A study led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany and published in the scientific journal Nature Communications, points out that pollution is affecting women's sex lives. flies.
The reason is that high levels of ozone, resulting from pollutants in the air, hinder communication by attractive substances, fundamental for the mating of several insects. With pollution, male fruit flies find it difficult to identify females, which impacts the reproduction of animals.
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Previous studies had suggested that several species of fruit flies are bisexual, however, the new research found a more direct relationship with the toxic gas.
Ozone (O3) is a colorless gas that makes up the Earth's atmosphere. It is produced naturally in the upper atmosphere by the action of ultraviolet rays from the Sun on molecular oxygen (O2).
However, ozone can also be produced artificially on the Earth's surface by means of chemical processes involving the interaction of volatile organic compounds, disease oxides, and light solar.
These processes usually occur in urban and industrialized areas and can lead to the formation of called “tropospheric ozone”, which is an atmospheric pollutant harmful to human health and the environment environment.
Tropospheric ozone is irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract and can cause respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis. In addition, ozone is harmful to plants and insects.
The study showed 50 male flies at 100 parts per billion (ppb) ozone (global average ozone levels range between 12 and 67 ppb) for two hours. Ozone drastically reduced the presence of a pheromone called cis-Vaccenyl Acetate (cVA) in flies.
As a result, the males of ozone took twice as long to be chosen by the females.
Markus Knaden, who led the study, said the male announces itself with pheromones.
“The more he produces, the more attractive he becomes to the female”, he revealed.
So the scientists realized that the males couldn't even distinguish themselves from the females because of all the pollution.
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