Insects and Society: environment

Showing posts with label environment. Show all posts

Friday, December 22, 2023

The Buzzing Consequences of Microplastic Pollution

By Kaylen Maat, Bridget Walicki, and Molly Witkop

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In today's day and age, the world is filled with an alarming amount of pollutants. While most people are aware of major issues such as global warming and climate change, some tend to forget about the ‘smaller’ problems such as microplastics. When you hear the words plastic pollution, you may think of turtles dying from plastic filling their guts; however, you may not think of these plastics harming little bees. Microplastics can be everywhere from beauty products to the innermost systems of honey bees. Microplastics, or plastic pollutants smaller than five millimeters, infiltrate our environment by breaking off of larger plastics. The overall high use of plastic has led to an abundance of these particles in the environment. Sea turtles and other aquatic life are not the only ones harmed by the amount of microplastics circulating. Recently, a study in China was released that showed the impact of these microplastics on honey bees and their overall health.

The article “Microscopic Polystyrene Ingestion Promotes the Susceptibility of Honeybee to Viral Infection” by Deng et. al., dives into the consequences of microplastics, and how exposure made honey bees more susceptible to viral infections. The researchers suggest that the bees might ingest microplastics by consuming nectar, pollen, or water that is contaminated, as well as through its adhesion to their body hairs. The scientists then studied the bees to see if and how the plastics move throughout their guts into their tissues. This is significant to study as it impacts overall honey bee health. Humans are inherently invested in honey bee health because they are vital pollinators that keep the ecosystem going and also help produce the products that humans profit from.

The researchers conducted their experiment through a study where they used two types of honey bees: Apis mellifera and Apis cerana. For each species, three colonies were randomly selected from the provinces of Beijing, Jilin, and Henan where the experiment was conducted. Researchers then collected 50 bees from the three colonies and tested for microplastics, where they found around 20 different types. After identifying the different types of microplastics using a search algorithm and database, the researchers chose Polystyrene, a common microplastic used in packaging materials and disposable products, as the focus of their study.

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Furthering their research, 30 bees were transferred into a separate colony, starved for two hours, then given a 50% sugar solution mixed with varying strengths of Polystyrene each day. The bees were then injected with synthetic RNA to promote the Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus, a viral infection common to bees, to help investigate the hypothesis that Polystyrene ingestion made honey bees more prone to infection. The scientists then observed the mortality rate while maintaining a control group. The researchers then proceeded to investigate the dead honey bees, dissecting the tissues of 5 bees from each group, every 7 days throughout a 21-day process. During this time, the researchers dissected and examined the microplastic effects on multiple internal organs.

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Once the experiments concluded, the results were startling: honey bees that ingested Polystyrene were not only more susceptible to viral infections but also exhibited a decrease in overall health. Throughout the experiment, there were multiple microplastics present. These plastic polymers were detected in 66.7% of bee samples with varying amounts ranging from 1 to 2 per 0.5g honey bee samples. The most common color of plastic item found within the honey bees was transparent.

Over the 14 days of the exposure treatment, the survival rate of honey bees was significantly lower than that in the control group. The honey bees within the Polystyrene group with the virus had a significantly higher death rate than those with just the virus. Additional findings suggested that after interactions with Polystyrene and the virus, honey bees experienced a decrease in flight ability and other natural behaviors. Further results showed that Polystyrene significantly induced visible body color changes and hair fall after exposure to 0.5 and 5μm. Among the researchers' final results was that interactions between Polystyrene and honey bees can lead to accumulation in the bees’ body and across the gut into other tissues, thus resulting in the honey bees becoming more vulnerable to infections.

Given that microplastic debris is highly mobile, the potential risks to and impacts on honey bees and the environment can be severe. The microplastics in honey bees can have negative implications for agricultural sustainability as honey bees are major representatives of pollinators. As these pollutants accumulate, they can transfer into honey bees and bee products, such as honey, beebread, and beeswax, to be potential indicators of the presence of contaminants in the environment.

