Sublethal Effects of Chronic Exposure to CdO or PbO Nanoparticles or Their Binary Mixture on the Honey Bee (Apis millefera L.)

• • Metal-based nanotechnologies including metals, metal sulfides, metal oxides, and quantum dots are widely used in various end applications 1. Unique properties of nanoparticles (NPs), including small size (0.1-100 nm), large specific surface area, reactivity, and shape enable them to enter organisms and be transported into tissues, cells and even into organelles, in ways that larger particles might not 2. This has resulted in potential hazards for human health and the environment. Bees are the predominant and most important group of managed pollinators worldwide), with the western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) being the most economically valuable pollinator for monoculture crops 3. During their wide-ranging foraging activities, these hymenopterans are exposed to pollutants including metals associated with particulates of various sizes, which are present in the atmosphere, soil, vegetation, and water. Exposure of honey bees to polluting sources could occur through adhesion of particles to the insect body hairs, inhalation of pollutants via spiracles of the tracheal system or ingestion of contaminated nectar, pollen and water. Therefore, there was a need to investigate potential toxic effects of NPs made of oxides of metals to honey bees. Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) are metals of current toxicological concern and are frequently associated with urbanization and industrial processes 4. Their detrimental effects on physiological, biochemical, and behavioral functions have been documented in animals and humans. Considering the importance of honey bees, the reported toxicity of Cd and Pb as metals and as metal oxide NPs and the possibility of exposure of honey bees to these environmental pollutants, It was hypothesized that exposure of bees to Cd or/and Pb oxide NPs could exert adverse effects on honey bees.
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• November 2018
• DOI: 
• 10.1007/s11356-018-3314-2
• Conference: SETAC North America 39th annual meeting

• Yahya Al Naggar
• Khaled Dabour
• Saad H. D. Masry