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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Influence of nano-polystyrene on cyfluthrin toxicity in honeybee Apis cerana cerana Fabricius
ClearNano- and micro-polystyrene plastics disturb gut microbiota and intestinal immune system in honeybee.
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.
Polystyrene microplastics reduce honeybee survival by disrupting gut microbiota and metabolism
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.
Microplastic Polystyrene Ingestion Promotes the Susceptibility of Honeybee to Viral Infection
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.
Microplastics reach the brain and interfere with honey bee cognition
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.
Effects of different microplastic types and co-exposure on the survival of Apis mellifera ligustica (Spinola, 1806) and its associated microbial communities
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.
Dancing with danger-how honeybees are getting affected in the web of microplastics-a review
This review summarizes research on how microplastics are affecting honeybees, finding that these particles accumulate in bee tissues including the brain, gut, and breathing tubes. Microplastic exposure can change bee behavior, weaken their immune systems, reduce body weight, and disrupt gut bacteria. Since honeybees pollinate roughly 70% of the food crops humans eat, threats to bee health from microplastics could have far-reaching effects on food security.
Combined effects of microplastics and flupyradifurone on gut microbiota and oxidative status of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.)
Researchers found that honeybees exposed to both polystyrene microplastics and the pesticide flupyradifurone suffered significantly worse health outcomes than when exposed to either substance alone, including reduced survival and disrupted gut bacteria. The combination depleted beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria in the bees' guts, and supplementing with these bacteria improved survival. While focused on bees, this study demonstrates how microplastics can amplify the toxicity of other environmental chemicals, a principle that likely applies across species.
Alterations Induced by Nano-Polystyrene Administration in Biological Parameters of Host-Endoparasitoids (Galleria mellonella and Pimpla turionellae) and Host Hemocyte Counts
Researchers exposed wax moth larvae (Galleria mellonella) and their parasitoid wasp (Pimpla turionellae) to nano-polystyrene, finding altered biological parameters and reduced hemocyte counts in both host and parasite, indicating that nanoplastic exposure disrupts insect immune function and host–parasitoid interactions.
Association of specific gut microbiota with polyethylene microplastics caused gut dysbiosis and increased susceptibility to opportunistic pathogens in honeybees
Honeybees fed polyethylene microplastics (the type used in food packaging) showed disrupted gut bacteria and became more vulnerable to disease-causing pathogens. The larger 100-micrometer particles caused the most harm, physically damaging the gut lining and displacing beneficial bacteria. This research demonstrates how microplastic contamination in the environment can weaken important pollinator species by compromising their gut health and immune defenses.
Unravelling the microplastic menace: Different polymers additively increase bee vulnerability
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.
Gut microbiota protects honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) against polystyrene microplastics exposure risks
Researchers found that honey bees with intact gut microbiota were significantly more resilient to polystyrene microplastic exposure than bees with disrupted gut communities. The gut microbiota helped reduce oxidative stress and maintained immune function in bees exposed to microplastics. The study suggests that a healthy gut microbiome may serve as a natural defense mechanism against the harmful effects of microplastic ingestion in pollinators.
A global meta-analysis reveals the toxicity of plastics on insect health
This meta-analysis pools data from global studies to reveal that microplastics and nanoplastics are harmful to insect health, affecting survival, reproduction, and development. Since insects play critical roles in pollination and food chains, their decline from plastic pollution could have cascading effects on agriculture and the broader ecosystems humans depend on.
Microplastics reach the brain and interfere with honey bee cognition
Scientists fed honey bees microplastics at concentrations found in the environment and discovered that the particles reached the bees' brains by crossing the blood-brain barrier. The microplastics impaired the bees' ability to taste sugar, learn, and form memories, with polystyrene having the most severe effects. This research is concerning because it shows microplastics can cross into the brain of a living organism and directly affect cognitive function, raising questions about similar effects in other species.
