## 3 Results and Discussion
### Honeybee Matrix  
The concentrations of the 13 elements selected in the honeybee matrix (body, B) at the sites of the study area were compared with the reference concentrations found in the tissues of honeybees in a territory (about 60 km away) characterised by a low environmental impact and high natural value, i.e., Alviano Lake [(41)] (Figure 1c). This comparison was not valid for As and Hg. In the first case, the volcanic origin of the territory of Alviano Lake, and in the second case, the past presence of intense extraction activity of Hg in its  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Locality** & **Site** & **Month** & **Al** & **As** & **Cd** & **Co** & **Cr** & **Cu** & **Fe** & **Hg** & **Mn** & **Ni** & **Pb** & **V** & **Zn** \\ \hline Ponte Rio & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & \\ (GESENU) & 1 & June 2022 & 3.14 & 0.032 & 0.039 & 0.20 & 0.020 & 17.98 & 86.85 & 0.005 & 78.88 & 0.16 & 0.15 & 0.014 & 84.29 \\ Ponte Rio & & & & & & & & & & & & & & \\ (GESENU) & 1 & October & 0.84 & 0.025 & 0.094 & 0.17 & 0.023 & 14.10 & 116.62 & 0.002 & 70.91 & 0.11 & 0.21 & 0.009 & 140.10 \\ Ponte & 2 & June 2022 & 17.74 & 0.034 & 0.072 & 0.30 & 0.022 & 15.79 & 110.70 & 0.003 & 66.63 & 0.53 & 0.09 & 0.018 & 81.44 \\ Vulleceppi & & October & & & & & & & & & & & & \\ Vulleceppi & 2 & 2022 & 0.04 & 0.012 & 0.031 & 0.06 & 0.012 & 7.42 & 48.10 & 0.002 & 27.39 & 0.03 & 0.03 & 0.003 & 57.84 \\ Financialo & 3 & June 2022 & 34.67 & 0.019 & 0.022 & 0.11 & 0.106 & 9.28 & 134.92 & 0.002 & 36.73 & 1.44 & 0.25 & 0.088 & 38.29 \\ Pianello & 3 & October & & & & & & & & & & & & & \\  & & 2022 & 0.04 & 0.012 & 0.146 & 0.07 & 0.012 & 17.83 & 135.52 & 0.002 & 81.06 & 0.18 & 0.07 & 0.003 & 110.78 \\ \hline  & & Min & 0.04 & 0.012 & 0.022 & 0.06 & 0.012 & 7.42 & 48.10 & 0.002 & 27.39 & 0.03 & 0.03 & 0.003 & 38.29 \\  & & Max & 34.67 & 0.034 & 0.146 & 0.30 & 0.106 & 17.98 & 135.52 & 0.005 & 81.06 & 1.44 & 0.25 & 0.088 & 140.10 \\  & & Mean & 9.41 & 0.022 & 0.067 & 0.15 & 0.033 & 13.73 & 105.45 & 0.003 & 60.27 & 0.41 & 0.13 & 0.023 & 85.46 \\ \hline  & & Min & 1.47 & 0.016 & 0.106 & 0.26 & 0.038 & 26.12 & 141.50 & 0.002 & 177.66 & 0.40 & 0.19 & 0.010 & 213.24 \\  & & Max & 98.08 & 0.040 & 0.495 & 1.05 & 0.398 & 39.06 & 262.64 & 0.005 & 316.88 & 4.24 & 0.84 & 0.212 & 517.72 \\  & & Mean & 24.98 & 0.028 & 0.275 & 0.60 & 1.422 & 33.91 & 196.77 & 0.004 & 248.73 & 1.40 & 0.50 & 0.060 & 306.11 \\ \hline  & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & \\ \hline
watershed influenced the results [46; 47]. Therefore, for As and Hg, the control sites in the territory of Perugia were taken as a reference, as they present low levels of contamination by both these elements (Figure 1d) [41]. The peak concentration of each of the 13 elements analysed in the honeybees (B) at the three sites of the study area and their relation to the reference concentrations of the Alviano Lake control sites are analysed below. This was carried out to highlight any environmental contamination. In particular, the primary focus was on As, Cd, Hg, and Pb, which are elements toxic to biota even at low concentrations [48; 49]. Al had the highest values in Pianello (site 3--June), with 34.67 mg kg\({}^{-1}\), exceeding the reference concentration (Lake Alviano sites) by 3.2 times. Cd showed the highest levels in Pianello (site 3--October), with 0.146 mg kg\({}^{-1}\), exceeding the reference concentration by 5.2 times. Co had higher levels in Ponte Valleceppi (site 2--June), with 0.30 mg kg\({}^{-1}\), exceeding the reference concentration by 3.2 times. Cr showed the highest levels in Pianello (site 3--June), with 0.11 mg kg\({}^{-1}\), exceeding the reference concentration by 4.1 times. Cu had the highest levels in Ponte Rio (site 1--June) and Pianello (site 3--October), with similar values of 17.98 and 17.83 mg kg\({}^{-1}\), respectively, exceeding the reference concentration by 1.6 times.