Tuesday, July 07, 2026

Two in five women with ovarian cancer diagnosed only after emergency admission

Rates even higher in those who are young, old, frail or economically disadvantaged; diagnosis after emergency admission 3 times less likely to be early stage disease

BMJ Group

Two in five women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed only after an emergency hospital admission, when they are 3 times less likely to have early stage and potentially curable disease, finds a data analysis published in the open access journal BMJ Oncology.

And rates of diagnosis after an emergency admission are even higher among women who are young, old, frail, or who live in areas of deprivation, the findings indicate.

Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common female cancer worldwide, taking the lives of more than 200,000 women every year, note the researchers, who add that it’s not easy to diagnose, because it shares several symptoms with common benign conditions.*

In a bid to improve earlier diagnosis, the researchers set out to identify key factors associated with the risk of an ovarian cancer diagnosis within 28 days of an emergency hospital admission.

They drew on national cancer registry data for all 28,204 adult women diagnosed with the disease in England between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2021, which were then linked to hospital admission records.

Between January 2017 and December 2021, 11,377women—just over 40% of the total number—were diagnosed within 28 days of an emergency hospital admission.

Certain factors were associated with the highest risk: frailty; youth; old age; and economic deprivations.

Among the 3372 women who were very frail, denoted by a SCARF index of “severe frailty”, more than two thirds (2313; nearly 69%) were diagnosed after an emergency admission. This compares with 2891 (29%) of the 9912 women who weren’t categorised as frail (SCARF index of “fit”).

Diagnosis after an emergency admission was also 36% more likely in 18 to 29 year olds (209 of 490; 43%), and 25% more likely in older (80+) women (2952 of 5379; 55%) than it was among women in their 60s (2319 of 6402; just over 36%).

“The risk of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer after an emergency admission was higher in younger women, despite having higher rates of early stage low grade…cancers—factors associated with lower rates of ovarian cancer diagnosis following emergency admission,” highlight the researchers, possibly because ovarian cancer isn’t regarded as a young woman’s disease, they speculate.

Similarly, women from the most deprived neighbourhoods were 11% more likely to be diagnosed after an emergency admission (2377 of 5823; just over 44%) than those from the least deprived (2367 of 6261; 38%), even after accounting for influential factors, such as age and frailty.

Disease diagnosed following an emergency admission was more likely to be advanced, the analysis showed. Among the 8438 women for whom information on stage was available, just 1155 (14%) had early stage (1 or 2) cancers compared with 5442 (just over 39%) of the 13,865 women who weren’t diagnosed after an emergency admission.

Women diagnosed after an emergency admission were also 3 times less likely to have slow growing tumours (958 of 2224;14.5%) than women who weren’t admitted as an emergency (2892 of 11,946; just over 24%).

This is an observational study, and no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, added to which, the researchers acknowledge various limitations to their findings. For example, they didn’t have complete information on the presence of co-existing conditions and cancer stage and grade, nor did they have any information on the women’s primary care use before admission.

There’s likely to be an interplay of various patient and healthcare service factors behind the findings, all of which merit further investigation before outcomes for women with ovarian cancer can be improved, suggest the researchers.

But this isn’t just a problem for England, they highlight: “The issue of ovarian cancer diagnosis following an emergency admission is not confined to England but also affects countries such as the USA, Australia, Denmark, Norway, Canada and New Zealand, where the rates range from about 20% to 50%,” they point out.

“Concerted action, where possible with support from international collaborations, is needed to improve referral and diagnostic pathways, with a focus on increasing patient awareness, improving early recognition of alarm symptoms, handling the prioritisation of waiting lists, and developing efficient diagnostic pathways that can provide a timely service to the many women with non-specific symptoms,” they conclude.

