New and Improved Methods for Monitoring Air Quality and the Terrestrial Environment

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are multi-media monitors of chemical exposures and biotic effects. This five-year project has developed an automated system to assess in real-time colony behavioral responses to stressors, both anthropogenic and natural, including inclement weather. 1998 field trials at the Aberdeen Proving Ground-Edgewood area included the Old O Field and J Field landfills, D Field and Boundary Areas, and a Churchville, MD reference site. Preliminary results indicate that in general the levels of organic contaminants seen at APO sites are no better or worse than those seen regionally Off-Base. Industrial solvents in ambient air and in the air inside beehives exhibited the greatest between site differences, with the highest levels occurring in hives at Old O Field, J Field, some D Field sites, and Boundary area sites. Compared to 1996, both in 1997 and in 1998 the levels of organic solvents in Old O Field hives decreased by an order of magnitude, while colony performance improved, probably as a consequence of capping the landfill. There was no evidence of acute bee toxicity at most APG sites, although four colonies slowly failed at the Boundary sites. Hives will be re-deployed at ten Boundary sites in 1999 to further investigate these locations. A major objective of proposed 1999 studies will be to develop a framework for incorporating exposure characterizations of ambient air and hive atmospheres along with colony behavioral metrics into a risk assessment framework.