The bee population all over the world is in continuous decline, according to many studies and statistics. There has been a lot of news in the media regarding the decrease in the number of bees due to many reasons.
It is as if the tiny creatures were under some kind of curse that causes them to get sick and die. However, the consequences of their death are not to be neglected at all, as they affect all of us, given the fact that there are many crops that rely entirely on bee pollination.
It was reported that the bee population has been reduced by 40 percent last year. This is why a lot of money has been invested in research to establish the causes of such massive losses.
It seems that most of these causes point to human activity. Climate change, addictive pesticides, industrial pollutants are just some of the reasons why bees die both during both the cold and the hot season.
New research shows that there might be another reason for their demise – aluminum residues in nectar that give the little pollinators Alzheimer-like symptoms.
The research was carried out by scientists from Sussex University and Keele University. The scientists analyzed the level of aluminum toxicity present in bees’ pupal stage. This refers to the stage that precedes their turn to adulthood.
They found very high aluminum toxicity levels, which varied between 13 ppm and 200 ppm. Given the fact that 3 ppm present in humans is considered a large amount, the quantities found in bees are extremely surprising and can be regarded as a cause for the spike in their death toll.
As it was proved in previous research, the bees are not able to identify toxic materials present in the nectar they ingest, so it is impossible for them to find ways to protect themselves.
Because aluminum intoxication is linked to Alzheimer’s disease in humans, it is highly probable that bees are suffering from it as well.
“Bees rely heavily on cognitive function and aluminum is a known neurotoxin with links, for example, to Alzheimer’s disease in humans,” said the researchers involved in the study.
The researchers did not hesitate to warn against such massive contamination and stated that, even if there is not enough research carried out to show clear evidence that aluminum toxicity is the cause behind unusual behavior, scientists should look for more clues to establish how great the danger really is.
Image Source: theguardian
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