Version 1
: Received: 20 August 2024 / Approved: 20 August 2024 / Online: 20 August 2024 (14:23:23 CEST)
How to cite:
Gómez-Méndez, L. D.; Robles-Camargo, J. E.; Vera-Bravo, R.; Moncaleano-Niño, A. M.; Devia Castillo, C. A.; Escobar-Cortés, Y.; Amarillo-Suárez, A. R. Characterization of Microplastics in Bees and Their Bee Products in Urban and Rural Areas of the Sabana De Bogotá, Colombia. Preprints2024, 2024081461. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1461.v1
Gómez-Méndez, L. D.; Robles-Camargo, J. E.; Vera-Bravo, R.; Moncaleano-Niño, A. M.; Devia Castillo, C. A.; Escobar-Cortés, Y.; Amarillo-Suárez, A. R. Characterization of Microplastics in Bees and Their Bee Products in Urban and Rural Areas of the Sabana De Bogotá, Colombia. Preprints 2024, 2024081461. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1461.v1
Gómez-Méndez, L. D.; Robles-Camargo, J. E.; Vera-Bravo, R.; Moncaleano-Niño, A. M.; Devia Castillo, C. A.; Escobar-Cortés, Y.; Amarillo-Suárez, A. R. Characterization of Microplastics in Bees and Their Bee Products in Urban and Rural Areas of the Sabana De Bogotá, Colombia. Preprints2024, 2024081461. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1461.v1
APA Style
Gómez-Méndez, L. D., Robles-Camargo, J. E., Vera-Bravo, R., Moncaleano-Niño, A. M., Devia Castillo, C. A., Escobar-Cortés, Y., & Amarillo-Suárez, A. R. (2024). Characterization of Microplastics in Bees and Their Bee Products in Urban and Rural Areas of the Sabana De Bogotá, Colombia. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1461.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Gómez-Méndez, L. D., Yisela Escobar-Cortés and Angela R. Amarillo-Suárez. 2024 "Characterization of Microplastics in Bees and Their Bee Products in Urban and Rural Areas of the Sabana De Bogotá, Colombia" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1461.v1
Abstract
Microplastics, plastic fragments smaller than 5 mm present in the environment due to the decomposition of larger plastics, can cause damage to various ecosystems and species of pollinating insects such as Apis mellifera bees. These bees play a crucial role in the ecology and production of honey and pollen, also serving as bioindicators of environmental quality as they are sensitive to contaminants such as microplastics. In this study, the presence of microplastics in these insects and their bee products, pollen, and honey, collected in August 2021 and August 2023 in rural areas (Tabio and Guasca) of Cundinamarca, Colombia, and urban areas (Universidad Nacional de Colombia) was evaluated. and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana) of Bogotá, Colombia. In each year, 24 bees, 10 grams of honey and 10 grams of pollen were collected per sampling point. Microplastics in bees and their products were identified and quantified by stereomicroscopy, with or without hydrogen peroxide digestion pretreatment. Microplastics were found in bees, pollen, and honey in both periods, with an increase in their quantity observed over time due to increasing environmental pollution. Blue fibers were the most common microplastics, with a greater amount recorded in 2023 compared to 2021.
Keywords
Microplastics; bees; bee products; Sabana de Bogotá; Colombia
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Pollution
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.