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Metal concentrations around thermal power plants, rural and urban areas using honeybees ( Apis mellifera L.) as bioindicators
Zarić, N.M.; Ilijević, K.; Stanisavljević, L. & Gržetić, I.
Abstract
Honeybees are great bioindicators because they
cover wide areas during their foraging activity. Our study
included industrial, urban and rural region, where samples
were taken in July and September. Industrial region with
three apiaries in the area covered two thermal power plants,
Kostolac A and B. Two apiaries covered a wide urban
region of Belgrade, and the rural region consisting of
mainly agricultural–woodland area near village Mesić was
covered with one apiary. Aim of this study was to investigate
the capability of bees as bioindicators to detect different
concentrations of metals in foraging regions, during
two sampling periods, and to compare concentrations of
Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sr and Zn
found in their bodies. Significant differences were detected
for Al, Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, and Ni between at least two
analyzed regions. Significant differences in concentrations
between sampling dates were found for Al, Ba, Co, Cr and
Fe in at least one of the locations. For Cd, Mn, Na, Pb, Sr
and Zn, no significant differences were found between
locations or sampling dates, suggesting equal and
stable levels of concentration for these elements in the
environment.
Keywords
Bioindicators; Metal pollution; Honeybee; Thermal power plant; Urban pollution; Rural pollution
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