"Interesting points are the apparent accumulation of IMI in bumblebee brains over 3 days. Unfortunately, there was no longer-term data to see whether it reached an asymptote (where dietary exposure reached equilibrium with detoxification)."


Not necessary to do that and still know that there was bioaccumulation going on. In fact, up until recently several here were (are?) sure that all IMI disappeared after 24 hours....here we clearly see it builds up over 3 days. Bumbles continue to forage during and beyond 3 days, and from the data I supplied on Sunday regarding the length of time treated plants exude IMI and metabolites, they will continue to be exposed to new IMI and its metabolites olefin and 5-hydroxyimidacloprid each day they forage for quite some time.


We should not digress here to ask why the authors didn't do a full decomposition profile of IMI in the bumblebee. That was not within the scope of the study. The objective was to show that IMI does accumulate in the brain, and it does cause chronic neuronal depolarization (and damage).



Christina


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