Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Bees, honey and pollen as sentinels for environmental chemical contaminants

Three beehive matrices, sampled in six different apiaries from West France, were analyzed for the presence of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH4: benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and chrysene). Samples were collected during four different periods in both 2008 and 2009. Honey samples showed the lowest levels of PAH4 contamination (min = 0.03 μg kg−1; max = 5.80 μg kg−1; mean = 0.82 μg kg−1; Sd = 1.17). Bee samples exhibited higher levels of PAH4 contamination (min = 0.32 μg kg−1; max = 73.83 μg kg−1; mean = 7.03 μg kg−1; Sd = 17.83) with a great dispersion of the concentrations due to four main events of high concentrations. Pollen samples showed only one major episode with the highest PAH4 concentration found (min = 0.33 μg kg−1; max = 129.41 μg kg−1; mean = 7.10 μg kg−1; Sd = 22.28). The PAH4 concentrations found were significantly influenced by the landscape context for all beehive samples.