*Symptoms of ovarian cancer include:
persistent abdominal bloating, abdominal or pelvic pain, quickly feeling full when eating, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, increased urinary frequency or urgency and changes in bowel habit

Journal

BMJ Oncology

DOI

10.1136/bmjonc-2025-001053

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Ovarian cancer diagnosis within 28 days after an emergency admission to hospital: national population-based study of patient risk factors and cancer characteristics using routinely collected data in England

Article Publication Date

7-Aug-2026

Early menopause affects 1 in 14 women in low and middle income countries

BMJ Group

Early menopause affects 1 in 14 women aged 30 to 49 living in low and middle income countries, finds a pooled data analysis of its prevalence in 44 nations published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

The incidence is consistently higher in rural areas than it is in urban areas across all regions and countries included in the analysis, but education and delayed childbearing strongly minimise the risk.

Women usually go through the menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, but it is considered to be early if it occurs before the age of 45, and premature if it occurs before the age of 40, note the researchers.

Early and premature menopause are major public health concerns, because they heighten the risks of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, metabolic disorders, cognitive decline, depression, and early death, as well as seriously affecting the quality of life, they add.

To date, research findings on the prevalence of early and premature menopause have been fragmented, focused on individual countries, and missing a detailed look at individual-level sociodemographic and reproductive factors, explain the researchers.

To close this important information gap, they drew on pooled data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) for 716,648 women between the ages of 30 and 49 in 44 low and middle income countries, where menopause tends to occur earlier than it does in high income countries.

All regions of the world were included other than North and South America for which no data were available.

The researchers focused on the potentially explanatory variables of: health factors, such as age at first marriage and first birth; number of live births; terminations; community level factors, such as place of residence; and individual-level characteristics, such as age, education, occupation, wealth index and exposure to media.

The data revealed that most survey respondents were between 30 and 34 (29%),while both women and their husbands were most often educated up to secondary school level (34% and 17%, respectively). Most respondents lived in rural areas (62%).

More than a third (38%) of women married before the age of 18, and around 1 in 5 (21%) gave birth to their first child before this age. Over half the women (58%) had 3 or more children.

The overall prevalence of premature or early menopause was just over 7% (51,000 out of 716,648 women), which is much higher than previous global estimates, say the researchers, with the highest prevalence among 40-44 year olds (14%).

There was a six-fold difference between those countries with the highest and lowest prevalence, the analysis showed.

The highest prevalence was in Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Myanmar: 12%;11.5%; and just over 10%, respectively. The lowest prevalence was in Jordan, Gabon, and Armenia: just over 2%; nearly 3%; and nearly 3%, respectively.

Certain factors were associated with a high prevalence. These included giving birth before the age of 18 (11%); marriage before the age of 18 (just over 10%); no formal education (just over 9%); material disadvantage (just over 8%); no exposure to media (just over 8%); residence in rural areas (8%); and 3 or more children (7.5%).

The disparity in prevalence between rural and urban areas was consistent across all countries and regions, the analysis showed.

This “reflects fundamental inequalities in healthcare access, nutritional status, educational opportunities and occupational exposures,” highlight the researchers, adding that women in these areas are more likely to work as manual labourers and face workplace hazards, including exposure to agricultural chemicals.

Education was protective, with progressively lower odds the higher the level of education. Compared with women with no formal education, those with a college education were 58% less likely to experience an early or premature menopause. And women who were employed were 14% less likely to do so than women who weren’t working.

This is an observational study, and as such, no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. And the researchers acknowledge that their study relied on self-reported data and that they weren’t able to distinguish between natural and surgically induced menopause.

Several potentially important factors associated with menopause aren’t consistently included in the DHS survey data either, they note: smoking; alcohol intake; physical activity; diet; long term conditions; hormonal contraceptive use and breastfeeding duration; and environmental exposures.

But the health consequences of early and premature menopause will strain the health systems of low and middle income countries, particularly in South and East Asia and Pacific, and sub-Saharan Africa, point out the researchers.

“With populations in [these countries] ageing rapidly and women expected to spend an increasing proportion of their lives in the postmenopausal state, the prevalence represents a substantial and growing burden on health systems already constrained by competing priorities and limited resources,” they write.

The findings “underscore the urgent need to integrate menopause into reproductive health and non-communicable disease programmes, particularly targeting rural areas and addressing social determinants, including girls’ education and delayed marriage,” they conclude.

