Affiliation:
1. Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06123 Perugia, Italy
2. Studio Naturalistico Il Pianeta Naturale, Voc. Palazzetta 14-Poggio S. Dionisio, 06029 Valfabbrica, Italy
Abstract
Two areas affected by cement plant emissions, in an industrial district of Central Italy, were investigated by foraging honeybees (Apis mellifera ligustica) on the return to their hives, as an in situ biomonitor. The contamination was compared with that of a background reference area on the Central Apennine Mountains, quite far from the contamination sources. At all the sites, the bee colonies were stationary. One hundred seventy-seven compounds belonging to the class of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) were positively identified by gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques. For the first time, the presence of several unusual compounds on bee samples is highlighted. These include polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles (PASHs), 1.55–35.63 ng/g d.w., compounds that, like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 67.50–129.95 ng d.w., are classified as carcinogenic and/or mutagenic. In an attempt to identify the contribution of different and specific sources of these pollutants to the total pollution profile, the composition of aliphatic linear hydrocarbons was also examined.
Subject
General Environmental Science,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
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