Humans and bees share millennia of history that have resulted in ever-increasing connection and interdependence. Thus, today, it is impossible to ignore the influence of humans on bees, particularly regarding the decrease in their numbers due to environmental contamination. Although they do not cause immediate mortality, heavy and toxic metals, along with dangers such as bee diseases, pesticides, habitat destruction, and climate change, threaten the number of bees and should not be ignored. Honeybees, their colonies, and their products are recognized as accumulators of metals and biological indicators of the presence of these metals in all environmental components. This study is an overview of prominent research from the past three decades on heavy and toxic metal levels in honeybees (Apis mellifera L.), honey, wax, and pollen. This research compares metals such as Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn in natural environments and in an environment where anthropogenic pressure manifests. The presented studies represent a range of research using analytical methods to determine the presence of heavy and toxic metals in different segments of bees and their products, linking these findings with the state of the environment. It has been repeatedly established that if heavy and toxic metals are present in higher concentrations in components of the environment that are under anthropogenic pressure, then their concentrations in bees, honey, and wax will also be higher. By summarizing this research in one place, this study can provide guidelines for future scientific work on this subject, promoting sustainable development through safe beekeeping and healthy bees.

Human activities inevitably affect natural ecosystems, the impact of which most often refers to negative factors resulting in the accumulation of toxic elements in environmental components. This study quantified the presence of 12 toxic elements (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, As, and Se) in water, soil, and six melliferous plant species across the Republic of Croatia. Sampling sites were classified into four groups according to the dominant anthropogenic impact: agricultural areas, urban and traffic-affected zones, industrial vicinities, and forested hill regions. The results demonstrate the transfer of toxic elements from abiotic matrices into plants, indicating their potential as bioaccumulators. Soil contamination with toxic metals was identified as a relevant ecological risk factor, while contamination of melliferous plants highlights potential implications for human health through the production of honeybee-derived products. Element concentrations in water and soil were determined using three atomic absorption spectrometry techniques (FAAS, GFAAS, and CVAAS), whereas concentrations in floral samples of melliferous plants were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP MS). The obtained results were interpreted in relation to natural background levels and the current national legislation. Anthropogenic impacts were further evaluated using environmental quality indices and bioaccumulation factors, revealing site-specific contamination patterns of both natural and anthropogenic origin.

Trakošćan Lake is an artificial lake created in the mid-19th century for aesthetic and economic purposes. The area around the lake has been protected as park forest. Recently, the lake has become the most famous example of eutrophication in Croatia, as by 2022, a significant amount of sediment had accumulated in it. Therefore, the lake was drained that same year, followed by mechanical removal of the sediment. The total amount of sediment removed was 204,000 m³. After the removal work, a particularly important question arose of what to do with such a large amount of sediment. The objective of this research was to gain specific insight into the chemical composition of the sediment with the aim of its possible use in agricultural production for increasing the quality of arable land. A comprehensive qualitative geochemical and agrochemical analysis of the sediment composition was carried out for the first time, including indicators of the pH value, amount of organic matter and carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and potassium, amount of carbonates, and the presence of metals, metalloids, and non-metals, of which As, Cd, Hg, and Pb are toxic. Electrochemical, spectrophotometric, and titration methods were used, along with three atomic absorption spectrometry techniques. The results of the analyses were interpreted in comparison with the natural substrate, as well as with the current regulations for agricultural land in the Republic of Croatia. According to this, sediment is not harmful for the environment.