Journal

BMJ Global Health

DOI

10.1136/bmjgh-2026-023742

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Prevalence and determinants of premature or early menopause:a pooled analysis of 716 648 women from 44 low and middle-income countries

Article Publication Date

7-Jul-2026

Miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy admissions rise in recent years as stark inequalities persist, national study finds

European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

(London, United Kingdom) Hospital admissions for miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy have increased in England in recent years, according to research presented today at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).[1]

The nationwide analysis also revealed persistent and substantial socioeconomic inequalities in early pregnancy complications that showed little sign of narrowing over the 20-year study period.

Miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy are among the most common complications of early pregnancy and can have significant physical, psychological and economic consequences. However, little is known about long-term national trends or how socioeconomic inequalities have changed over time.

The population-level analysis examined 786,984 miscarriage admissions, 211,727 ectopic pregnancy admissions and 12,418,745 deliveries recorded in England between 2004 and 2024.

The findings revealed notable changes in admission patterns over the two decades studied.

Between 2010 and 2018, miscarriage admissions declined significantly from 45,232 to 37,398 annually (Annual Percent Change [APC] −2.06%). A further steeper decline was observed between 2018 and 2021 (APC −4.26%), with annual admissions falling from 37,398 to 31,046.

However, admissions increased again in the post-COVID period (2021-2024), with 133,400 miscarriage admissions recorded over four years.

Whilst ectopic pregnancy admissions increased significantly between 2005 and 2012 (APC +2.81%), they remained relatively stable for several years before rising again between 2021 and 2024, when 44,577 admissions were recorded and a significant upward trend was observed (APC +4.28%).

Alongside changes in miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy admissions, the study found that deliveries declined. Annual deliveries fell from 636,401 in 2017 to 545,149 in 2024, representing a significant downward trend (APC −2.26%).

Lead author Sindhu Sekar, from the Department of Women's and Children's Health at the University of Liverpool and Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We were struck by the recent increase in admissions for both miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy. The reasons are likely to be complex, but changes in healthcare delivery during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, shifts in healthcare-seeking behaviour, increasing maternal age, rising obesity levels and broader reproductive health risk factors may all be playing a role.”

Persistent socioeconomic inequality was also observed. Over the most recent decade, miscarriage admissions totalled 71,104 among women in the most deprived decile, compared with 26,414 among those in the least deprived decile, representing an approximately 2.7-fold difference.

For ectopic pregnancy, 17,845 admissions occurred in the most deprived decile compared with 7,580 among those in the least deprived decile, a 2.4-fold difference.

Discussing the inequalities identified, Sekar explained: “The women most affected are often those facing the greatest challenges. Women living in more deprived communities are more likely to experience risk factors associated with pregnancy loss and face greater barriers to accessing care. These findings highlight how strongly reproductive health can be shaped by wider social and economic circumstances.”

Looking ahead, the researchers say improving reproductive outcomes and reducing inequalities will require action across both healthcare services and public health. Sekar said: “Ensuring equitable access to high-quality early pregnancy care should be a priority. Strengthening Early Pregnancy Assessment Units, improving care pathways and investing in prevention could help improve outcomes and reduce inequalities.”

On future research priorities, Sekar added: “Pregnancy loss has historically been overlooked and underfunded, despite affecting a large number of women and families. We believe it should be recognised as a major women’s health research priority. The next phase of research should focus on understanding causes, improving care, reducing inequalities and preventing avoidable pregnancy loss wherever possible.”

Commenting on the implications of the study’s findings, Professor Dr Anis Feki, Chair of ESHRE, said: “These findings are an important reminder that pregnancy loss and ectopic pregnancy are not only clinical events, but also reflect broader inequalities in women’s health. The recent rise in admissions deserves careful attention, and strengthening equitable early pregnancy care is a concrete way to improve outcomes and better support women and families.”

The study abstract will be published today in Human Reproduction, one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

A reference to the ESHRE Annual Meeting must be included in all coverage and/or articles associated with this study.

