First it was the bees, now a major report suggests a host of wildlife is being harmed by the widely-used neonicotinoid pesticides
Source: Neonicotinoid pesticides are bad news for everything | New Scientist
The chemicals break down more slowly than early tests suggested, says author Jeroen van der Sluijs of Utrecht University in the Netherlands. These past studies, which informed the decision to allow the use of neonicotinoids, looked mostly at immediate effects. But long-term environmental build-up may be the real problem, so the task force says the previous regulatory studies “lack environmental relevance”.
The European Union has imposed a two-year moratorium on neonicotinoids, but their half-life in soil can be three years
There are many small insects that contribute greatly to the biological activity of soil, and breakdown and release of soil nutrients. The myrad of tiny insects will certainly be poisoned as well.
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