RETRACTED:Insecticide exposure affects DNA and antioxidant enzymes activity in honey bee species Apis florea and A. dorsata: Evidence from Punjab, Pakistan

Sci Total Environ. 2018 Sep 1:635:1292-1301. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.221. Epub 2018 Apr 24.

Abstract

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). After a thorough investigation, the Editors have concluded that the acceptance of this article was partly based upon the positive advice of two illegitimate reviewer reports. The reports were submitted from email accounts which were provided by the corresponding author Christos A. Damalas as suggested reviewers during the submission of the article. Although purportedly real reviewer accounts, the Editors have concluded that these were not of appropriate, independent reviewers. This manipulation of the peer-review process represents a clear violation of the fundamentals of peer review, our publishing policies, and publishing ethics standards. Apologies are offered to the reviewers whose identity was assumed and to the readers of the journal that this deception was not detected during the submission process.

Keywords: Comet assay; DNA damage; Enzyme activity; Genotoxic effects; Honey bee; Pesticides.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bees / physiology*
  • Catalase / metabolism
  • Chlorpyrifos
  • Imidazoles / toxicity
  • Inactivation, Metabolic / drug effects*
  • Insecticides / toxicity*
  • Neonicotinoids
  • Nitro Compounds
  • Pakistan
  • Pyrethrins

Substances

  • Imidazoles
  • Insecticides
  • Neonicotinoids
  • Nitro Compounds
  • Pyrethrins
  • imidacloprid
  • acetamiprid
  • Catalase
  • Chlorpyrifos
  • chlorfenapyr