Artificial Intelligence-Aided Meta-Analysis of Toxicological Assessment of Agrochemicals in Bees

Abstract

The lack of consensus regarding pollinator decline in various parts of the planet has generated intense debates in different spheres. Consequently, much research has attempted to identify the leading causes of this decline, and a multifactorial synergism (i.e., different stressors acting together and mutually potentiating the harmful effects) seems to be the emerging consensus explaining this phenomenon. The emphasis on some stressor groups such as agrochemicals, and pollinators such as the honey bee Apis mellifera, can hide the real risk of anthropogenic stressors on pollinating insects. In the present study, we conducted a systematic review of the literature to identify general and temporal trends in publications, considering the different groups of pollinators and their exposure to agrochemicals over the last 76 years. Through an artificial intelligence (AI)-aided meta-analysis, we quantitatively assessed trends in publications on bee groups and agrochemicals. Using AI tools through machine learning enabled efficient evaluation of a large volume of published articles. Toxicological assessment of the impact of agrochemicals on insect pollinators is dominated by the order Hymenoptera, which includes honey bees. Although honey bees are well-explored, there is a lack of published articles exploring the toxicological assessment of agrochemicals for bumble bees, solitary bees, and stingless bees. The data gathered provide insights into the current scenario of the risk of pollinator decline imposed by agrochemicals and serve to guide further research in this area.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://asreview.nl/.

Water provisioning increases caged worker bee lifespan and caged worker bees are living half as long as observed 50 years ago

“…Laboratory cage studies that measure the median lifespan of adult worker honey bees are central to studying the etiology of honey bee diseases [1][2][3] , the effects of honey bee health products 4 , and the risk associated with single and combined exposure to pesticides and other risk factors 5,6 . Cage studies have advantages over colony level trials, as they help standardize or control for environmental variables.…”

Are Botanical Biopesticides Safe for Bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea)?

“…In recent years it has been realized that this approach is not enough for pollinator conservation [ 70 , 71 ]. Sensitivity to pesticides varies according to the bee species and other factors such as body size, level of sociality, seasonality, voltinism, floral specialization, nesting behaviour, food consumption rate, overwintering strategies, sex, and caste [ 27 , 33 , 72 , 73 ]. This leads to different ecological impacts from the use of pesticides.…”

“…In Central and South America and Australia, stingless bees play important roles as pollinators and honey producers [ 141 ]. Pesticides are among the major threats for these pollinators [ 142 , 143 , 144 , 145 , 146 ], and only recently have different studies assessed the risks of pesticides and biopesticides on these pollinators [ 27 , 73 , 145 ]. Meliponini appear to be more sensitive to pesticides than A .…”

“…Despite these several factors related to the worldwide decline in pollinators, the impact of synthetic pesticides on non-target beneficial arthropods, and in particular pollinating insects, has represented a primary concern for at least the last decade [ 26 , 27 ]. From the 1990s up until now, a large number of scientific works has highlighted the toxicity and side effects of neonicotinoids for bees [ 28 , 29 , 30 ], and which have resulted in restrictions in the use of these products in Europe [ 31 , 32 ].…”

“…From the 1990s up until now, a large number of scientific works has highlighted the toxicity and side effects of neonicotinoids for bees [ 28 , 29 , 30 ], and which have resulted in restrictions in the use of these products in Europe [ 31 , 32 ]. However, other families of chemical compounds (such as carbamates, organophosphates, and pyrethroids) are well known to be dangerous for these insects [ 27 , 33 , 34 ]. Conversely, there is less information on the toxicity of insecticides of biological origin for bees [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ].…”