Honeybees as active samplers for microplastics

Microplastics are ubiquitous and their sampling is a difficult task. Honeybees interact with the environment inside foraging range take pollutants them. In this work, we demonstrated for first time that worker bees can act as active samplers of microplastics. We collected honeybees from apiaries located in centre Copenhagen nearby semiurban rural areas. showed presence microplastics all sampled locations mostly form fragments (52%) fibres (38%) average equivalent diameter 64 ± 39 ?m 234 156 fragments. The highest load corresponded to urban apiaries, but comparable number was found hives suburban areas, which be explained by settlements easy dispersion small wind. Micro-FTIR analysis confirmed thirteen synthetic polymers, most frequently polyester followed polyethylene polyvinyl chloride. Our results attached body opens new research pathway use biosamplers anthropogenic pollution. • First detection Worker Thirteen types polymers abundant Non-significant differences between