Effect of endocrine disruptor pesticides on nontarget pollinator-honey bee.

Abstract

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are substances that disturb the endocrine system's normal function,potentiallycausingsicknessordeformitiesinorganismsandtheirprogeny.Pesticidesarecommonlyemployedtodestroyundesiredorganismsincrops,publicplaces,houses,andgardens,aswellastotreatparasitesmedicinally.ManyhavebeenidentifiedasEndocrine disruptors (EDs)oraresuspectedofbeingEDs.Pesticidesappliedtoagriculturalorhorticultural land crops lll l were the predominant, if not exclusive, source of pesticide exposure for honey bees and the source ofhive product contamination until the early 1980s. Pollinators, such as honey bees, are responsible for thesuccessful reproduction of over 87 percent of flowering plant species, making them critical to ecosystem healthand agricultural productivity.