PFOS Threatens Honey Bees, Food Security

0:00Hey, it's Corey, with Sydney News Today, your city, your news, every day. A new study from the University of New England shows that the forever chemical PFOS harms juvenile honey bees by reducing their weight, which could. Threaten entire hives, researchers exposed bees to environmental levels of the chemical and found a disrupt cell production in the insects. In lab tests, PFOS also transferred directly into the honey produced by the bees. The effects were strongest on the next generation, where higher doses led to fewer bees emerging, and those that did were smaller with less body. Wait, this smaller size means reduced production of royal jelly, the key food for Bilarba, putting future colony health at risk. Over time, hives could die out, hitting pollination hearts and smoke crops like berries, fruits, and vegetables depend on bees. Experts warn this poses a real danger to food security. A researcher from the University of Adelaide noted similar issues in other insects like bumble bees and mosquitoes, making the case urgent for honey.

1:05Bees as our top crop pollinators. The study calls for more field work to track how PFOS moves from soil and water into plants and nectar. Even though PFAS is banned in Australia, leftover contamination lingers and teams hope for new guidelines to protect bees. The daily news now is presented by our sponsor. No need to switch positions. The sound is already where your head is. S-O-L-I-S-O-L-I-S-O-L-Pillow.com