ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING OF PESTICIDE USE THROUGH HONEYBEES

Topic description

Scope:

• The project should develop a non-invasive environmental monitoring system via the collection of biweekly pollen samples during two beekeeping seasons by beekeepers from several countries (n= 5-6) in Europe (citizens’ science project). The countries will be chosen on the basis of the following criteria: existence of regional/national activities and scientists/technicians able to sample pollen in their country, at least one representative of each authorisation zone (Annex 1 of Regulation 1107/2009). This monitoring system should be easy to carry out and reproducible across Europe. In specific cases, fresh honey samples may be collected.
• The project should develop a protocol, agreed between scientists and field practitioners, and following official methodological recommendations (i.e. the European Food Safety Authority HEALTHY-B, the EPILOBEE study). In doing so, the outcome of the project can be integrated in multiple stressor models linked with bee health and risk assessment in accordance with the relevant parts of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) report on pollinators, pollination and food production3. Practitioners' work will be coordinated by scientists/technicians. Pollen and pesticide analyses will serve to establish the botanical origin and contamination of the samples, respectively.
• The project should identify areas at risk for bee health by putting analytical data in a geospatial context, aiming to understand the possible sources and variability of both bee food and contaminants.
• During the project analysis of samples, will screen for both authorised and non-authorised pesticide and veterinary products. Additionally, the fate of the colonies participating to the sampling will be surveyed to explore potential correlations with the parameters measured. The interpretation of the monitoring results will contribute to the evaluation of the implementation of European legislation in terms of pesticide application (sustainable use directive), pesticide authorisation and efficiency of agro-environmental and greening measures from the common agricultural policy. Evaluation of the results and methodology to assess whether they could be enlarged to wild pollinators.
• The project should give an indication of the plant biodiversity of the landscape linked to the biology of honeybees throughout the year.
• The project should perform a verification of the quality of the CORINE database (or other more detailed land use dataset available in the countries participating) for landscape-level exposure modelling.