Biochemical assessment of environmental pollution in the Alexandria governorate using bees and earthworms as bioindicators | ||
| Journal of Pest Control and Environmental Sciences | ||
| Volume 24, Issue 1, 2024, Pages 15-26 PDF (451.21 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/jpces.2024.465634 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Ahmed F. El-Aswad* ; Rewan R. El-Mrghany; Mohammed H. Hussein; Sara A. Mohamed | ||
| Department of Pesticide Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Aflatoun St., 21545 El-Shatby, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Environmental pollution poses a major threat to ecosystem integrity, necessitating the use of sensitive biological indicators for early detection and monitoring. This study assessed the activities of four key biomarker enzymes acetylcholinesterase (AChE), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and catalase (CAT), alongside total protein concentrations in Apis mellifera (honeybees) and Lumbricus terrestris (earthworms) collected from three sites (East, Middle, and West) within the Alexandria Governorate, Egypt. The results revealed clear spatial variations in enzymatic activity, with the Western site exhibiting the highest AChE, GST, and CAT levels in both organisms, indicative of pronounced neurotoxic and oxidative stress likely associated with intensive anthropogenic activities, including pesticide use and industrial emissions. ALP activity showed minor site-dependent fluctuations and appeared less responsive to pollution stress. Earthworms generally exhibited stronger enzymatic responses than bees, reflecting their continuous contact with contaminated soil, while bees mirrored aboveground contamination from atmospheric or floral sources. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the Western region of Alexandria experiences the greatest biochemical perturbation and pollution burden. The study highlights the combined use of bees and earthworms, together with multiple enzymatic biomarkers, as a robust and integrative approach for terrestrial pollution assessment and ecological risk evaluation, contributing to more effective environmental management strategies. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Bioindicators; biomarkers; bees; earthworms; enzymes; pollution | ||
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