Department of Zoology, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India, 144411.
Department of Entomology, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India, 144411.
NanoImpact. 2024 Jul;35:100522. doi: 10.1016/j.impact.2024.100522. Epub 2024 Jul 15.
Anthropogenic activities have negatively impacted the ecosystem dramatically over the last few decades. The environment is becoming more contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, and microplastics (MPs) as a result of the swift rise in industrialization and urbanisation. These contaminants are present everywhere in the ecosystem, affecting every living creature, from aquatic to terrestrial to aerial. Recently, the widespread of microplastics in the environment has raised serious concerns about the contamination of honey bees by these tiny particles of plastic. Honeybees are the major pollinators which contributes in the pollination of about 70% food that we consume. This review summarizes current research findings on the presence, uptake, and possible effects of microplastics on honey bees. Findings revealed the presence of microplastics in various honey bee matrices, such as honey, pollen, beeswax, and bee bodies, highlighting the potential routes of exposure for these vital pollinators. Additionally, evidence suggests that microplastics can accumulate in honey bee tissues (brain, midgut, Malpighian tubules, trachea, and haemolymph) potentially leading to adverse effects on honey bee health, behaviour, and colony dynamics. Additionally, MPs has a synergistic impact on immune system as well. Change in cuticle profile, reduction in body weight, and changes in eating frequency can regulate overall success rate of their survival. However, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding the long-term consequences for honey bee populations and ecosystem health, which cannot unveil the ultimate degree of future threats. Future research efforts should focus on investigating the interactions between microplastics and other stressors, such as pesticides and pathogens, and assessing the broader ecological implications of honey bee contamination with microplastics. Addressing these knowledge gaps is essential for developing effective mitigation strategies to minimize the impact of microplastics on honey bee populations and safeguarding their vital role in ecosystem functioning and food security.
人为活动在过去几十年中对生态系统造成了巨大的负面影响。随着工业化和城市化的迅速发展，环境受到重金属、农药和微塑料（MPs）的污染越来越严重。这些污染物在生态系统中无处不在，影响着从水生到陆生到空中的每一种生物。最近，微塑料在环境中的广泛存在引起了人们对这些微小塑料颗粒污染蜜蜂的严重关注。蜜蜂是主要的传粉媒介，它们为我们所消耗的约 70%的食物授粉。本综述总结了目前关于微塑料在蜜蜂体内的存在、摄入和可能影响的研究结果。研究结果表明，微塑料存在于各种蜜蜂基质中，如蜂蜜、花粉、蜂蜡和蜜蜂身体，突出了这些重要传粉媒介暴露的潜在途径。此外，有证据表明，微塑料可以在蜜蜂组织（大脑、中肠、马氏管、气管和血淋巴）中积累，可能对蜜蜂健康、行为和群体动态产生不利影响。此外，MPs 对免疫系统也有协同影响。角质层轮廓的改变、体重的减轻和摄食频率的变化可以调节它们的生存总成功率。然而，关于微塑料对蜜蜂种群和生态系统健康的长期影响仍存在重大知识空白，无法揭示未来威胁的最终程度。未来的研究工作应重点研究微塑料与其他压力源（如农药和病原体）之间的相互作用，并评估蜜蜂被微塑料污染对生态系统的更广泛影响。解决这些知识空白对于制定有效的缓解策略以最小化微塑料对蜜蜂种群的影响并保护它们在生态系统功能和粮食安全中的重要作用至关重要。
