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Chronic Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastic Fragments Has No Effect on Honey Bee Survival, but Reduces Feeding Rate and Body Weight
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Researchers chronically exposed honey bees with established gut microbiomes to polystyrene microplastic fragments over 15 days and found no effect on survival. However, bees exposed to higher concentrations showed reduced feeding rates and lower body weight. The study suggests that while microplastics may not directly kill bees, they could affect bee nutrition and energy balance over time.
Microplastics (MPs), in the form of fragments and fibers, were recently found in honey samples collected in Ecuador as well as in honey bees collected from Denmark and China. However, little is known about how MPs impact bee health. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated the potential toxicity of irregularly shaped polystyrene (PS)-MP fragments on honey bee health. In the first experiment of its kind with honey bees, we chronically exposed bees with a well-established gut microbiome to small (27 ± 17 µm) or large (93 ± 25 µm) PS-MP fragments at varying concentrations (1, 10, 100 µg mL-1) for 14 days. Bee mortality, food consumption, and body weight were all studied. We found that chronic exposure to PS-MP fragments has no effect on honey bee survival, but reduced the feeding rate and body weight, particularly at 10 µg PS-MP fragments per mL, which may have long-term consequences for honey bee health. The findings of this study could assist in the risk assessment of MPs on pollinator health.
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Polystyrene microplastics reduce honeybee survival by disrupting gut microbiota and metabolism
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Honeybees exposed to polystyrene microplastics at environmentally realistic concentrations showed reduced survival rates, damaged gut walls, and disrupted gut bacteria and metabolism. The microplastics accumulated in the bees' guts, causing oxidative stress and shifting the microbial community toward harmful species. Since honeybees are essential pollinators for many food crops, microplastic threats to bee health could have indirect consequences for agriculture and human food security.
Acute and chronic ingestion of polyethylene (PE) microplastics has mild effects on honey bee health and cognition
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Researchers tested how ingesting polyethylene microplastics affected honey bee survival, feeding, and cognitive abilities at different concentrations and exposure lengths. The study found that high concentrations increased bee mortality and altered feeding behavior, but learning and memory remained largely intact. These results suggest that while bees are not completely unaffected by microplastic ingestion, the cognitive impacts appear relatively mild compared to other health effects.
Microplastic Polystyrene Ingestion Promotes the Susceptibility of Honeybee to Viral Infection
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Researchers discovered that microplastics are present in approximately two-thirds of honeybee samples collected across six Chinese provinces, with polystyrene being one of four plastic types identified. Laboratory experiments showed that ingesting polystyrene microplastics made honeybees significantly more susceptible to viral infections. The study reveals a previously unknown threat to pollinator health, suggesting that microplastic pollution may be contributing to honeybee population declines.
Nano- and micro-polystyrene plastics disturb gut microbiota and intestinal immune system in honeybee.
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Honeybees orally exposed to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics showed disrupted gut microbiota and impaired intestinal immune function, with nanoplastics causing greater effects than microplastics. Since honeybees are critical pollinators for food production, microplastic contamination in their environment could affect both bee health and agricultural systems.
Effects of different microplastic types and co-exposure on the survival of Apis mellifera ligustica (Spinola, 1806) and its associated microbial communities
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Researchers fed honey bees three types of microplastics (polystyrene, polyethylene, and polymethyl methacrylate) individually and in combination, and found that all treatments significantly reduced bee survival compared to controls. The combination of all three microplastic types had the strongest negative effect, and the gut microbial community showed time- and treatment-specific shifts that may represent an initial compensatory response to maintain functional stability.
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