Assessing Environmental Contamination through Pollen Analysis of Solitary Cavity-nesting Resin Bees Around Kolhapur City

This study examines how pollen-nectar mixtures collected by solitary cavity-nesting resin bees can serve as bioindicators of environmental pollution. Researchers utilized paper straw trap nests across various locations, including agricultural (Shirgaon to Kandalgaon road in Gokul Shirgaon, Kolhapur), industrial (MIDC Shiroli, Kolhapur), urban (Dabolkar Corner, Kolhapur City), and a control area (KIT's College of Engineering, Gokul Shirgaon, Kolhapur). The nests, installed in February 2024, contained empty straws and some partially packed with larvae from the control area. These nests were designed to mimic natural habitats, allowing mature bees to build nests and create pollen-nectar mixtures for their offspring. Analysis aimed to detect environmental contaminants in these mixtures. Only one sample from the industrial area (Trap Nest Location 5 at Quality Castings, MIDC Shiroli) was recovered, showing elevated levels of iron, manganese, chromium, and nickel, consistent with industrial emissions. In contrast, the control area produced viable samples with detectable levels of magnesium, zinc, iron, aluminum, and barium. The absence of samples from urban and agricultural areas suggests adverse conditions affecting bee populations. This underscores the sensitivity of resin bees to pollution and highlights their role as bioindicators. The study emphasizes the need for effective environmental management to enhance habitat quality and protect both bees and human health.