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Harnessing Electrostatic Forces: A Review of Bees as Bioindicators for Particulate Matter Detection
Summary
This review explores how bees can serve as living environmental monitors because their bodies naturally collect airborne particles, including microplastics, through electrostatic forces. By analyzing what sticks to bees, scientists can track the presence and spread of microplastics, heavy metals, pesticides, and other pollutants in the environment. This biomonitoring approach could provide a cost-effective way to map microplastic contamination in the air across different regions.
Bees (Hymenoptera, Anthophila) are widely recognized for their essential ecological roles, including pollination and biodiversity maintenance. Recently, their ability to collect environmental particulate matter through electrostatic forces has been explored for biomonitoring purposes. This review integrates knowledge on electrostatic pollen adhesion with emerging insights into particulate matter adhesion to bees, emphasizing their potential as bioindicators. The mechanisms of electrostatic adhesion, influenced by factors such as the physicochemical properties of particulate matter and bee morphology, are discussed in detail. Additionally, the study evaluates the adhesion efficiency of pollutants, including heavy metals, microplastics, nanoplastics, pathogens, pesticides, radionuclides, and volatile organic compounds. This multidisciplinary approach underscores the role of bees in advancing environmental monitoring methodologies and offers innovative tools for assessing ecosystem health while addressing the drivers of bee decline.