Environmental pollutants can exert sublethal deleterious effects on animals. These include disruption of cognitive functions underlying crucial behaviours. While agrochemicals have been identified as a major threat to pollinators, other compounds, such as heavy metals that are often found in complex mixtures, have largely been overlooked. Here, we assessed the impact of acute exposure to field-realistic concentrations of lead, copper, arsenic, and their combinations, on honey bee learning and memory. All treatments involving single metals slowed down appetitive learning and disrupted memory retrieval at 24 h. Importantly, combinations of these metals induced additive negative effects on both processes, suggesting common pathways of toxicity. Our results highlight the need to further assess the risks of heavy metal pollution on invertebrates and to their associated ecosystem services.

中文翻译：

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重金属污染物对蜜蜂的认知有附加的负面影响

环境污染物可以对动物产生致命性的有害影响。这些包括破坏关键行为的认知功能。虽然农用化学品已被确认为对传粉媒介的主要威胁，但其他化合物（例如通常在复杂混合物中发现的重金属）却被大大忽略了。在这里，我们评估了急性暴露于现场实际浓度的铅，铜，砷及其组合对蜜蜂学习和记忆的影响。在24小时内，所有涉及单一金属的治疗都会减慢食欲学习并破坏记忆恢复。重要的是，这些金属的组合对这两个过程均产生了附加的负面影响，提示了常见的毒性途径。