If insects ingest these plastic particles from food or the air, they can damage their organs and alter their behavior, hindering their ability to perform important ecosystem functions such as pollination and pest control.
Plastic pollution therefore poses significant risks to biodiversity, agricultural production and global food security, according to a new review by an international team including researchers from the University of Freiburg.
Plastic particles in agricultural environments
Microplastic particles ranging in size from one micrometer to five millimeters and even smaller nanoplastics are entering agricultural lands. Although the harmful effects of NMP in water and on individual species are well documented, systematic studies of how these particles affect agricultural ecosystems are lacking.
To address this gap, the authors summarized 21 previously published studies. They focused on how pollinators and other beneficial insects come into contact with NMP, as well as the consequences of insect ingestion, the ecosystems that depend on them, and agricultural production.
Researchers have identified several sources through which NMPs enter farmland, including plastic films, fertilizers, polluted water, and rainfall. These plastic particles accumulate in the soil, and important pollinators and pest control insects absorb them from the air and food or use them to create nests.
The effect of plastic on bees
The research revealed that plastic consumption by bees causes damage to the digestive system, weakening of the immune system and behavioral changes. This makes bees more susceptible to diseases, possibly making them less effective at pollinating plants.
Study co-author Alexandra-Maria Klein is professor of nature conservation and landscape ecology at the University of Freiburg.
“We are finding microplastics in the guts of bees and seeing how wild bees use plastic to build nests, so we urgently need to investigate how this interacts with other stressors such as climate change for bees and their pollination services,” Professor Klein said.
Reduced pollination services are having a negative impact on crop yields and plastic pollution could worsen existing uncertainties in the world’s food supply, researchers warn.
Exacerbation of environmental stressors
Additionally, NMPs exacerbate threats associated with other environmental stressors such as pesticides, chemical pollution, fungi, and pathogens. Some areas are becoming “hot spots” where plastic particles interact with harmful viruses. As a result of this interaction, NMP can have serious effects on pollinators and therefore on the stability of the food system.
More research is urgently needed
The researchers emphasized the limitations of their review. For example, they noted that only limited data were available on important pollinators and beneficial insects such as bumblebees and ladybugs. In addition, the available data do not allow the impact of nano- and microplastic particles of different sizes and numbers to be taken into account differently.
The researchers stressed that more research is urgently needed to better understand and address the growing problem of plastic pollution.
“However, it is already clear today that there is an urgent need for political control of plastic pollution,” Professor Klein said.
Future research directions
“As well as recognizing that plastic pollution is a significant problem for biodiversity and related services, we advocate for research into how diversified agricultural landscapes facilitate the balance between the benefits of pollinator and pest control and the effects of accumulation in ‘NMP hotspots’ – preserving agricultural crop yields and food security” , – write the authors of the study.
Experts noted that future research should focus on the development and improvement of methods that can be applied in laboratory, semi-field and field studies to address global food security problems.
“As part of the Global Biodiversity Framework’s Roadmap for Biodiversity Conservation and Food Futures, additional funding is needed, particularly to understand the impacts of NMPs at different scales on biodiversity-related ecosystem services such as pollination and biological pest control,” the researchers concluded. .
Source: Port Altele
