PAH7 concentration reflects anthropization: A study using environmental biomonitoring with honeybees

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental pollutants, mainly due to anthropogenic emission. In this study, we used honeybees as bioindicators of PAHs pollution in 36 industrial sites distributed in 14 French departments, covering more than 950 km(2) area of biomonitoring. Honeybees were sampled three times a year (spring, summer and autumn), during a period covering 2016 to 2019. Cluster and Principal Component Analysis allowed to classify sites in semi-natural, agricultural and urban lands according to their land use. We found that the higher the level of anthropization, the higher the concentration of PAH7 (PAH7: Benzo[a]Pyrene, Benzo[a]Anthracene, Benzo[b]Fluoranthene, Benzo[j]Fluoranthene, Benzo[k]Fluoranthene, Indeno[1,2,3-c,d] Pyrene and Dibenz[ah]Anthracene). We have found that 5 out of 20 compounds analyzed are significantly impacted by the landscape context (BjF, BaA, Chr, BbF and CPP). We observed significantly more 3-ringed PAHs in the autumnal samples than in the summer ones, but there was no seasonal effect on the PAH7 concentration. Moreover, diagnostic ratios show that high temperature processes are the main origin of PAHs, even in semi-natural environments. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study used honeybees as bioindicators to investigate PAHs pollution in 36 industrial sites in France. The research found that as the level of human activity in the environment increased, the concentration of PAH7 also increased, and that 5 out of 20 compounds analyzed were significantly impacted by the landscape context.