The Honey Bee: An Active Biosampler of Environmental Pollution and a Possible Warning Biomarker for Human Health

Member states of the European Union are required to ensure initiation monitoring programs verify honey bee exposure pesticides, where and as appropriate. Based on 620 samples dead bees—42 pollen, 183 32 vegetables—we highlighted presence, analyzed by liquid gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometric detection, many active substances, mainly tau-fluvalinate, piperonyl butoxide, chlorpyrifos chlorpyrifos-methyl, permethrin imidacloprid. Among substances found in matrices linked killing incidents, 38 belong hazard classes I II, methiocarb, methomyl, chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin permethrin, thus representing a potential risk for human health. We have shown that, at different times between 2015 2020, during implementation Italian national guidelines managing reports colony mortality or depopulation associated pesticide use, pollution events occurred that could raise concern Competent authorities could, part One Health approach, exploit information provided existing reporting bees their products, view close correlation health, animal health ecosystem