The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of exposure of honey bees to a 50 Hz electric field on different enzyme activities and the concentration of albumin and creatinine in the hemolymph.
Two-days-old honey bee workers were divided into the following groups: exposure to an electric field of 1) 5.0 kV/m for 1 hour, 2) 5.0 kV/m for 3 hours, 3) 5.0 kV/m for 6 hours, 4) 11.5 kV/m for 1 hour, 5) 11.5 kV/m for 3 hours, 6) 11.5 kV/m for 6 hours, 7) 23.0 kV/m for 1 hour, 8) 23.0 kV/m for 3 hours, 9) 23.0 kV/m for 6 hours, 10) 34.5 kV/m for 1 hour, 11) 34.5 kV/m for 3 hours, and 12) 34.5 kV/m for 6 hours. For each exposure duration (1 hour, 3 hours, 6 hours), a separate control group was used. Each group consisted of 10 cages with 100 bees, respectively.
Exposure | Parameters |
---|---|
Exposure 1:
50 Hz
Exposure duration:
1, 3, 6, or 12 hours
|
|
Frequency | 50 Hz |
---|---|
Type | |
Exposure duration | 1, 3, 6, or 12 hours |
Exposure source |
|
---|---|
Chamber | wooden cages (20 × 15 × 7 cm) |
Setup | a homogeneous (± 5%) electric field was generated by a plate capacitor |
Additional info | the control groups were exposed to an electric field of < 1.0 kV/m |
Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
electric field strength | 5 kV/m | - | measured | - | - |
electric field strength | 11.5 kV/m | - | measured | - | - |
electric field strength | 23 kV/m | - | measured | - | - |
electric field strength | 34.5 kV/m | - | measured | - | - |
The activity of the three investigated enzymes in honey bees' hemolymph decreased after exposure to 50 Hz electric field with different intensities. The decrease in enzyme activity intensified with prolonged exposure time. The authors conclude that a 50 Hz electric field may cause the impairment of crucial metabolic cycles in the honey bees organism. Moreover, exposure to the electric field altered the concentration of creatinine and albumin, which are important non-enzymatic antioxidants. Such changes may indicate a disturbance in protein metabolism and increased muscle activity.
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