Instituto de Investigaciones en Medio Ambiente y Biodiversidad (INIBIOMA)-CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina.
Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.
Environ Pollut. 2023 Oct 1;334:122151. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122151. Epub 2023 Jul 10.
Microplastics (MP) have emerged as a widespread environmental contaminant affecting bee health. In this study we report on the impact of one of the cultural practices used to control the small hive beetle (SBH, Aethina tumida). Management of the beetle often includes the use of in-hive traps of different kinds, such as non-woven microfiber wipes. When placed inside the hive, bees chew on these wipes, which then become fuzzy and fray to the point where beetles become entangled in their fibers. The current study aimed to examine the composition of these microfiber sheets and to evaluate whether their use resulted in unintended MP contamination of bees and honey. We treated hives with one blue microfiber sheet placed on top of the frames for at least three months. After that time, we collected adult bees and honey samples from treated hives, control hives in the same apiary (control near), and control hives in an apiary 7.5 km away (control far). Honey from treated hives had a significantly greater number of blue MF than honey from the control hives (mean ± SD, treatment 11.83 ± 3.76, control near 2.25 ± 0.92 and control far 0.25 ± 0.5 MF/20 gr honey). Also, hives treated with the microfiber sheets had a significantly greater number of blue microfibers in the gut and cuticle of bees, than the control hives located in a different apiary. However, the control and treated bees located in the same apiary had a similar number of blue microfibers (mean ± SD, treatment 4.7 ± 2.28, control near 3 ± 1.63 and control far 0.5 ± 0.58 MF in 20 bees). Thus, the current study raises concerns of the use of microfibers sheets to trap the SBH as it results in the incorporation of microfibers into the ecosystem and the food chain.
微塑料（MP）已成为一种广泛存在的环境污染物，影响着蜜蜂的健康。在这项研究中，我们报告了一种用于控制小型蜂箱甲虫（SBH，Aethina tumida）的文化实践的影响。甲虫的管理通常包括使用不同种类的蜂巢内诱捕器，例如无纺微纤维擦拭布。当将这些擦拭布放置在蜂巢内时，蜜蜂会咀嚼它们，然后擦拭布变得毛茸茸的，磨损到甲虫被其纤维缠住的程度。本研究旨在检查这些微纤维片的组成，并评估其使用是否导致蜜蜂和蜂蜜无意中受到微塑料污染。我们用一片蓝色微纤维片处理蜂巢，放置在框上方至少三个月。在那段时间之后，我们从处理过的蜂巢、同一蜂场的对照蜂巢（对照近场）和 7.5 公里外的蜂场的对照蜂巢（对照远场）中收集成年蜜蜂和蜂蜜样本。来自处理过的蜂巢的蜂蜜中蓝色微纤维的数量明显多于来自对照蜂巢的蜂蜜（平均值±标准差，处理组 11.83±3.76，对照近场 2.25±0.92，对照远场 0.25±0.5 MF/20 克蜂蜜）。此外，与位于不同蜂场的对照蜂巢相比，用微纤维片处理过的蜂巢中的蜜蜂肠道和表皮中的蓝色微纤维数量明显更多。然而，位于同一蜂场的对照和处理过的蜜蜂具有相似数量的蓝色微纤维（平均值±标准差，处理组 4.7±2.28，对照近场 3±1.63，对照远场 0.5±0.58 MF 在 20 只蜜蜂中）。因此，当前的研究引起了对使用微纤维片来诱捕 SBH 的关注，因为它会导致微纤维融入生态系统和食物链中。
