Co-exposure to polystyrene microplastics and glyphosate induces gut microbiota dysbiosis and cognitive impairment in honeybees

Mar 22, 2026Journal of hazardous materials

Combined exposure to plastic particles and glyphosate disrupts gut bacteria and harms memory in honeybees

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Abstract

Co-exposure to polystyrene microplastics and glyphosate significantly increased honeybee mortality and induced gut damage.

Honeybees exposed to both microplastics and glyphosate experienced higher mortality compared to those exposed to either substance alone.
Midgut damage and changes in gut bacteria were observed in bees co-exposed to microplastics and glyphosate.
Key biological pathways related to cell growth, stress response, and immune function were significantly downregulated in the bees' guts.
Cognitive behaviors, including sucrose responsiveness, were impaired in honeybees co-exposed to microplastics and glyphosate.
Brain gene expression changes correlated with alterations in core gut bacteria, indicating potential interactions between gut health and cognitive function.

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Microplastics, as emerging persistent environmental contaminants, can act as vectors for the absorption of other pollutants in ecosystems, such as pesticide residues. However, the combined toxicological effects of microplastics and pesticides on pollinators remain poorly understood. Here, we evaluated the toxicity of polystyrene microplastics (PS) and glyphosate (GLY), both individually and in combination, in honeybees (Apis mellifera). While no significant changes in body weight gain or food consumption were observed after 20 days of exposure, co-exposure to PS and GLY significantly increased bee mortality and induced midgut damage and microbial dysbiosis. In the gut, pathways associated with cell proliferation and differentiation, along with genes related to oxidative stress, detoxification, and immunity, were significantly downregulated. Furthermore, the combination of PS and GLY impaired sucrose responsiveness, a key cognitive behavior in bees. Brain transcriptomics indicated a downregulation of serotonergic synapse-related genes, which were correlated with shifts in core gut bacteria such as Snodgrassella and Lactobacillus. Our findings demonstrate that co-exposure to PS and GLY exacerbates gut homeostasis disruption and impairs cognitive behavior, suggesting a potential role of the gut-brain axis. This study extends our understanding of the combined ecological risks posed by multiple environmental contaminants to bees as insect pollinators and emphasizes the need for comprehensive hazard assessments in insect conservation.

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Co-exposure to polystyrene microplastics and glyphosate induces gut microbiota dysbiosis and cognitive impairment in honeybees

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