 (r = 0.883, p = 0.004) 与同地点灰尘样本中发现了最显著的关系。此外，蜂蜜和土壤中的 Zn 浓度也呈显著相关 (r = 0.709, p = 0.049)。从悉尼国家公园附近的背景地点采集的本土蜜蜂产品的 Pb 同位素组成 (Pb/Pb = 1.144, Pb/Pb = 2.437) 与当地的地球成因岩石和土壤值相对应 (Pb/Pb = 1.123-1.176, Pb/Pb = 2.413-2.500)。相比之下，包括本土蜜蜂和蜂蜡在内的悉尼市区内的样本 (Pb/Pb = 1.072-1.121, Pb/Pb = 2.348-2.409)、同地点的土壤和灰尘 (Pb/Pb = 1.090-1.122, Pb/Pb = 2.368-2.403)，与含铅汽油使用期间收集的气溶胶最接近 (Pb/Pb = 1.067-1.148, Pb/Pb = 2.341-2.410)。蜂箱样本中的 Pb 同位素组成范围很广，这表明其他遗留来源，如含铅涂料和工业，也可能导致蜂箱样本中的 Pb 污染。将本土蜜蜂的数据与更常见的欧洲蜜蜂 (Apis mellifera) 的相应样本进行了比较。尽管两种物种的 Pb 同位素组成相似，但在整个微量元素组中，蜜蜂及其产品的微量元素浓度存在显著差异。与欧洲蜜蜂相比，T. carbonaria 与同地点环境污染物浓度的统计相关性更强，这可能归因于其较小的觅食距离 (分别为 0.3-0.7 公里和 5-9 公里)。这意味着 T. carbonaria 可能比欧洲蜜蜂更适合评估微量元素浓度的小空间尺度变化。
