Scientists have unveiled new research that is great news for hayfever sufferers, but not so good for florists.
According to research by Quinn McFredrick and his colleagues at the University of Virginia, air pollution is killing the smell of flowers. The research, which was published in the specialist journal Atmospheric Environment, found that the reduction in the scent of flowers could potentially be eliminating the scent trail that guides pollinators such as bees to the plants and flowers that need them.
The study was completed by creating a model that could show what happens in the wind when linalool, β-myrcene, and β-ocimen, which are volatile hydrocarbon compounds and common flower scents, meet air pollutants such as ozone and hydroxyl and nitrate radicals. The researchers decided to base the model on the snapdragon, which is a flower with an cocktail of aromas that includes all three of the above compounds. The results of their study indicated that the scent of the snapdragon quickly diminished away from the source.
Around a century ago, insects were able to detect flower scents from a few kilometres away. However, these days, Mr McFredrick explains that the scent trail at that distance is “almost completely destroyed.” Mr McFrederick, a doctoral student in biology, found that that today’s polluted air, which is clogged by chemicals from cars and other pollutants, meant that that pollinating insects were no longer able to detect floral scents from any more than 200 metres away.
This decline in scent trails could have a potentially devastating impact on both wildlife and horticulture, and it is thought to be one of the factors associated with the so-called colony collapse disorder that appears to be wiping out honeybees all over the world.
Source:
ABC
Chemical and Engineering News
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