Co-formulant in a commercial fungicide product causes lethal and sub-lethal effects in bumble bees.

ABSTRACT: Pollinators, particularly wild bees, are suffering declines across the globe, and pesticides are thought to be drivers of these declines. Research into, and regulation of pesticides has focused on the active ingredients, and their impact on bee health. In contrast, the additional components in pesticide formulations have been overlooked as potential threats. By testing an acute oral dose of the fungicide product Amistar, and equivalent doses of each individual co-formulant, we were able to measure the toxicity of the formulation and identify the ingredient responsible. We found that a co-formulant, alcohol ethoxylates, caused a range of damage to bumble bee health. Exposure to alcohol ethoxylates caused 30% mortality and a range of sublethal effects. Alcohol ethoxylates treated bees consum

SUBMITTER: Straw EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8571393 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature