Determination, distribution, and environmental fate of Bacillus thuringiensis spores in various honeybee matrices after field application as plant protection product.

The increasing use of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-based plant protection products (PPPs) has recently raised some concerns regarding their environmental accumulation and possible chronic exposure of non-target species, including pollinators, to higher than expected doses. The exposure level of such microbial PPPs in bee's matrices under field conditions has not yet been described. Therefore, the current study aims at evaluating the realistic exposure level and comparing the distributions and persistence of Bt spores under field conditions. A field trial with spray application in oilseed rape (Brassica napus) as a representative bee-attractive crop was conducted. During the experimental period, different matrices, including honeybee-collected and -stored matrices as well as bee larvae and dead bees, were collected and analyzed using newly established methods. The concentration of Bt spores in the various matrices was quantified. The results show high levels of Bt spores in honey sac and pollen pellets with reduction over time but no reduction of Bt spores in the stored matrices within the colony, i.e., nectar and bee bread, over time. Our results show for the first time the exposure level of bees to Bt spores under realistic field conditions and are fundamentally important for assessing potential exposure and risks for pollinators.

Assessment of the impacts of microbial plant protection products containing Bacillus thuringiensis on the survival of adults and larvae of the honeybee (Apis mellifera).

This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of a microbial pest-controlling product (MPCP) with the active substance Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. aizawai (strain: ABTS-1857) on adults and larvae of honeybees. To determine the contamination levels of Bt spores in different matrices, a colony-feeding study under semi-field conditions was performed. Furthermore, two chronic adult trials and a chronic larval study were conducted under laboratory conditions to test the effects of different concentrations of the plant protection product (PPP) on the development and mortality. Possible modifications of the chronic oral toxicity test were assessed by additional pollen feeding. Our results showed that Bt spores were detected in all matrices over the entire test duration in different concentrations, decreasing over time. The survival of adult bees and larvae was negatively affected in laboratory conditions after a chronic exposure to the MPCP depending on the tested concentrations. Moreover, the earliest sign of bee mortality, resulting from exposure to ABTS-1857, was recorded only after 96 h at the highest tested concentration. Pollen feeding to adults significantly increased the survival of the treated bees. In conclusion, the PPP with the Bt strain ABTS-1857 showed an effect on the mortality of adults and larvae under laboratory conditions. Further studies with Bt-based PPPs under realistic field conditions are necessary to evaluate the potential risk of those MPCPs on honeybees.