Microplastics incorporated by honeybees from food are transferred to honey, wax and larvae
Researchers found that when honeybees consume food contaminated with microplastics, the particles are transferred to honey, beeswax, and developing larvae inside the hive. Chronic exposure did not significantly affect colony growth, but the presence of microplastics in honey means humans may be ingesting them through this food source. This study reveals another pathway by which microplastics can enter the human diet through contaminated bee products.
Microplastics reach the brain and interfere with honey bee cognition
Researchers found that polystyrene and plexiglass microplastics can reach the brains of honey bees and disrupt their cognitive function, impairing sucrose responsiveness and appetitive olfactory learning and memory at environmentally relevant concentrations.
Chronic Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastic Fragments Has No Effect on Honey Bee Survival, but Reduces Feeding Rate and Body Weight
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.
Exploring the risk of microplastics to pollinators: focusing on honey bees
This review summarizes research on how microplastics affect honey bees, which pollinate about 70% of the food we eat. Microplastics have been found in honey, pollen, beeswax, and bee tissues including the brain and gut, where they can impair behavior, immunity, and gut bacteria. Declining bee populations threaten food production, and microplastic pollution may be one contributing factor.
Unravelling the microplastic menace: different polymers work in synergy to increase bee vulnerability
Researchers studied the effects of polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) microplastics, both individually and combined, on honeybees. They found that the mixture of different microplastic polymers produced synergistic harmful effects that were worse than either polymer alone, including increased mortality and disrupted gut microbiota. The study highlights that real-world microplastic exposure, which typically involves mixtures of polymers, may pose greater risks to pollinators than single-polymer laboratory studies suggest.
Interactions of insects with micro- and nanoplastics: A review
This comprehensive review of 114 studies found that micro- and nanoplastics accumulate in both terrestrial and aquatic insects, causing reduced growth, impaired reproduction, oxidative stress, and gut microbiome disruption. Since insects are foundational to food webs and pollination, plastic contamination in insect populations could cascade through ecosystems and ultimately affect human food systems.
Ingesting microplastics or nanometals during development harms the tropical pollinator Partamona helleri (Apinae: Meliponini)
Scientists fed microplastic particles (polystyrene and PET) and titanium dioxide nanoparticles to developing larvae of a tropical stingless bee species to assess potential harm to pollinators. While larval survival was not affected, adult bees that developed from treated larvae showed increased body weight and altered head sizes compared to controls. The study suggests that ingesting microscopic contaminants during development may cause subtle but measurable changes in pollinator body characteristics.
Are Honey Bees at Risk from Microplastics?
This review examines whether microplastics pose a risk to honey bee populations, noting that microplastics have been detected in honey samples and on bees collected from both urban and rural areas. Researchers found that exposure to certain polymer types may affect bee health, and the study calls for more research to understand the risks of microplastic exposure to pollinators and the broader implications for ecosystem health.
Biotic and abiotic stresses on honeybee health
This review covers the many threats facing honeybee health, including parasites, pesticides, habitat loss, climate change, and emerging pollutants like microplastics. Microplastics have been found in bee habitats and can be ingested during foraging, potentially affecting bee health and colony survival. Since honeybees are essential crop pollinators, threats to their health from microplastic pollution could indirectly impact human food production.
Microplastics and Nanoplastics Effects on Plant–Pollinator Interaction and Pollination Biology
This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics affect the relationship between plants and their pollinators, including bees and other insects. The particles can harm pollinator health, alter plant reproduction, and disrupt the chemical signals that attract pollinators to flowers. Since pollination is essential for food production, microplastic interference with this process could have far-reaching consequences for agriculture and ecosystems.
Microplastic ingestion and co-exposure to Nosema ceranae and flupyradifurone reduce the survival of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.)
Researchers studied the combined effects of microplastics, the insecticide flupyradifurone, and the gut parasite Nosema ceranae on honey bee health. They found that all treatments reduced bee survival compared to controls, with the three-way combination being the most harmful, and that microplastics and the pesticide increased parasite reproduction. The study suggests that microplastics may worsen the effects of other stressors on bee health, compounding existing threats to pollinators.