TY  - JOUR
T1  - Identification of Various Elements and Heavy Metals in Honeybee and Beeswax Samples from Different Environmental Sources
A1  - Effrosyni Zafeiraki
A1  - Rastislav Sabo
A1  - Konstantinos M. Kasiotis
A1  - Kyriaki Machera
A1  - Lucia Sabová
A1  - Tomáš Majchrák
JF  - International Journal of Veterinary Research and Allied Science
Y1  - 2024
VL  - 4
IS  - 2
SP  - 27
EP  - 39
N2  - Honeybees and their products act as effective bioindicators due to their close relationship with the environment they inhabit. This study aimed to assess the extent of pollution by measuring the concentration of metals in honeybees (Apis mellifera jemenatica) and beeswax, focusing on elements such as K, Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and heavy metals such as Pb, Ni, Cd, and Cr in different environments in the Makkah region of Saudi Arabia. The sampling areas included: R1 (highways), R2 (urbanized zones), R3 (industrial zones), and R4 (ecologically clean areas). The findings indicate significant differences (P < 0.05) in the concentration of metals between bee bodies and wax across these areas. The highest levels were observed in industrial zones (R3), followed by urbanized areas (R2) and highways (R1), with the lowest concentrations found in ecologically clean areas (R4). Notably, the metal concentrations in honeybee bodies were higher than in the wax samples in all study areas. These results suggest that honeybees and beeswax are reliable indicators of environmental pollution, particularly by toxic metals.
UR  - https://esvpub.com/article/identification-of-various-elements-and-heavy-metals-in-honeybee-and-beeswax-samples-from-different-e-ivpmx73orirdnb5
ER  -