Air pollution disabling bees
Scent-bearing hydrocarbon molecules released by flowers can be destroyed when they come into contact with ozone and other pollutants. This phenomenon triggers a cycle in which the pollinators have trouble finding sufficient food, and as a result their populations decline. Air pollution interferes with the ability of bees and other insects to follow the scent of flowers to their source, undermining the essential process of pollination, a study by three University of Virginia researchers suggests.