For more information or to arrange an expert interview, please contact the ESHRE Press Office at: press@eshre.eu

About the author:

Sindhu Sekar is a first-year PhD student at the University of Liverpool and a specialty trainee year 5 in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Her research focuses on reproductive medicine, pregnancy loss, and women’s health inequalities. Her work integrates epidemiology, evidence synthesis, and translational reproductive research to address unmet needs in early pregnancy care, reproductive medicine and women’s health. She has contributed to systematic reviews, clinical trials, and large-scale population health studies, with first-author publications in the Journal of Gynaecology Obstetrics and Human Reproduction, Cancer Epidemiology, Post Reproductive Health, and BJOG. She has collaborated with RCOG green top guideline development committee on a national VTE audit and contributed to UKARCOG projects including the BROWNIE and ENCORE projects. She has presented her research internationally, including at the International Federation of Fertility Society conference, and at national and regional conferences, receiving multiple prize awards. She is an active member of European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, British Fertility Society, and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

About the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology:

The main aim of ESHRE is to promote interest in infertility care and to aim for a holistic understanding of reproductive biology and medicine.

ESHRE collaborates world-wide and advocates universal improvements in scientific research, encourages and evaluates new developments in the field, and fosters harmonisation in clinical practice. It also provides guidance to enhance effectiveness, safety and quality assurance in clinical and laboratory procedures, psychosocial care, and promotes ethical practice. ESHRE also fosters prevention of infertility and related educational programmes and promotes reproductive rights regardless of the individual’s background. ESHRE’s activities include teaching, training, professional accreditations, mentoring and career planning for junior professionals, as well as developing and maintaining data registries. It also facilitates and disseminates research in human reproduction and embryology to the general public, scientists, clinicians, allied personnel and patient associations.

Website: https://www.eshre.eu/

About Human Reproduction:

Human Reproduction is a monthly journal of ESHRE and is one of the top three journals in the world in the field of reproductive biology, obstetrics and gynaecology. It is published by Oxford Journals, a division of Oxford University Press.

References:

[1] Sekar, S., et al. (2026). Changing trends but persistent inequalities: A 20-year joinpoint analysis of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy admissions in England. Human Reproduction.

Modern IVF achieves higher success rates with single embryo transfer, major study finds

European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

(London, United Kingdom) Modern IVF treatment can now achieve substantially higher success rates than historical approaches while dramatically reducing twin and triplet pregnancies, according to new research presented today at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).[1]

In one of the largest IVF studies of its kind, researchers analysed outcomes from 18,396 women undergoing their first IVF cycle between January 2012 and December 2021 across seven Australian fertility clinics, with follow-up through December 2023.

The research found that modern IVF clinical practices achieved a 68.2% cumulative live birth rate over three treatment cycles, while using single embryo transfer in 95.3% of embryo transfers and maintaining a multiple birth rate of just 2.9%.

The findings mark a notable improvement on historical IVF outcomes. Earlier studies, conducted before the widespread adoption of modern IVF laboratory techniques, reported three-cycle cumulative live birth rates of around 53–59%, often alongside multiple pregnancy rates exceeding 20%. The researchers say the improved outcomes likely reflect advances including blastocyst culture, embryo vitrification, freeze-all strategies and optimised frozen embryo transfer protocols, now widely used in contemporary IVF care.

Researchers examined cumulative live birth rates across up to three IVF cycles using contemporary clinical protocols, including extended blastocyst culture (day 5–6 embryo development), embryo vitrification (rapid freezing) and elective freeze-all approaches where appropriate. Women using donor eggs, frozen eggs or specific genetic testing pathways were excluded from the analysis. Across all women, the cumulative live birth rate over three treatment cycles reached 58.7% using intention-to-treat analysis and 68.2% using optimal per-protocol analysis.

Success rates varied substantially by age. Women under 35 achieved an optimal cumulative live birth rate of 84.5%, compared with 74.4% for women aged 35–37, 57.7% for women aged 38–40 and 30.1% for women aged 41–42.

Lead author Dr Dean Morbeck said the findings reflect a decade of incremental advances in IVF laboratory and clinical practice.

