Department of Biotechnology
inStem (Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine)

A field-based quantitative analysis of sublethal effects of air pollution on pollinators.

Publication Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

August 25, 2020

Journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Volume/Issue

117/34

ISSN

1091-6490

While the impact of air pollution on human health is well studied, mechanistic impacts of air pollution on wild systems, including those providing essential ecosystem services, are largely unknown, but directly impact our health and well-being. India is the world’s largest fruit producer, second most populous country, and contains 9 of the world’s 10 most polluted cities. Here, we sampled Giant Asian honey bees, , at locations with varying air pollution levels in Bangalore, India. We observed significant correlations between increased respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) deposition and changes in bee survival, flower visitation, heart rate, hemocyte levels, and expression of genes related to lipid metabolism, stress, and immunity. Lab-reared exposed to these same sites also exhibited similar molecular and physiological differences. Our study offers a quantitative analysis on the current impacts of air pollution on insects, and indicates the urgency for more nonhuman studies to accurately assess the effects of pollution on our natural world.

Alternate Journal

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

PubMed ID

32778582

PubMed Central ID

PMC7456092

Authors

Geetha G Thimmegowda
Susan Mullen
Katie Sottilare
Ankit Sharma
Rishika Mohanta
Axel Brockmann
Perundurai S Dhandapany
Shannon B Olsson

Keywords

Ecosystem
Evaluation Studies as Topic
Animals
Insecta
Particulate Matter
Humans
Pollination
India
Drosophila melanogaster
Air Pollution
Bees
Cities