Study finds co-formulants used in commercial fungicide affects the health of bumblebees - Royal Holloway, University of London
Researchers from Royal Holloway, University of London have found for the first time that a co-formulant found in commercial agricultural pesticides used across the UK significantly affects the health of bumblebees.
The new study shows that exposure to alcohol ethoxylates – a type of co-formulant used in fungicides – can cause severe gut damage, leading to a lack of appetite, weight loss and mortality in bumblebees.
Bumblebees are regularly exposed to fungicides and pesticides, and these agricultural chemicals are thought to be a driver of the decline in bees across the globe. Regulation of pesticides has always focussed on the main ingredients in the pesticide product and their impact on bee health, with co-formulants - such as alcohol ethoxylates – being overlooked as a potential threat. This represents a large gap in pesticide regulation, as this study demonstrates co-formulants can drive the entire toxicity of a product.
Ed Straw, PhD researcher in the Department of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway, and lead author on the paper, said: “The results of our research demonstrates gaps in the pesticide regulatory systems in the UK and EU that are putting vital bee populations at risk. Whilst 30% of bees exposed to the fungicide product died, the other 70% were far from healthy; they had damaged guts, were eating about half as much food and were losing weight. Pesticide regulation typically only looks at whether or not a bee dies, but we found that even bees who survive can be under severe stress.”
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Posted On: 09/11/2021