Pesticides Found In 75 Percent of Honey Samples From Around The Wor...

A recent Swiss study that analyzed honey samples from around the world, has found that roughly 75 percent of the samples contain a harmful pesticide that is thought to have played a significant role in the decline of bee populations.

From all of their honey samples, 75 percent had contained at least one neonicotinoid, 45 percent of them had contained 2+, and 10 percent contained 4-5 neonicotinoids.

Researchers say that they find the results to be alarming and they say that the levels of harmful substances that they found are significant enough to potentially affect the brain function of bees, as well as hindering their ability to forage and pollinate.

The researchers noted that the samples they had collected for their study come prior to a partial ban that was placed relating to the use of the neonicotinoid chemicals that they are concerned about.

And to better understand the impact of that and more about this problem, they suggest that further research is needed in this area.

There are a variety of areas that have sought to establish a ban on the use of the neonicotinoid pesticide. One of those areas is Europe, where they previously imposed a temporary ban a few years ago on three key neonicotinoids, and since then more pressure has been focused on pushing to further extend that measure.

For their recent study, they had collected samples from six continents. And the honey samples from South America that htey had collected, were said to have the lowest concentrations of the neonicotinoids.

Overall, for their analysis the researchers had collected roughly 198 different honey samples from every continent except Antarctica. Though, critics of the study say that the sample size was too small.

As far as the levels of chemicals that were found in the honey, scientists say that they are lower than the maximum threshold that's permitted for human consumption. And they say that for those who consume honey that they shouldn't be worried about these findings. Researchers affirm that their biggest concern is for the world's pollinators and what damage these pesticide chemicals might be inflicting on them.