After all these years, neonics are still here
Over the last two decades, neonicotinoid pesticides, or neonics, have swiftly become the most widely used class of insecticides globally. Neonicotinoidal systemic insecticides are toxic to pollinators at lethal and sublethal doses. Systemic insecticides render the entire plant, including pollen and nectar, toxic to a pollinator. The EPA approved neonicotinoid use starting in 1991. Since then, we have seen massive declines in pollinator and insect populations across the globe such as the bumble bee kill in Oregon from a dinotefuran neonic insecticide tree treatment. Honey bee decline continues at 40-50% losses each year. Neonicotinoids are found in the majority of surface waters in the US. and cause adverse effects on non‐target organisms. In 2020, scientists from the U of Minnesota researched the impact of neonics on surface and groundwater at 65 sites to determine concentrations and impacts on aquatics.
In 2021, a UC Riverside study shows neonicotinoids used on nursery plants are harmful to wild bees even when applied well below the label rates.
Neonicotinoids are being reviewed as a pesticide of special concern for surface water contamination. Studies clearly indicate neonicotinoids are decreasing populations of aquatic invertebrates, birds, amphibians, fish and other living things. The most common use is to plant seeds that are pre-treated with the pesticide. Seed treatments are exempt from federal regulations that govern other pesticide products. One seed coated in a neonic is all it takes for a songbird to take ill or die. Nearly 100% of all corn grown in the US is seed treated with neonicotinoids, of which 5% is taken up by the plant and the vast majority being sloughed off into waterways and the atmosphere. Neonicotinoids are also used extensively in the horticulture industry by nurseries and greenhouses, lawn and tree care companies, pest control services, municipalities and by homeowners. These dangerous chemicals are found in garden centers and hardware stores across the country. Seeds coated with neonics are not regulated as pesticides in Minnesota and should be.
Widespread harm (excerpt from PAN Neonics under fire)
Last year, we watched disaster unfold as residents of Mead, Nebraska were getting sick – noticing sudden nosebleeds, constant coughing, and passing out while exercising. In addition to the human toll, the community saw livestock health problems and deaths, as well as “bee kills” (sudden colony collapse).
The culprit? A neighboring ethanol plant called AltEn was found to be processing thousands of pounds of unused and discarded pesticide-treated corn seed from across the country This resulted in piles and piles of waste that polluted the town’s water and soil.
Just planting these seeds is dangerous – pesticide drift can still occur, and neonics are systemic pesticides, meaning they’re absorbed into plants’ roots, leaves, fruit, and pollen, eventually finding their way into soil and waterways. And worse, neonics can escape the target plant and contaminate whole ecosystems.
Neonics were originally marketed by the agrochemical industry as a safer human health alternative to other products on the market. Nice try, Big Ag, but this clearly isn’t the case.
Humans at risk
In addition to the ability to kill bees with extraordinarily low levels of exposure, evidence continues to mount that neonic use is a major contributor to the declines of birds and fish. Research has also linked exposure in the womb with birth defects in deer as well as higher rates of death for fawns. What does this mean for humans? Nothing good.
Several animal studies have reported adverse effects of neonics on sperm, and prenatal exposure to neonics increasing the risk of neurodevelopmental abnormalities and birth defects. While more research is needed, these harms found to animals raise human health concerns.
Additionally, a systematic review of publicly available literature reported a link between human neonic exposures and malformations of the developing heart and brain, as well as symptoms that include memory loss and finger tremors.