Understanding the connection between microplastics and bee health is crucial in mitigating human activities' impact on the environment. The article “Microscopic Polystyrene Ingestion Promotes the Susceptibility of Honeybee to Viral Infection” demonstrated how the presence of microplastics leads to increased vulnerability to viral infections for honey bees, which causes a higher mortality rate. These tiny plastics may be small in size but are mighty with the amount of damage they can inflict on the environment.

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Be less salty this winter season. Insects might thank you.

By Amanda Miloserny, Anne Howard, Anaís Juliano

If you grew up in a cold climate, you've probably had to deal with the unfortunate consequences that accompany the chilly weather. From the abundance of snow to the slick roads and sidewalks, winter affects key areas of transportation. We often find ourselves driving on slick midwestern roads, wondering why the city has not brought out the salt trucks and de-ice the slippery roads. Or when we were younger, having the chore of salting the pathway leading up to our front door. Needless to say, in the winter, we are quick to use salting roads as the solution to our icy problems. It was not until recently that we learned that salt that we often can’t wait to be put on roads and sidewalks has detrimental effects on surrounding insect ecosystems.

[1] Image of de-icing salts on a sidewalk.

In this blog post, we will examine Mangahas, McCauley, and Murray’s research from the University of Toronto on dragonfly larvae and their exposure to high concentrations of road salt. In the coming pages, we will define their research question, the methods they used, and the results they found.

Studies have shown that the salts that run off into water supplies can negatively affect the insects that rely on those water sources. Dragonflies, in particular, have experienced a negative effect with their larvae due to winter salts entering the water since dragonflies spend the start of their lives in streams and wetlands. Dragonflies are considered to be a top predator in the insect ecosystem, so any impact from de-icing salt would have a butterfly effect down the food chain.

In order to explore the potential harm de-icing salt would have on the larvae, Mangahas, McCauley, and Murray, researchers at the University of Toronto, used sub-lethal concentrations of salt that mirrored what nearby larvae might experience from a wintry season.

[2] Image of Anax junius, the dragonfly on which the study was conducted.

Like humans, larvae need a healthy immune system to respond to infections or parasites. Researchers wanted to see if the salt exposure would impair the larvae’s ability to combat an infection. First, they collected the larvae from a local pond and transported them back to the lab. The larvae were then kept in de-chlorinated water for three weeks before the experiment and fed with prey from the local pond. Then, the researchers separated the larvae into groups to explore the impact of the concentration of salt, duration of salt exposure, and also a control group with no exposure. The larvae were each put in a cup individually with one of the three conditions.

Researchers wished to see if the salt concentration impacted the level of melanization of a parasite they would simulate. The larvae’s ability to defend itself relies on covering the parasite with melanized blood cells. In order to simulate the parasite, the larvae were injected with sanded monofilament 1mm in length. Depending on the exposure length, the larvae either stayed in their concentration or were moved back to the de-chlorinated water, and then the monofilament was removed 96 hours later. Then, photos were taken of the monofilament to analyze and measure the melanin sections.

From measuring the melanin sections, the researchers could see that the larvae chronically exposed to high concentrations of salt had a decrease in their ability to defend against the simulated parasite. Those exposed to low concentrations at any duration and high concentrations at acute exposure had no significant impact on their ability to cover the parasite with the melanized blood cells. If a larva is exposed to high concentrations of de-icing salt for four days, its immune response to a parasite will suffer. This compromise could make the larvae more vulnerable to parasites that exist in the aquatic ecosystem. Additionally, the uptick in salt exposure could generate a stress response from larvae.

While this study narrows in on just dragonfly larvae, the impact of salt pollution can potentially burden all areas of freshwater ecosystems. Freshwater ecosystems are a key area of importance for us, too. From drinking water to fishing, humans utilize freshwater ecosystems all the time. We should then look to ways in which we can protect and promote freshwater ecosystem structure, diversity, and health. We must examine how our actions affect small communities to maintain rich biodiversity within our environment. However, it might not be practical to do away with using de-icing salts completely. Instead, we should be careful with when and how much we apply. Additionally, it might be time to explore alternative solutions to de-icing salt or look at ways to improve pavement to reduce runoff. Based on what we have learned, we know we will not be so quick to use salt as the holy grail of the winter season next time it gets icy out.

