Mining activities represent a major source of environment contamination. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of bees and ants as bioindicators to detect the heavy metal impact in post-mining areas. A biomonitoring programme involving a combination of honeybee hive matrices analysis and ant biodiversity survey was conducted over a 3-year period. The experimental design involved three monitoring stations where repeated sampling activities focused on chemical detection of cadmium (Cd), chrome (Cr) and lead (Pb) from different matrices, both from hosted beehives (foraging bees, honey and pollen) and from the surrounding environment (stream water and soil). At the same time, ant biodiversity (number and abundance of species) was determined through a monitoring programme based on the use of pitfall traps placed in different habitats inside each mining site. The heavy metal content detected in stream water from the control station was always below the analytical limit of quantification. In the case of soil, the content of Cd and Pb from the control was lower than that of mining sites. The mean heavy metal concentrations in beehive matrices from mining sites were mainly higher than the control, and as a result of regression and discriminant analysis, forager bee sampling was an efficient environmental pollution bioindicator. Ant collection and identification highlighted a wide species variety with differences among habitats mostly associated with vegetation features. A lower variability was observed in the polluted landfill characterised by lack of vegetation. Combined biomonitoring with forager bees and ants represents a reliable tool for heavy metal environmental impact studies.
Abstract. In order to anaesthetize insects in a laboratory, chilling and application of diethyl ether and carbon dioxide are commonly used. However none of the above methods is problem free. In particular, the use of diethyl ether, despite its simplicity, is now limited due to its poor safety. In our research, we evaluated ethyl acetate as an alternative anaesthetic substance. The effects of ethyl acetate anaesthesia were compared with those produced by carbon dioxide on adult green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). The biological parameters measured were longevity and fecundity. No signifi cant differences appeared between the two treatments and the control. Although further research is necessary, the use of ethyl acetate proves to be very promising and presents a valid alternative to the use of diethyl ether and, in many cases, also to carbon dioxide and chilling.Résumé. L'acétate d'éthyl : une alternative possible pourl'anesthésie des insectes. Pour l'anesthésie des insectes en laboratoire, on utilise souvent la réfrigération, l'éther ethylique ou le dioxyde de carbone. Aucune de ces méthode n'est toutefois sans problème. L'utilisation d'éther éthylique, en particulier, en dépit de sa simplicité, est maintenant limitée pour des raisons de sécurité. Les effets de l'acétate d'éthyl ont été comparés ici avec ceux induits par le dioxyde de carbone sur des adultes de chrysopes (Neuroptera : Chrysopidae). Les paramètres biologiques mesurés ont été la longévité et la fécondité. Aucune différence signifi cative n'est apparue entre les deux traitements et le contrôle. Bien que des recherches plus approfondies restent nécessaires, l'usage d'acétate d'éthyl se révèle très prometteur et il constitue une alternative valide à l'éther éthylique, et même au dioxyde de carbone et à la réfrigération.
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