Experts discover that the decline in the number of bee population may be due to dementia as a result of high aluminum contamination. The total number of beehive colonies declined from approximately 5 million to 2.5 million since the 140s according to the records of the US Department of Agriculture. There are various factors associated with the decline - pesticides, cell phone radiation, pathogens and environmental stress - but researchers are continuously debating over which genuinely causes the problem.
In a recent study led by Chris Exley from Keele University and Ellen Rotheray and Dave Goulson from the University of Sussex, the team investigated the impact of dementia to the decline of the bee population and the possible contribution of aluminum in the development of dementia among bees.
Aluminum is dubbed as the "most significant environmental contaminant of recent times." The metallic element has long been associated with the loss of fish species, deforestation and impaired crop produce due to the contamination of water with acid, unhealthy soil and soil acidity respectively. Aluminum is also linked to the development of human Alzheimer's disease. This made the study experts theorize the possible implication of the presence of aluminum in the environment and the decline of bees.
Aluminum can be found in the nectar of flowers, and since bees are not aware of it, they keep on performing the process of pollination, without hesitation. Experts state that the significant amounts of aluminum in the environment may be attributed to aluminum mining and fossil fuel burning that causes "acid rain." The widespread presence of aluminum creates a notable effect of trees, fish, crops and humans. With this in mind, the researchers obtained bumblebee pupae samples from colonies of bees that naturally forage in the UK. The samples were tested for its aluminum content by transversely heated graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The finding show that the 72 sample bees contain high levels of aluminum, translating to 13.4-193.4 ppm (parts per million). In humans, an aluminum content of over 3 ppm may be referred as pathological and result in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
Bees depend on its cognition to perform tasks. If aluminum, which is considered a neurotoxin, is high on bees, then dementia may be possible. The study builds a controversial relationship between aluminum and its cognitive decline, and whether this contributes to the overall decrease of the bee population.
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