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Metal concentrations around thermal power plants, rural and urban areas using honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) as bioindicators

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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.

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Acknowledgments

This paper was realized as part of project No. 176006, which was financed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Innovation Center Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Karnegijeva 4, 11120, Belgrade, Serbia

    N. M. Zarić

  2. Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    K. Ilijević & I. Gržetić

  3. Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    L. Stanisavljević

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  1. N. M. Zarić
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  2. K. Ilijević
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  3. L. Stanisavljević
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Zarić, N.M., Ilijević, K., Stanisavljević, L. et al. Metal concentrations around thermal power plants, rural and urban areas using honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) as bioindicators. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 13, 413–422 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-015-0895-x

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