Exposure to urban heavy metal contamination diminishes bumble bee colony growth

Abstract

1. As a result of their industrial past, legacy cites often have elevated concentrations of soil heavy metal contamination. Metal pollution can have negative and prolonged ecosystem impacts, and bees that forage in these urban ecosystems are at risk of exposure. Legacy cities are known to support species rich bee communities, which highlights the importance of determining the impact of heavy metal contamination on wild bee health.2. We examined how oral exposure to concentrations of four heavy metals found within the provisions of urban bees in uenced colony growth of Bombus impatiens Cresson (Hymenoptera: Apidae), a common species within legacy cities across the eastern United States. Colony weight and brood survivorship were compared among hives fed uncontaminated sucrose solution (hereafter nectar), nectar spiked with one metal (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, or lead), and nectar containing all metals, after 15 or 30 d of exposure within ight tents.3. Across both exposure periods, we found a signi cantly higher proportion of dead brood in metal exposed hives. Additionally, colonies fed all four metals had a signi cantly higher proportion of dead brood than those fed a single metal.4. Synthesis and applications. Our ndings illustrate that even low, environmentally relevant concentrations of metals collected by B. impatiens in legacy cities can negatively in uence bee colony tness. We highlight the need to identify metal exposure routes for bees in contaminated landscapes to minimize risk and bolster conservation habitat initiative success.CFAES SEEDS grant to S.B.S.

Distribution of infectious and parasitic agents among three sentinel bee species across European agricultural landscapes

“…Bumble bees and certain solitary bees are increasingly considered relevant and promising sentinels for the wider community of semi-social and solitary bees in environmental risk assessment of pesticides 18 – 22 , and the interacting effects of landscape complexity and agricultural management regime 21 , 23 – 26 . Wild bee species richness, diversity and abundance have also been used as bioindicators for heavy metal and pesticide pollution 27 , 28 , and local habitat quality for pollinators and landscape structure 29 , 30 .…”

Spatial distribution, pollution levels, and ecological risks of trace elements in topsoil along an urbanization gradient in the city of Urumqi, China

“…Pollution of urban soil with hazardous trace elements is an urgent research problem due to their negative and prolonged ecosystem impacts that need to be assessed (Lu et al 2009; Scott et al 2022). With rapid urbanization, intensive anthropogenic activities have contributed large quantities of hazardous trace elements emitted into urban soil, and exerted strong pressure on soil environment (Xie et al 2019).…”

Recursos alimentares usados por >i<Xylocopa frontalis>/i< (Apidae, Xylocopini) em sistemas naturais e agrícolas do Cerrado brasileiro: variações espaciais e sazonais e contaminação por metais pesados

“…Uma vez no pólen e néctar, ou na superfície de flores e folhas (que podem ser usados como recursos de nidificação por algumas abelhas), essas moléculas podem contaminar os indivíduos imaturos e adultos através da ingestão ou contato físico (KOPIT; PITTS-SINGER, 2018). Entre os efeitos sub-letais da contaminação por poluentes como pesticidas e metais pesados, estão a redução no desempenho de aprendizado e memória (BURDEN et al, 2016;KAILA et al, 2023;MONCHANIN et al, 2021), e a diminuição do crescimento de colônias e populações pela redução da construção de células de cria e sobrevivência dos indivíduos (MOROŃ et al, 2013;SCOTT;SIVAKOFF;GARDINER, 2022).…”