Tarbiat Modares University (TMU) ECOPERSIA 2322-2700 14 4 2026 08 01 Assessing Heavy Metal Contamination in District Kasur, Pakistan, Using Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) as Bioindicators for Ecological and Food Safety Monitoring 333 343 29178 10.48311/ecopersia.2026.120190.82892 EN Tayyaba Hanif School of Zoology, Faculty of Basic Science and Mathematics, Minhaj University Lahore, Pakistan 0009-0004-5800-4482 Muhammad Ejaz School of Zoology, Faculty of Basic Science and Mathematics, Minhaj University Lahore, Pakistan 0009-0008-3227-5021 Farkhanda Manzoor Head of Department, School of Zoology, Faculty of Basic Science and Mathematics, Minhaj University Lahore, Pakistan 0009-0006-0493-6633 Muhammad Zareef Sajid School of Science, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia 0009-0006-9626-1257 Journal Article 2026 05 10 <strong>Aims: </strong>This study aimed to assess the honey bee (<em>Apis mellifera</em>) as a bioindicator of heavy metal contamination in District Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan, for ecological monitoring and food safety. <br><strong>Materials & Methods: </strong>Fresh honey samples were collected from beehives during the summer season in the morning to minimize external metal contamination. Samples were collected from five sites representing different pollution levels, including a forest area located far from tanneries (Changa Manga Jungle, 88 km from the control site and 56 km from Kasur tanneries), a low-pollution area (Village Ganda Singh Border, 75 km from the control site and 16 km from Kasur tanneries), a slightly polluted area (Raiwind Road, 42 km from the control site and 15 km from Kasur tanneries), a moderately polluted area (Village Sehjra, 84 km from the control site and 27 km from Kasur tanneries), and a control site (Lahore Jallo Park, 62 km from Kasur tanneries). We collected 12 individual samples from each site, for a total of 60 experimental samples. We used a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five treatments. Heavy metal concentrations were quantified in mg.kg⁻¹ using a Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (FAAS). <br><strong>Findings: </strong>Results showed that the highest Cu content was recorded in samples collected from Village Sehjra (11.46 mg.kg⁻¹); on the other hand, the lowest amount was determined in the forest area (0.09 mg.kg⁻¹). Fe expressed the highest contents overall, reaching 15.23 mg.kg⁻¹ in the control site (Jallo Park, Lahore), whereas higher amounts were also observed in Village Sehjra (14.12 mg.kg⁻¹). Somewhat, high Fe concentration at the control site may reflect background geological characteristics and urban environmental influences rather than direct industrial emissions. <br><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings highlight the impact of environmental pollution on heavy-metal bioaccumulation in honey. The results show that honey bees serve as a good bioindicator for assessing environmental quality and ensuring food safety. https://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article_29178_ae4ecff0e6b752b3f2925ab248cdaef8.pdf