How air pollution may make it harder for pollinators to find flowers

Air pollution may blunt the signature scents of some night-blooming flowers, jeopardizing pollination.

When the aroma of a pale evening primrose encounters certain pollutants in the night air, the pollutants destroy key scent molecules, lab and field tests show. As a result, moths and other nocturnal pollinators may find it difficult to detect the fragrance and navigate to the flower, researchers report in the Feb. 9 Science.

The finding highlights how air pollution can affect more than human health. “It’s really going deeper … affecting ecosystems and food security,” says Joel Thornton, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle. “Pollination is so important for agriculture.”

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