Making Successful Pollinator Gardens

By Makayla Hernandez and Amanda Massa

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Imagine that you’re walking through a garden that is lined beautifully with rows upon rows of flowers. It’s spring, and the cherry blossoms and grandola magnolia trees are in full bloom. The grape hyacinths tickle the edges of daffodil-lined walks as the stone paths twist and turn. A bee buzzes by lazily as its little legs bob up and down with its paunchy form as its crop is full of nectar. The garden is alight with thousands of insects zooming around the brightly colored petals - creating the perfect atmosphere for a productive day. You look along the landscape of the garden and take note of the architectural elements used in its design. You notice that the garden has a bounty of space and lots of sun as its rays hit the pale gray stones along the walkway. As you walk, you discover a little moon bridge that presides over a small stream that runs through the safe-haven of the area and leads to a carved-stone walkway. You begin to wonder how such a place can foster so much life and beauty as you watch bumblebees buzz around, pollinating whatever plant they land on in the meantime.

There’s actually a science to creating gardens like these, as well as other pollinator gardens. Many people love the idea of pollinator gardens and have tried making their own while others are more skeptical, not sure if all of the specifics that go into a garden like this are actually worth it– or if it’s better than letting nature do its thing and take care of itself.

The structure of a garden is vital to not only consumer appreciation, but also to the very pollinators that allow it to produce beautiful blooms and a glamorous landscape. In the article “Planting Gardens to Support Insect Pollinators” by Ania Majewska and Sonia Altizer, we learn that the selection of native plants allows higher plant diversity and floral abundance while also allowing pollinator populations to flourish and prosper. Majewska and Altizer also discuss how the use of insecticides and herbicides affect and deteriorate native populations of both plants and pollinators. The pair analyzed multiple published studies to see which garden characteristics were best associated with attracting large numbers of pollinators.

The two also used search strings related to pollinators, types of pollinators, and gardens to narrow the search to pertinent studies. They contained their data studies found in these searches between the years 2004-2017. In the article, Ania Majewska and Sonia Altizer compiled sufficient data to test the following:

4 factors related to plant selection:

native versus non-native plantings
flower abundance
plant species diversity
woody vegetation

3 garden management factors:

use of chemical biocides
habitat diversity
proportion of mulch cover

2 other garden traits commonly measured in studies of pollinator gardens:

garden size
sun exposure

6 landscape-level factors:

urbanization metrics
green space
distances to agricultural fields, and distances to water bodies, coast, and forest

They found that bees/wasps and butterflies/moths were the most prominent visitors out of 178 pollinator interactions. Within garden features had overall stronger effect sizes than landscaped-level attributes, and the MEM analysis of garden management showed that pollinators were not influenced significantly by chemical use, habitat diversity, or mulch cover. They found that garden size and sun exposure positively influenced pollinators as pollinator gardens grow in popularity and are becoming important conservation tools for diversity. Plant diversity, including woody vegetation, and garden size were consistently associated with positive effects and are highly recommended as greater plant diversity species and floral traits could attract more pollinating species and extend recourse phenology for pollinator support while garden management and design did not have an effect.

This study found that greater diversity in both plant species and floral traits could increase the diversity of the pollinator species that pay the gardens a visit. The study also increased the amount of valuable knowledge we have about pollinator gardens that seem to be growing in popularity, which would be great in helping the success rates of future gardens and in helping inspire future studies on this topic. So, next time you find yourself in a butterfly garden, or any open space where you notice some friendly pollinators, you’ll have a bit more of an insight on what goes into these gardens and why you find certain species hovering around specific plants and flowers.

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Insects and Society

Friday, December 22, 2023

The Buzzing Consequences of Microplastic Pollution

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Be less salty this winter season. Insects might thank you.

Making Successful Pollinator Gardens

The Buzzing Consequences of Microplastic Pollution

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