In polluted environments, diesel fumes may be reducing the availability of almost half the most common flower odours that bees use to find their food, research has found.
NOx is a poisonous pollutant produced by diesel engines that is harmful to humans. It has also previously been shown to confuse bees’ sense of smell, which they rely on to sniff out their food.
Researchers from the universities of Southampton and Reading have found that there is now evidence to show that five of the 11 most common single compounds in floral odours can be chemically altered by exposure to NOx gases from exhaust fumes.
“Bees are worth millions to the British economy alone, but we know they have been in decline worldwide,” says lead author Dr Robbie Girling, from the University of Reading’s Centre for Agri-Environmental Research (formerly of the University of Southampton).
“It is becoming clear that bees are at risk from a range of stresses from neonicitinoid insecticides through to varroa mites,” adds co-author Professor Guy Poppy, from Biological Sciences at Southampton. “Our research highlights that a further stress could be the increasing amounts of vehicle emissions affecting air quality. While it is unlikely that these emissions by themselves could be affecting bee populations, combined with the other stresses, it could be the tipping point.”
This latest research is part of continuing studies into the effects of air pollution on bees. Previous work in 2013 found that bees in the lab could be confused by the effects of diesel pollution. Robbie and Dr Tracey Newman (Associate Professor in Clinical Neurosciences here at Southampton) are currently studying how diesel fumes may have direct effects on the bees themselves.
