Occurrence of organochlorine pesticides and chlorpyrifos in Bombus pauloensis from areas with different land uses in Buenos Aires, Argentina

CECCHETTO, FRANCO; MAGGI, MATIAS D.; MIGLIORANZA, KARINA S.B

Congreso; 8° Congreso Latinoamericano sobre Residuos de Plaguicidas (LAPRW); 2021

LAPRW

Bees, especially those from Apidae family, constitute a key component in globalbiodiversity but also in the ecosystem stability and in the productivity of crops for humanconsumption. Among native bees inhabiting Argentina, the social bumblebee Bombuspauloensis, has a wide distribution and abundance. In recent years, it has been observed adecrease in populations of several bee species around the world, partly as a consequenceof agricultural intensification with high use of agrochemicals. In this sense, bees arecontinuously exposed to environmental disturbs and therefore are very useful biomonitors ofenvironmental pollution. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of land use(conventional agriculture, ornamental plants agriculture, and natural reserve) on theOrganochlorine Pesticides (OCPs) and chlorpyrifos levels in B. pauloensis. Females(workers) and males from three areas near Mar del Plata city (Argentina), characterized bydifferent land uses were assessed: a conventional agriculture production area (A1), anornamental plants field adjacent to an urban solid waste disposal site (A2) and a naturalreserve with organic crops production (A3). The higher pesticide concentration was found inboth conventional agriculture areas in relation to the reserve area. Females and males fromA1 showed the highest chlorpyrifos levels, as a consequence of the extended current use ofthis insecticide, particularly in this zone dedicated to intensive agricultural production. In spiteof their prohibition worldwide, OCPs were present in both sexes from all sampling areas, asa result of their extended use in the past. It was not observed a clear pattern on OCPsdistribution across the areas, although Drins and DDTs groups prevealed. According to ourknowledge, the present work represents the first analysis of OCPs and chlorpyrifosbioaccumulation in wild bees in Argentina and highlights their potential as environmentalpollution biomonitors