“The biggest shift has been that blastocyst culture has moved from being an exception to becoming the default,” Dr Morbeck explained. “That change drove improvements across IVF laboratories, including reduced oxygen conditions, purpose-built incubators and minimised disruption to embryos during culture.”

“Blastocyst culture also became much more effective with vitrification, which dramatically improved embryo survival after freezing and warming, making frozen embryo transfer outcomes comparable to fresh transfers. Together, these advances enabled approaches such as freeze-all treatment, where embryos are transferred one at a time later, rather than during the initial stimulation cycle.”

The study also examined changes over time, comparing outcomes before and after laboratory improvements introduced from 2016 onwards, including single-step culture medium and time-lapse embryo culture. Between 2012–2015 and 2017–2021, the proportion of fertilised eggs developing into usable blastocysts increased from 48.3% to 57.6%, while single embryo transfer increased from 92.8% to 97.3%. Over the same period, the multiple birth rate fell from 3.2% to 2.7%.

Dr Morbeck said the findings challenge the longstanding assumption that transferring multiple embryos is necessary to maximise IVF success.

“For many years, transferring two embryos increased the chance of pregnancy from any one transfer, but often came with twin pregnancy rates approaching 30%,” he explained. “What our data show is that this trade-off has largely disappeared.”

“Across more than 18,000 women, we achieved strong cumulative live birth rates while using single embryo transfer in 95% of cases and maintaining a twin birth rate under 3%. A concerted effort to reduce twin pregnancies has not cost patients their chance of taking home a baby – it has coincided with that chance increasing.”

The findings also suggest that strong IVF outcomes can be achieved without routine use of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) – a test used to screen embryos for chromosomal abnormalities before transfer – in all patients.

PGT-A was used in one or more treatment cycles in 25% of women included in the study. However, Dr Morbeck noted that most live births occurred without routine embryo genetic testing.

“PGT-A has an important role for some patients, particularly women of advanced maternal age and those with recurrent pregnancy loss,” he said. “But our findings should reassure many patients that strong IVF outcomes are achievable without routine genetic testing necessarily being required.”

Discussing the implications of the findings, Dr Morbeck said the results support continued efforts to increase access to single embryo transfer internationally. “The future of IVF is continuing to improve the success rate of each embryo transfer while maintaining the safety gains we’ve achieved,” he said.

Reflecting on the significance of the research, Professor Borut Kovacic, Chair-elect of ESHRE, said: “Improvements in IVF are typically driven by steady, incremental advances rather than dramatic breakthroughs. This study demonstrates that optimising laboratory practices, adhering to evidence-based guidelines and adopting a relatively conservative treatment approach can progressively increase cumulative live birth rates while reducing multiple births – two outcomes that matter most to patients seeking a safe and cost-effective route to parenthood within a single stimulation cycle.”

The study abstract will be published today in Human Reproduction, one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

A reference to the ESHRE Annual Meeting must be included in all coverage and/or articles associated with this study.

For more information or to arrange an expert interview, please contact the ESHRE Press Office at: press@eshre.eu

About the study author:

Dr Dean Morbeck is Chief Scientific Officer at Genea Fertility in Sydney and an adjunct Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash University, Melbourne. A clinical embryologist by training, he has led IVF laboratory and scientific programmes across Australia, Thailand, New Zealand, Malaysia and the United States – including roles as Scientific Director at Fertility Associates (New Zealand) and Sunfert International (Malaysia), Chief Scientific Officer at Kindbody and Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the Mayo Clinic. His work focuses on embryo culture and laboratory quality and their influence on IVF outcomes. He currently serves as Secretary of Alpha Scientists in Reproductive Medicine and holds a BSc from the University of Wisconsin, an MSc and PhD in Physiology from North Carolina State University and an MBA from Augsburg College.

About the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology:

The main aim of ESHRE is to promote interest in infertility care and to aim for a holistic understanding of reproductive biology and medicine.

