Neonicotinoid Pesticides Harm More Than Bees

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Photo by Fotolia/Wong Sze Fei
Bees are no longer considered the lone victims of neonicotinoid pesticides, as a study shows this active ingredient to be a risk to both soil invertebrates and soil health.

A press release from the University of Sussex

Neonicotinoids — the most widely used insecticides in the world — have been in the news because of growing concern that they are linked to serious declines in bee species — resulting in April in a two-year EU ban of three neonicotinoids commonly used in Europe.

But Professor Goulson’s study — ‘An overview of the environmental risks posed by neonicotinoid insecticides’ — published June 14 in the Journal of Applied Ecology, draws together data from diverse sources including the agrochemical industry’s own research and reveals that harm to bees may be just the tip of the iceberg.

Neonicotinoids are mostly applied as seed dressings, intended to be absorbed by the crop, but well over 90 percent of the active ingredient goes into the soil and leaches into groundwater, where it persists for years.

Data from agrochemical manufacturer Bayer on the persistence of neonicotinoids in soil are made widely available for the first time in Professor Goulson’s study. The data first came to light during investigations by the UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee.

  • Published on Aug 6, 2013
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