Thaís Andrade Viana, Tandara Ketlyn Degobi Xavier, Wagner Faria Barbosa, Cristiane do Carmo Cesário, Daniel Silva Sena Bastos, Rodrigo Cupertino Bernardes, Lorena Lisbetd Botina, Gustavo Ferreira Martins
{"title":"Physiological and behavioral effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticle exposure on stingless bee foragers","authors":"Thaís Andrade Viana, Tandara Ketlyn Degobi Xavier, Wagner Faria Barbosa, Cristiane do Carmo Cesário, Daniel Silva Sena Bastos, Rodrigo Cupertino Bernardes, Lorena Lisbetd Botina, Gustavo Ferreira Martins","doi":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137315","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Bee population decline is associated with various stressors, including exposure to pollutants. Among these, titanium dioxide (TiO<sub>2</sub>), an emerging nanoparticle (NP) pollutant, potentially affects living organisms, including bees. This study evaluates the impact of TiO<sub>2</sub> NPs ingestion (1.35 or 13.5<!-- --> <!-- -->µg/mL) on the behavior and physiology of the stingless bee <em>Partamona helleri</em>. X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the presence of Ti in the bees’ gut, and 3D X-ray microscopy revealed a reduction in body volume. Although survival, food consumption, flight, and respiration were unaffected. In addition, bees exposed to 13.5<!-- --> <!-- -->µg/mL of TiO<sub>2</sub> NPs exhibited reduced walking distances. TiO<sub>2</sub> NPs exposure decreased the total hemocyte count, with notable changes in the proportions of specific hemocyte types: decreased the proportions of plasmatocytes in bees exposed to 13.5<!-- --> <!-- -->µg/mL, and decreased the granulocytes, and increased the prohemocytes in both concentrations. Furthermore, enzymatic activity was affected with increased levels of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), alongside a decrease in glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity. These findings suggest that TiO<sub>2</sub> NPs may pose a risk to bee health, highlighting the need for further research to fully understand the implications of nanoparticles exposure on pollinators.","PeriodicalId":361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hazardous Materials","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.2000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Hazardous Materials","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137315","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Bee population decline is associated with various stressors, including exposure to pollutants. Among these, titanium dioxide (TiO2), an emerging nanoparticle (NP) pollutant, potentially affects living organisms, including bees. This study evaluates the impact of TiO2 NPs ingestion (1.35 or 13.5 µg/mL) on the behavior and physiology of the stingless bee Partamona helleri. X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the presence of Ti in the bees’ gut, and 3D X-ray microscopy revealed a reduction in body volume. Although survival, food consumption, flight, and respiration were unaffected. In addition, bees exposed to 13.5 µg/mL of TiO2 NPs exhibited reduced walking distances. TiO2 NPs exposure decreased the total hemocyte count, with notable changes in the proportions of specific hemocyte types: decreased the proportions of plasmatocytes in bees exposed to 13.5 µg/mL, and decreased the granulocytes, and increased the prohemocytes in both concentrations. Furthermore, enzymatic activity was affected with increased levels of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), alongside a decrease in glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity. These findings suggest that TiO2 NPs may pose a risk to bee health, highlighting the need for further research to fully understand the implications of nanoparticles exposure on pollinators.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Hazardous Materials serves as a global platform for promoting cutting-edge research in the field of Environmental Science and Engineering. Our publication features a wide range of articles, including full-length research papers, review articles, and perspectives, with the aim of enhancing our understanding of the dangers and risks associated with various materials concerning public health and the environment. It is important to note that the term "environmental contaminants" refers specifically to substances that pose hazardous effects through contamination, while excluding those that do not have such impacts on the environment or human health. Moreover, we emphasize the distinction between wastes and hazardous materials in order to provide further clarity on the scope of the journal. We have a keen interest in exploring specific compounds and microbial agents that have adverse effects on the environment.