• experimental
  
• epidemiological
  

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Medical/biological Study (experimental study)

Changes in honeybee behaviour and biology under the influence of cellphone radiations. med./biol.

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Aim of study (according to editor)
To study the effects of electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones on honeybee behaviour and biology.
Background/further details:
Two colonies of honeybees were exposed and two colonies were sham exposed twice a week from February to April (during two brood cycles).

Endpoint

• cognitive/behavioural endpoints: honeybee behaviour

Exposure
General category: mobile phone, digital mobile phone, GSM

Field characteristics	Parameters
900 MHz exposure duration: continuous for 15 min. twice per day, twice per week from February to April ( 1100 hr and 1500 hr in total)	electric field strength: 56.8 V/m power flux density: 8.549 µW/cm²

Exposed system:
invertebrate (species/strain): honeybee (Apis mellifera L.)

Methods
Endpoint/Measurement parameters/Methodology

• cognitive/behavioural endpoints: honeybee behaviour & biology: flight/returning activity (number of worker bees leaving/returning per minute), pollen foraging efficiency (number of worker bees with pollen loads), brood area comprising eggs, larvae, sealed brood (cm² in a comb frame), queen prolificacy (number of eggs/day), bee strength (number of comb frames/colony), pollen/honey stores (cm²)

Main outcome of study (according to author)
A significant decline in colony strength (nine comb frames in sham exposed and five frames in exposed colonies) and in the egg laying rate of the queen (144.8 eggs/day in the exposed colony, 376.2 eggs/day in the sham exposed colony) was found. The honey storing ability declined due to loss of returning bees (28.3 bees/min in exposed colony and 41.3 bees/min in sham exposed colony) and at the end of the experiment there was neither honey, nor pollen or brood and bees in the exposed colony resulting in complete loss of the colony.
The authors conclude that colony collapse does occur as a result of exposure to cell phone irradiations.

(Study character: medical/biological study, experimental study, full/main study)

Study funded by

• not stated

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