Exposure to Magnetic Fields Changes the Behavioral Pattern in Honeybees under Laboratory Conditions

Abstract

Exposure to Magnetic Fields Changes the Behavioral Pattern in Honeybees under Laboratory Conditions Paweł Migdał, Ewelina Berbeć, Paweł Bieńkowski, Mateusz Plotnik, Agnieszka Murawska, Krzysztof Latarowski. Exposure to Magnetic Fields Changes the Behavioral Pattern in Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) under Laboratory Conditions. Animals (Basel). 2022 Mar 29;12(7):855. doi: 10.3390/ani12070855. Abstract Earth's magnetic field (MF) plays an important role for many species, including the honeybee, in navigation. Nowadays, much larger alternating fields are emitted by miscellaneous electric infrastructure components, such as transformers and power lines, and the environment is therefore polluted by an anthropogenic electromagnetic field, though little is known regarding its impact on living organisms. The behavior of animals is the first and easiest way to establish the impact of stress. It shows if the animal can detect the exposure and react to it. To investigate this, one-day-old bees were exposed to a 50 Hz magnetic field of induction at 1 mT and 1.7 mT for 10 min, 1 h, and 3 h under laboratory conditions. All groups exposed to the magnetic field showed differences in behavioral patterns. What is more, they presented a behavior absent in the control: loss of balance. There were differences, both in the ratio of behaviors and in the number of bouts-exposed bees more often changed behavior. Occurrence of differences is an indication of the reaction of the honeybee organism to the magnetic field. Loss of balance is a disturbing symptom, and behavior changes indicate a disturbance of the honeybee by the electromagnetic field. Open access paper: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

AI evidence extraction

Main findings

One-day-old honeybees exposed to a 50 Hz magnetic field at 1 mT or 1.7 mT for 10 min, 1 h, or 3 h showed differences in behavioral patterns compared with controls. Exposed groups also displayed loss of balance, a behavior absent in the control, and changed behavior more often (more bouts).

Outcomes measured

• Behavioral patterns/behavior ratios
• Number of behavioral bouts (behavior changes)
• Loss of balance

Limitations

• Sample size not reported in the provided abstract/metadata
• Laboratory conditions; generalizability to field conditions not stated
• Only short-term exposures (10 min to 3 h) described
• Outcome assessment methods and blinding not described in the provided abstract

Suggested hubs

• occupational-exposure (0.2)
  Mentions anthropogenic ELF magnetic fields from transformers/power lines, though the study is in bees under lab conditions rather than workers.

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    "exposure": {
        "band": "ELF",
        "source": "electric infrastructure (transformers, power lines)",
        "frequency_mhz": null,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": "10 min, 1 h, and 3 h"
    },
    "population": "Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.), one-day-old bees (laboratory conditions)",
    "sample_size": null,
    "outcomes": [
        "Behavioral patterns/behavior ratios",
        "Number of behavioral bouts (behavior changes)",
        "Loss of balance"
    ],
    "main_findings": "One-day-old honeybees exposed to a 50 Hz magnetic field at 1 mT or 1.7 mT for 10 min, 1 h, or 3 h showed differences in behavioral patterns compared with controls. Exposed groups also displayed loss of balance, a behavior absent in the control, and changed behavior more often (more bouts).",
    "effect_direction": "harm",
    "limitations": [
        "Sample size not reported in the provided abstract/metadata",
        "Laboratory conditions; generalizability to field conditions not stated",
        "Only short-term exposures (10 min to 3 h) described",
        "Outcome assessment methods and blinding not described in the provided abstract"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "low",
    "confidence": 0.7399999999999999911182158029987476766109466552734375,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "honeybee",
        "Apis mellifera",
        "magnetic field",
        "ELF",
        "50 Hz",
        "1 mT",
        "1.7 mT",
        "behavior",
        "loss of balance",
        "laboratory exposure"
    ],
    "suggested_hubs": [
        {
            "slug": "occupational-exposure",
            "weight": 0.200000000000000011102230246251565404236316680908203125,
            "reason": "Mentions anthropogenic ELF magnetic fields from transformers/power lines, though the study is in bees under lab conditions rather than workers."
        }
    ]
}

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