To study the effects of electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones on honeybee behaviour and biology.
Two colonies of honeybees were exposed and two colonies were sham exposed twice a week from February to April (during two brood cycles).
| Exposure | Parameters |
|---|---|
|
Exposure 1:
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)
|
|
| Frequency | 900 MHz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | continuous for 15 min. twice per day, twice per week from February to April ( 1100 hr and 1500 hr in total) |
| Exposure source | |
|---|---|
| Setup | two cell phones in call mode placed on opposite sides of a bee hive |
| Sham exposure | A sham exposure was conducted. |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electric field strength | 56.8 V/m | - | - | - | - |
| power density | 8.549 µW/cm² | - | measured | - | - |
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.
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