Growing wildflowers on disused urban land without first testing soil can damage bee health

Research shows how pollution in urban soils endangers the health of these essential pollinators

Wildflowers Could Be Absorbing Toxic Metals That Pass to Bees: Study - WhoWhatWhy

Wildflowers Could Be Absorbing Toxic Metals That Pass to Bees: Study (Maria) The author writes, “Wildflowers could be absorbing toxic metals from soil in urban areas and passing toxins on to pollinators, a study has found. Researchers from the University of Cambridge found that common plants — including white clover and bindweed, which are vital forage for pollinators in cities — can accumulate arsenic, cadmium, chromium and lead from contaminat…

Growing wildflowers on disused urban land without first testing soil can damage bee health

Wildflowers growing on land previously used for buildings and factories can accumulate lead, arsenic, and other metal contaminants from the soil, which are consumed by pollinators as they feed, a new study has found.

Growing wildflowers on disused urban land can damage bee health

Wildflowers growing on land previously used for buildings and factories can accumulate lead, arsenic and other metal contaminants from the soil, which are consumed by pollinators as they feed, a new study has found.

While cities are seeking to re-vegetate their spaces to counter the erosion of biodiversity, urban flowered meadows are imposing themselves as a simple and visible solution in favour of pollinators. Bees and butterflies find food there, in a context of alarming decline of wild populations. Yet, a recent study raises a problem often ignored: contamination of urban soils by toxic metals from industrial heritage. Published in the journal Ecology an…

One fifth of global farmland contaminated by toxic metals - Agriland.co.uk

Nearly one fifth of the world’s agricultural land is contaminated by toxic metals, posing a serious threat to food security, public health, and ecosystems, according to a new global study published today (Thursday, April 17). The study is contained in the journal Science. Researchers have mapped soil pollution at an unprecedented scale, finding that more than 17% of cropland is affected by dangerous levels of metals such as arsenic, lead, and ca…