Bees can help map pollution
New research from the University of ٍٍٍ½خرتسئµ uses local beekeepers as "citizen scientists" as part of a proposal to use honey as a window into the chemical make-up of a local area.
The team comprised researchers from Dalhousie University in Canada and the University of ٍٍٍ½خرتسئµ. They measured metal concentrations in honey collected by citizen scientist beekeepers in northwest England.
Greater ٍٍٍ½خرتسئµ was a major industrial powerhouse. Unfortunately, historical industrial activities often leave behind a legacy of pollution and have been linked to environmental contamination. Metal contaminants in soil and water from historical industrial activities do not easily disappear. They can be remobilized as dust during activities like building and road construction, or farming. Likewise, metals in surface water and groundwater may also be transferred into flowers via plant roots.
Honey samples were collected by local beekeepers to help determine the distribution of metal pollution across Greater ٍٍٍ½خرتسئµ. Honey samples were gathered over a single season to establish baseline metal concentrations from urban, industrial, residential and agricultural zoning districts. This baseline data can be used in future studies to monitor long-term trends and changes in metal concentrations in the environment.
Average arsenic and cadmium concentrations in ٍٍٍ½خرتسئµ were higher than global averages. Cadmium and lead concentrations were also higher than the recommended World Health Organization and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization guidelines.
These high metal concentrations reflect ٍٍٍ½خرتسئµâ€™s heavy industrial past. They also reveal pollution patterns from current human activities like transportation and construction.
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