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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Effects of different microplastic types and co-exposure on the survival of Apis mellifera ligustica (Spinola, 1806) and its associated microbial communities
ClearUnravelling 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Nano- 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.
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.
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.
Revealing antagonistic interactions in the adverse effects of polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) microplastics in bumblebees
Researchers exposed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) to polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) microplastics singly and in combination to assess sublethal effects on survival, feeding behavior, and memory. Single-type exposures reduced survival in a concentration-dependent manner but combined exposure showed antagonistic (no significant) survival effects; PMMA impaired memory while the mixture enhanced sucrose responsiveness, revealing complex interaction effects.
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 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.
Single and Synergistic Effects of Microplastics and Difenoconazole on Oxidative Stress, Transcriptome, and Microbiome Traits in Honey Bees
Researchers exposed honey bees to microplastics and the fungicide difenoconazole, both alone and together, and found that the combination caused worse oxidative stress and gut microbiome disruption than either pollutant alone. This is concerning because bees encounter both pollutants in agricultural environments, and the combined exposure may weaken their health more than expected.
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.
Effects of microplastic, heat and ozone on Bombus terrestris mortality and relative fat body content
This study tested how microplastic exposure, heat stress, and ozone affect bumblebee survival and fat reserves. The results showed that combining multiple stressors, including microplastics, had worse effects on bees than any single stressor alone. Bumblebee health matters to humans because these pollinators are essential for producing many fruits and vegetables in our food supply.
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.
Acute and chronic ingestion of polyethylene (PE) microplastics has mild effects on honey bee health and cognition
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.
Influence of nano-polystyrene on cyfluthrin toxicity in honeybee Apis cerana cerana Fabricius
Researchers found that nano-polystyrene plastics damaged the gut and gland development of Asian honeybees, while also changing how the bees process toxins at the genetic level. When combined with the pesticide cyfluthrin, the nanoplastics altered detoxification and immune gene activity in complex ways. Since honeybees are essential pollinators for food crops, the toxic effects of nanoplastics on bee health could have indirect consequences for human food security.
Negative effects of increased ozone concentrations and heat stress on bumblebees are exacerbated by microplastics
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.
Synergistic effects between microplastics and glyphosate on honey bee larvae
This study found that honey bee larvae exposed to microplastics combined with the herbicide glyphosate experienced worse developmental problems, higher oxidative stress, and stronger immune responses than those exposed to either pollutant alone. The combined exposure disrupted key detoxification and antioxidant genes in the developing bees. While focused on bees, this research highlights how microplastics can amplify the harm from other environmental chemicals, a pattern that likely applies to other organisms including humans.
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.
Characterization of Microplastics in Bees and Their Products in Urban and Rural Areas of the Sabana De Bogotá, Colombia
Researchers characterized microplastics in honey bees and their products (honey, wax, propolis) from both urban and rural areas of the Sabana de Bogota, Colombia. Microplastics were found across all matrices and bee types, with urban bees showing higher contamination levels, raising concerns about both pollinator health and honey safety.
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.
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.