I personally believe that Labchuk is correct. To further expand on her position consider that 75 - 85% if this nation's farmers are using sewage sludge for fertilizer and treated wastewater, both products of wastewater treatment facilities, on crops and fields. Why? Because it's cheap and the wastewater treatment operators must find a place to dump the tons upon tons of human sewage waste that's produced daily.

One of the symptoms of CCD is that the bees leave the hives and don't return. Endocrine disruptors and prescription drugs commonly found in sewage and reported to make aquatic creatures act "dumb" can certainly have the same effect on a little ol bee.

So, the next time you see an ad from your local water company promoting the use of treated or recycled wastewater, ask if the process used to filter, clean and produce the water removes the endocrine disruptors (estrogen), Prozac or any of the other 1,000 or so Emerging Contaminates (Google that if you wish) defined but not as yet regulated by the USGS, EPA and FDA.

Also, ask your local farmers if they sludge their fields. If they do you probably don't want to buy their crops. Ask your local farmers if they yse treated wastewater. If they do you'll want to remember the picture of the tadpole from the CNN article below. Whatever you do, check the produce at your local market - if it is imported (the sticker on each piece will indicate that) you probably won't want to buy that either - in Chile, Mexico and China sewage goes directly to the fields for irrigation.

Here's a link to start you off - keep the bees in mind as you read.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/science/11/14/coolsc.frogs.fish/index.html