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There’s a laundry list of ways air pollution is bad for humans: It’s linked to cardiovascular disease and asthma, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and dementia. It likely makes us more susceptible to infections like Covid. It’s even associated with more mistakes by chess players.

And now, according to new research, we know it’s messing with moths.

In a study published in Science last month, researchers show that the nitrate radical NO3, an air pollutant linked to car exhaust and wildfires, can chemically alter the smell of flowers, making it harder for moths to locate their nectar. “These pollutants are removing certain compounds in the scent, and thereby making the scent unrecognizable,” says Jeffrey Riffell, a professor studying sensory neurobiology and ecology at the University of Washington and an author on the paper.

That’s bad news for us, too. As I wrote in December, about 75 percent of the world’s food relies on wild pollinators to grow. While moths may not have the same pizazz as butterflies, they are vital pollinators, particularly at night. (Moths may even be more efficient pollinators than bees, some research........

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