Air Pollution Impairs Moths' Pollination Abilities, Study Reveals

Recent research indicates that air pollution significantly reduces moths' capacity to detect and pollinate flowers, posing a threat to plant reproduction and ecosystems.

A new study finds that air pollution, particularly nitrate radicals and ozone, degrades the scent of flowers, hindering moths' ability to locate and pollinate them.
Researchers observed a substantial decrease in moth visitation to primrose flowers exposed to air pollutants, impacting the plants' seed production.
The study, focusing on nocturnal pollinators, suggests that air pollution could have widespread effects on plant reproduction and food security.
Environmental protections have reduced certain pollutants since the 1980s, offering hope for mitigating these impacts through further emission reductions.
Experts call for more research to understand the full extent of air pollution's effects on different plant and pollinator systems and daylight pollination.