Contaminação por Elementos Potencialmente Tóxicos e Abelhas Solitárias: um Tema Pouco Explorado
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5132/eec.2025.02.03Keywords:
Bee ecotoxicology, ecosystem service, environmental contamination, pollinationAbstract
Approximately 80% of the 20,000 known bee species worldwide are solitary, contributing to the ecosystem service of pollination in natural and agricultural environments. Despite their ecological and economic importance, there is a lack of publications on the impact of heavy metals on these bees. Heavy metal contamination affects ecosystem health and diminishes the role of these insects as pollinators. This study reviewed publications indexed in the Scopus database on this topic. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, seven studies published between 2012 and 2023 were selected for review. The studies analyzed the ecotoxicological effects of heavy metals on solitary bees, including impacts on behavior, reproduction, phenotype, diversity, and abundance. The research was limited to Poland, the United Kingdom, and China, excluding biodiversity-rich regions such as the Neotropical. Additionally, 71.4% of the studies focused on only two species of the genus Osmia (O. rufa and O. bicornis), both of agricultural interest in their respective areas of occurrence. The most investigated metals were cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). These findings highlight gaps in knowledge regarding the effects of heavy metals on solitary bees, exacerbated by geographical and taxonomic limitations in the studies. The decline of these bees, associated with environmental contamination by heavy metals, could impact ecosystem health and agricultural productivity, emphasizing the need for further research investments to advance conservation measures for these important pollinators.
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