Heavy metals transition coefficients and anionic fatty acid content in bee pollen (plant pollen) in different natural areas of the Carpathian region

The aim of the work was to determine the coefficients of transition of heavy metals from the arable soil layer to bee pollen (plant pollen) and the content of heavy metals and weakly active anionic fatty acids in the mentioned plant material in different natural areas of the Carpathian region. Experimental apiaries of clinically healthy honey bees of the Carpathian breed were selected on the basis of private beekeeping farms in the mountain (urban village Slavskо, Stryj district), foothills (village Nyzhnia Stynava, Stryj district) and forest-steppe (village Myklashiv, Lviv district) zones of Lviv region. The content of Ferrum, Zinc, Copper, Chromium, Cobalt, Nickel, Plumbum and Cadmium in the arable layer of soil and bee pollen (plant pollen) was determined to assess the intensity of man-made load on the environment where the experimental apiaries of honey bees are located. The content of heavy metals in the selected samples of the arable soil layer, bee pollen (plant pollen) was determined on an atomic-absorption spectrophotometer, and anionic fatty acids in bee pollen (plant pollen) – on a gas-liquid chromatograph. It has been established that in the direction from the mountain to the foothills and further to the forest-steppe zone of the Carpathian region the content of Ferrum, Zinc, Copper, Cobalt, Chromium, Nickel, Plumbum and Cadmium in the arable soil layer and bee pollen (plant pollen) increases. At the same  time, in the above direction, the coefficients of transition of Zinc, Chromium and Nickel from the arable layer of soil to bee pollen are decreasing; Zinc and Nickel – in dandelion pollen; Zinc – in apple pollen. In the direction from the mountain to the foothills and further to the forest-steppe zone of the Carpathian region, due to the high level of heavy metals, the value of anionic fatty acids of bee pollen (plant pollen) decreases for bees, beehives and hives. In the above direction due to the increase in the content of heavy metals and anionic forms of fatty acids in bee pollen (plant pollen), decreases the flight-harvest relative to the bee pollen (plant pollen) and honey productivity of worker bees. The high level of heavy metals and anionic fatty acids in bee pollen (plant pollen) obtained from hives located in the foothills and especially the forest-steppe zones of the Carpathian region is a consequence of urbanization and industrialization of the territory. Bee pollen, dandelion and apple pollen in general can be bioindicators of the ecological state of the environment. However, due to the optimal content of heavy metals and fatty acids, the best bioindicator of the ecological state of the environment is dandelion pollen.