Vetnews | Mei 2025 8 « BACK TO CONTENTS Bees and Microplastic Studies: A Systematic Review Karla Fernanda Sanches Rodrigues1,2 Beatriz Regina Rodrigues Carvalho1,2 Felipe Andrés León Contrera4 Welber Senteio Smith1,2,3,4 Abstract Microplastic contamination is no longer confined exclusively to aquatic environments and their organisms. Over the past 20 years, microplastics have increasingly been recognized as a source of contamination in terrestrial ecosystems and the organisms that inhabit them. Some studies have reported that these contaminants can alter the intestinal microbiota of bees, which may also harm their immune system and, consequently, directly impact the health of these animals. These consequences can impair bees’ ability to effectively carry out their foraging activities, potentially leading to the decline of the hive and negatively impacting the ecosystem services they provide through pollination. However, research linking microplastics to bees is still in its early stages. Therefore, this work conducted a systematic review, applying selection and exclusion criteria to studies published between 2000 and 2024 that mentioned bees or bee products in relation to microplastics. These publications were extracted from electronic databases (Google Scholar, Scielo, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science). With the keywords used, 920 works were found, of which 33 met the pre-established review criteria, produced between 2013 and 2024, most of them from Italy (six studies) and China (five studies). Among the 33 studies selected, twelve are bibliographic reviews, indicating the need for further primary studies related to the subject, since bees provide vital ecosystem services through pollination. Introduction Modern society widely uses plastic due to its resistance, ability to be moulded, and cost-effectiveness (Oliveira et al. 2019). Plastic production increased from 1.5 million tonnes in 2017 to 359 million in 2018; of this amount, approximately 79% remains in the environment in the form of waste, which can spread through the air, water, and soil (Bouaicha et al. 2022). Smaller plastics are created for usage in the industry or are formed by the degradation of larger plastics that are disposed of incorrectly.
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