A study found that air pollution significantly reduces the pollination process because it reduces the smell of flowers, which affects the ability of bees to find them.

The research team, which included several universities and research centers, found that ozone significantly changes the size and smell of flower scent plumes, and that this reduces the ability of honey bees to recognize odors by up to 90% from a few meters away.

Ozone pollution

Ground-level ozone exacerbates respiratory diseases and is usually formed when NOx emissions from industrial compounds and processes interact with VOCs emitted from vegetation in the presence of sunlight.

Dr Ben Langford, an atmospheric scientist at the UK Centre for Environment and Hydrology and leader of the study published in the journal Environmental Pollution, says the new research suggests ozone is likely to have a negative impact on wildflower abundance and crop productivity. Several international studies have already proven that ozone has a negative impact on food production because it harms the growth of plants.

Honey bees' ability to recognize odors has decreased by up to 90% from a few meters away (Getty Images)

"About 4% of our food crops and nearly 75% of wild flowering plants rely to some extent on animal pollination, especially by insects. Therefore, understanding what negatively affects vaccination and how it affects is essential to help us maintain the vital services we rely on in the production of food, textiles, biofuels and medicines, for example.

Study co-author Dr James Reals from the University of Reading said: "The study provides clear mechanical evidence of how ozone pollution, which is usually higher in rural areas, can reduce pollinators' visits to flowers.

Wind tunnel

The researchers used the wind tunnel to observe how the size and shape of the smell plumes change in the presence of ozone. In addition to reducing the size of the scent column, scientists have found that the smell of the column changes as some compounds react faster than others.

A wind tunnel is a machine in which an object is installed inside a pipe, and air is blown around it to study the interaction between the body and moving air, and it has different uses, and the size of the wind tunnel ranges from less than 30 centimeters to more than 30 meters, and it can contain air that moves at speeds ranging from light breeze to supersonic speeds.

Research showed decreased ability of bees to recognize flower scent plumes due to pollution (environmental pollution)

The team then exposed the honey bees, who were trained to recognize the same odor mixture, to the new ozon-modified odors. Pollinating insects use floral scents to find them, and bind their unique blend of chemical compounds to the amount of nectar they provide, allowing them to locate the same types of flowers in the future.

The research showed that bees' ability to recognize flower scent plumes decreases, and the greater the distance they separate from flowers, the less they are able. The researchers say their findings suggest that ozone can also affect other odor-controlled insect behavior, such as their ability to attract and find a partner.

Last year, the same research team published the first study that found that common air pollutants, including ozone and diesel exhaust fumes, have a negative impact on pollination in the natural environment.