Table 1. Mineralogical phases and a list of elements found on dust collected by the honey bees.
In italics, the dusts also collected by bees living far from the cement plant (CA bees).
| Analyzed PM | Chemical elementsa | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Si | Al | Na | K | Fe | Ca | Mg | F | Ti | Ba | Pb | Zr | RE | P | Cl | S | |
| Round-shapedb | Si | Al | – | K | Fe | – | Mg | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Sd |
| Round-shapedb | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Pb | – | – | – | – | – |
| Round-shaped-iron ox/hydroxideb | – | – | – | – | Fe | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Silica glassb | Si | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Cld | – |
| Sodium chlorideb | – | – | Na | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Cl | – |
| Iron ox/hydroxidef,c | – | – | – | – | Fe | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gypsumf,c | – | – | – | – | – | Ca | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | S |
| Sylvitef,b | – | – | – | K | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Cl | Sd |
| Calcitef,c | – | – | – | – | – | Ca | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plagioclasef | Si | Al | Na | – | – | Ca | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Chlorite mineralsf | Si | Al | – | – | Fe | – | Mg | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Quartzf,c | Si | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Fluoritef,b | – | – | – | – | – | Ca | – | F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Portlanditeb | – | – | – | – | – | Ca | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Zirconb | Si | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Zr | – | – | – | – |
| Xenotimeb | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | RE | P | – | – |
| Barytef,b | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Ba | – | – | – | – | – | S |
| Ashb | Si | Al | – | K | Fe | Ca | Mg | – | Tie | – | – | – | – | Pd | – | Sd |
| Cementb | Si | Al | Na | K | Fe | Ca | Mg | – | Tie | – | – | – | – | Pd | – | Sd |
Notes.
a
C and O are not displayed as they are always present in EDX spectra, also because the dust leans on the organic matrix of the insect body.
b
PM of anthropogenic origin.
c
PM of possible natural and anthropogenic origin.
d
Traces of P, Cl, S, possibly due to the presence of phosphates, chlorides, sulfates.
e
Not present in some dusts.