Bees to Monitor Pollution

German airports are employing bees to check their environmental impact. Beekeepers in Germany near airports are having their honey tested for toxins. All these unpaid bee workers have, in essence, reported back that there is not a significant problem with air quality, compared with other zones.

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At Dusseldorf International Airport, the bees have reported that their honey exhibits the same toxin levels as those in a non-industrial area and better still, the honey is given away under the name of Dusseldorf Natural.

The usual main pollutants are nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and PM10, PM2.5 (small particulates). So how does this relate to Kenya? The answer could be supplied by Dr. Linsey C. Marr at Virginia Tech. Dr Marr has found that the running times in marathons are more affected by air pollutants  in the case of women than in the case of men. Dr. Marr reported:  “Although pollution levels in these marathons rarely exceeded national standards for air quality, performance was still affected.” And marathon performances? Now, they certainly are important.

Some of this information was originally reported in the New York Times.

One Reply to “Bees to Monitor Pollution”

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