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Effects of ubiquitous plasticizers on olfactory perception in the buff-tailed bumble bee
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Scientists found that phthalates, chemicals used to make plastics flexible, found in everything from food packaging to cosmetics, weaken bumble bees' sense of smell, making it harder for them to detect the scents flowers use to attract pollinators. Since bees rely on smell to find food and pollinate crops, this widespread plastic pollutant could be quietly undermining the pollination that much of our food supply depends on. It's a reminder that the same plasticizers now found in human blood and tissue are already reshaping the natural world in ways that could eventually hit our dinner tables.
The rise in anthropogenic pollution poses a growing threat to pollinators, with some plastic pollutants such as phthalates being ubiquitous. Although the effects of pesticides have been extensively studied, little research explores how other contaminants affect pollinator health and behaviour. This article examines the influence of two phthalates predominant in the environment, Di-2-Ethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) and Di-n-Butyl Phthalate (DnBP), on the bumble bee Bombus terrestris, a key pollinator species. By exposing bumble bee workers to various concentrations and modalities of these contaminants, we assessed how these two phthalates affect the detection of common volatile organic compounds emitted by flowers. Findings show that phthalate exposure at environmental doses diminishes bumble bee antennal sensitivity to olfactory signals. This impairment could compromise pollination efficiency and accelerate pollinator decline. By revealing that phthalates disrupt bumble bee olfactory capacities, this study underscores the urgency of mitigating these ubiquitous pollutants to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem functions.
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Unravelling the microplastic menace: Different polymers additively increase bee vulnerability
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Researchers exposed bees to two common types of microplastics, both individually and combined, and found that the mixture caused additive harmful effects on survival and behavior. The microplastics impaired the bees' ability to learn and remember, which is critical for finding food and navigating. Since bees are essential pollinators for food crops, microplastic pollution threatening bee health could have indirect consequences for human food production.
Microplastics reach the brain and interfere with honey bee cognition
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Researchers found that microplastics reach honey bee brains and impair cognitive function, with bees exposed to mixed polymer combinations showing disrupted learning and memory abilities, demonstrating that plastic pollution poses a direct threat to pollinator health.
Negative effects of increased ozone concentrations and heat stress on bumblebees are exacerbated by microplastics
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This study found that microplastic exposure worsened the negative effects of heat stress and increased ozone levels on bumblebees. When bees were exposed to multiple stressors at once, including microplastics, the combined harm was greater than any single stressor alone. This matters because bees pollinate many of the crops humans eat, and their decline could affect food security.
Species-specific effects of microplastic-contaminated pollen on larval development in two wild bee species (Apidae, Megachilidae; Apiformes)
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Scientists found that tiny plastic bits on pollen can mess with how baby bees grow, but surprisingly, low doses caused more harm than high doses in some cases, which is unusual and not fully understood yet. This matters because bees pollinate much of our food supply, so if microplastic pollution (which is now everywhere in air, soil, and water) is quietly harming bee populations, it could eventually affect the fruits, vegetables, and crops we depend on.
Negative effects of increased ozone concentrations and heat stress on bumblebees are exacerbated by microplastics
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Scientists found that bumblebees exposed to microplastics, ozone pollution, and heat together died at much higher rates than expected, suggesting these stressors team up to harm pollinator health. Since bees pollinate much of our food supply, this points to a hidden way microplastic pollution and climate change could threaten our food security.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.