Website: https://www.eshre.eu/

About Human Reproduction:

References:

[1] Morbeck, D., et al. (2026). Modern IVF clinical practices achieve superior cumulative live birth rates with near-universal single embryo transfer: A multi-cycle cohort study. Human Reproduction.

New research finds connection to place predicts hurricane response among US coastal residents

Society for Risk Analysis

Herndon, VA (July 7, 2026) — For U.S. coastal residents, storm surge is among the deadliest hurricane hazards, causing catastrophic property damage and loss of life; and scientists expect tropical storms to grow more intense. During Hurricane Ian in 2022, storm surge accounted for 41 of the 66 direct deaths. The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season is now underway, and while NOAA expects below-normal activity, emergency managers caution that it only takes one storm to devastate a community. A recent study published in Risk Analysis, finds that among residents living in flood-prone areas, place attachment is strongly related to protective action.

A research team from the National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) surveyed 1,442 residents in Georgia and South Carolina in areas at risk of storm surge. Respondents were asked about two main factors—their connection to place and different map depictions of hurricane storm surge—to learn how these factors related to their hurricane risk perceptions and intended behavioral responses. Researchers measured six dimensions of risk perception and four types of behavioral intentions, including evacuation, taking protective actions, listening to weather forecasts, and abiding by local officials’ recommendations before a storm hits.

KEY FINDINGS

People who are more place-attached reported heightened risk perception across five of the six dimensions measured, including how likely they are to be affected by storm surge and rainfall flooding and how severe the harm could be. This positive association was strongest for perceived severity, indicating that emotional and functional ties to a location are particularly linked to how people think they could be harmed in hurricane scenarios.

Individuals with a strong connection to place are more likely to take protective actions other than evacuating, such as gathering emergency supplies, boarding up windows, or moving belongings to safety -- and to heed local officials’ recommendations.

Maps do not always steer people the way scientists expect. For some map visualizations that varied in scale and dimensionality, participants whose home was marked just outside the forecasted storm surge flooding area unexpectedly showed greater intent to act than those marked inside it.

Even though the home marked “outside” the forecast area sat less than a quarter mile (0.23 miles) from the flooding, those residents consistently judged their own risk to be lower, suggesting that people may read more precision into a storm surge forecast than it can deliver.

Demographic patterns were consistent with prior research. Women were more inclined than men to take protective action and heed local warnings, as were older respondents. And low-income respondents were less likely to heed local safety recommendations— an important equity finding for the people that communicate risks to their community.

“Geophysical hazards, like hurricanes, threaten people in the place they call home,” said Julie Demuth, senior scientist in the Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Laboratory at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research and lead author of the study. “That emotional and cognitive connection provides us insight into decision-making processes and can help officials to better keep their communities safe in high-risk coastal areas.”

###

About Risk Analysis

Risk Analysis is a peer-reviewed journal, publishing original research on the assessment and management of risks across disciplines including public health, engineering, environmental science, social science and policy. Risk Analysis, founded in 1980, is published by Wiley on behalf of the Society for Risk Analysis.

For more information, visit https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15396924.

Media Contact:

Emma Scott

Media Relations Specialist

Emma@bigvoicecomm.com

(740)632-0965

Journal

Risk Analysis

Article Publication Date

7-Jul-2026

Bumblebees exposed to up to seven times as much toxic metal as honeybees

University of Cambridge

Bumblebees collect up to seven times the amount of toxic heavy metals as honeybees even when foraging in the same environment, new research from the University of Cambridge has discovered. Exposure to these metals can affect everything from their ability to forage for food to their ability to reproduce.

Metal pollution is a widespread issue, typically concentrated near industrial centres, mining areas and towns and cities. It can also be carried to rural areas in the air or through the use of sewage sludge, agrochemicals and fertilisers, for example.

When bees are foraging for food, they can inadvertently collect metals from their environment through exposure to contaminated soil, dust and pollen. Even at low concentrations, certain metals can be toxic, for example impairing learning and memory, which may affect foraging efficiency and navigation. Metals have been linked to reduced reproductive success, leading to fewer offspring and disrupting brood development.

