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Increased aggression and reduced aversive learning in honey bees exposed to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields

2019 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 1686

Bees exposed for 17 h to 100 μT or 1000 μT ELF EMFs showed over 20% reduced aversive learning performance versus sham control. Exposure to 100 μT ELF EMFs increased aggression scores by 60% in response to intruder bees from foreign hives.

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2019
Study typeanimal
Reported directionHarm
Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Increased aggression and reduced aversive learning in honey bees exposed to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields Shepherd S, Hollands G, Godley VC, Sharkh SM, Jackson CW, Newland PL. Increased aggression and reduced aversive learning in honey bees exposed to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields. PLoS One. 2019 Oct 10;14(10):e0223614. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223614. eCollection 2019. Abstract Honey bees, Apis mellifera, are a globally significant pollinator species and are currently in decline, with losses attributed to an array of interacting environmental stressors. Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF EMFs) are a lesser-known abiotic environmental factor that are emitted from a variety of anthropogenic sources, including power lines, and have recently been shown to have a significant impact on the cognitive abilities and behaviour of honey bees. Here we have investigated the effects of field-realistic levels of ELF EMFs on aversive learning and aggression levels, which are critical factors for bees to maintain colony strength. Bees were exposed for 17 h to 100 μT or 1000 μT ELF EMFs, or a sham control. A sting extension response (SER) assay was conducted to determine the effects of ELF EMFs on aversive learning, while an intruder assay was conducted to determine the effects of ELF EMFs on aggression levels. Exposure to both 100 μT and 1000 μT ELF EMF reduced aversive learning performance by over 20%. Exposure to 100 μT ELF EMFs also increased aggression scores by 60%, in response to intruder bees from foreign hives. These results indicate that short-term exposure to ELF EMFs, at levels that could be encountered in bee hives placed under power lines, reduced aversive learning and increased aggression levels. These behavioural changes could have wider ecological implications in terms of the ability of bees to interact with, and respond appropriately to, threats and negative environmental stimuli. Open access paper: journals.plos.org

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typeanimal
Effect directionharm
PopulationHoney bees (Apis mellifera)
Sample sizeNot supplied
ExposureELF · 17 h
Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Bees exposed for 17 h to 100 μT or 1000 μT ELF EMFs showed over 20% reduced aversive learning performance versus sham control. Exposure to 100 μT ELF EMFs increased aggression scores by 60% in response to intruder bees from foreign hives.

Outcomes measured

  • Aversive learning (sting extension response, SER)
  • Aggression (intruder assay)

Limitations

  • Sample size not reported in provided abstract/metadata
  • ELF frequency not specified in provided abstract/metadata
  • Short-term exposure only (17 h)
View raw extracted JSON
{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "ELF",
    "source": "power lines",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "17 h"
  },
  "population": "Honey bees (Apis mellifera)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Aversive learning (sting extension response, SER)",
    "Aggression (intruder assay)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Bees exposed for 17 h to 100 μT or 1000 μT ELF EMFs showed over 20% reduced aversive learning performance versus sham control. Exposure to 100 μT ELF EMFs increased aggression scores by 60% in response to intruder bees from foreign hives.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Sample size not reported in provided abstract/metadata",
    "ELF frequency not specified in provided abstract/metadata",
    "Short-term exposure only (17 h)"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "honey bees",
    "Apis mellifera",
    "extremely low frequency",
    "ELF EMF",
    "power lines",
    "aversive learning",
    "sting extension response",
    "aggression",
    "intruder assay",
    "behavior"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "power-lines-elf",
      "weight": 0.9,
      "reason": "ELF EMFs described as emitted from power lines; exposure levels framed as realistic for hives under power lines."
    }
  ]
}
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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223614
PubMed: Not supplied

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