Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields impair the cognitive and motor abilities of honey bees
Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields impair the cognitive and motor abilities of honey bees
Extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF EMF) pollution from overhead powerlines is known to cause biological effects across many phyla, but these effects are poorly understood. Honey bees are important pollinators across the globe and due to their foraging flights are exposed to relatively high levels of ELF EMF in proximity to powerlines. Here we ask how acute exposure to 50 Hz ELF EMFs at levels ranging from 20-100 μT, found at ground level below powerline conductors, to 1000-7000 μT, found within 1 m of the conductors, affects honey bee olfactory learning, flight, foraging activity and feeding. ELF EMF exposure was found to reduce learning, alter flight dynamics, reduce the success of foraging flights towards food sources, and feeding. The results suggest that 50 Hz ELF EMFs emitted from powerlines may represent a prominent environmental stressor for honey bees, with the potential to impact on their cognitive and motor abilities, which could in turn reduce their ability to pollinate crops.
Shepherd, S.
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Lima, M.A.P.
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Oliveira, E.E.
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Sharkh, S.M.
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Jackson, C.W.
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Newland, P. L.
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1 December 2018
Shepherd, S.
42dcec23-42cf-4941-8df0-fcb75da4223e
Lima, M.A.P.
a18c26d8-ed69-4170-8016-f8e7dc9286d3
Oliveira, E.E.
68c9f56d-1afe-432d-81d9-3f14a1d76aa4
Sharkh, S.M.
c8445516-dafe-41c2-b7e8-c21e295e56b9
Jackson, C.W.
ab14e7be-1b25-4425-9e8f-6ccee5b984a8
Newland, P. L.
7a018c0e-37ba-40f5-bbf6-49ab0f299dbb
Shepherd, S., Lima, M.A.P., Oliveira, E.E., Sharkh, S.M., Jackson, C.W. and Newland, P. L.
(2018)
Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields impair the cognitive and motor abilities of honey bees.
Scientific Reports, 8 (1), [7932].
(doi:10.1038/s41598-018-26185-y).
Abstract
Extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF EMF) pollution from overhead powerlines is known to cause biological effects across many phyla, but these effects are poorly understood. Honey bees are important pollinators across the globe and due to their foraging flights are exposed to relatively high levels of ELF EMF in proximity to powerlines. Here we ask how acute exposure to 50 Hz ELF EMFs at levels ranging from 20-100 μT, found at ground level below powerline conductors, to 1000-7000 μT, found within 1 m of the conductors, affects honey bee olfactory learning, flight, foraging activity and feeding. ELF EMF exposure was found to reduce learning, alter flight dynamics, reduce the success of foraging flights towards food sources, and feeding. The results suggest that 50 Hz ELF EMFs emitted from powerlines may represent a prominent environmental stressor for honey bees, with the potential to impact on their cognitive and motor abilities, which could in turn reduce their ability to pollinate crops.
Text
s41598-018-26185-y
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Accepted/In Press date: 8 May 2018
e-pub ahead of print date: 21 May 2018
Published date: 1 December 2018
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 421353
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/421353
ISSN: 2045-2322
PURE UUID: 3824cc62-3c0f-450d-bb12-b357c4fd3393
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Date deposited: 05 Jun 2018 16:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:59
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Author:
S. Shepherd
Author:
M.A.P. Lima
Author:
E.E. Oliveira
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