Honeybees have previously been used a proxy for assessing contamination in highly polluted areas. However, in research published in Ecological Entomology, a journal of the Royal Entomological Society, scientists have shown that species of bees accumulate heavy metals differently – with bumblebees particularly vulnerable to exposure.

Researchers at the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, collected pollen samples using pollen traps, and measured concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead and tin in both pollen and adult bee bodies. They used this information to compare levels of heavy metals accumulated by honeybees and bumblebees from apiaries in Cambridgeshire, an area that typically has relatively low soil metal contamination.

Despite the colonies of the two bee species being adjacent to each other, meaning that they were foraging in the same landscapes, the researchers found that heavy metal concentrations differed significantly between species.

Bumblebees collected pollen with between two and seven times the level of heavy metals as that collected by honeybees. This was true for most metals tested. Bumblebees accumulated around three times greater concentrations of heavy metal in their bodies than honeybees

Dr Sarah Scott, who carried out the research while at the University of Cambridge and is now based at Newcastle University, said: “Most metal levels we found were not high enough to kill bees, but even low levels can still harm bee health and colony success in subtle but important ways, such as affecting their ability to forage and reproduce.”

The reasons for these differences are likely due to a mixture of foraging behaviour and bee physiology.

Honeybees nest in above-ground cavities, such as hollow trees or human-managed hives. Colonies are large, typically consisting of 30,000 to 60,000 individuals. In contrast, bumblebees nest underground, in soil or leaf litter. Bumblebee colonies are much smaller, typically containing 50 to 500 individuals.

Not all bees visit the same flowers. Their choices depend on things such as nutritional needs, their body size and tongue length and foraging habits, and some plants absorb metals at higher levels than others. Honeybees collect large amounts of pollen from many types of flowers, so any contamination may get diluted. Bumblebees, on the other hand, collect less pollen from fewer sources, so their exposure depends more on whether they happen to visit contaminated plants.

Honeybees travel further distances when foraging – up to 10 km from the colony – and have more workers, so can avoid heavily contaminated spots by using a wider area. Bumblebees, however, stay closer to their nest – typically travelling no more than 1.5 km from the nest to forage – and have fewer options, so are more affected by local contamination.

Bumblebees are also hairier than honeybees, which makes them more likely to pick up dust and tiny airborne particles that can contain metals. These particles can stick to their bodies and end up in the pollen they bring back.

Professor Lynn Dicks from the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge, the study’s senior author, said: “Even in areas that we usually consider safe or lower risk for heavy metals – typically rural areas, away from industrial or mining areas – bees can pick up toxic metals. Bumblebee colonies tend to have fewer workers available to perform tasks, so the loss of individuals can have a big impact on overall colony function.”

Dr Scott added: “Bees play a critical role in both biodiversity and food security, so we’d still encourage people to plant flowers to help them, even if you live in an area more likely to be contaminated. At the end of the day, bees still need food. Even if it carries traces of heavy metals, having some food is better than having no food.”

The research was funded by the Royal Society. Professor Dicks is also a Fellow at Selwyn College, University of Cambridge.

Reference

Scott, S et al. Eusocial bee species are exposed to different toxic element profiles despite foraging within the same landscape. Ecological Entomology; 16 Jun 2026; DOI: 10.1111/een.70108

Bumble bee (B. terrestris)

Credit

Sarah Scott

Journal

Ecological Entomology

DOI

10.1111/een.70108

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Eusocial bee species are exposed to different toxic element profiles despite foraging within the same landscape

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment

Tuesday, July 07, 2026

Two in five women with ovarian cancer diagnosed only after emergency admission

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Early menopause affects 1 in 14 women in low and middle income countries

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Miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy admissions rise in recent years as stark inequalities persist, national study finds

Modern IVF achieves higher success rates with single embryo transfer, major study finds

New research finds connection to place predicts hurricane response among US coastal residents

Journal

Article Publication Date

Bumblebees exposed to up to seven times as much toxic metal as honeybees

Bumble bee (B. terrestris)

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Journal

DOI

Method of Research

Subject of Research

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