Pesticides Becoming More Toxic For The World's Most Important Insects

"The toxicity of 381 pesticides in the U.S. more than doubled for pollinators and aquatic invertebrates over the past two decades."

"Over the last 25 years, the toxicity of 381 pesticides in the U.S. more than doubled for pollinators and aquatic invertebrates such as crustaceans, mayflies, and dragonflies, according to a new study.

For vertebrate groups like birds, fish, and mammals, toxicity dropped. But as pesticides harmful to vertebrates were phased out, this made way for greater use of the insecticide classes, neonicotinoids and pyrethroids.

"Both of these are less toxic to vertebrates, but more toxic for invertebrates," Ralf Schulz, a professor of ecosystem resilience at University of Koblenz and Landau in Germany, and lead author of the study, told EHN.

Using data from the United States Geological Survey and Environmental Protection Agency, Schulz and his team examined the total amount of each pesticide applied annually in the U.S. from 1992 to 2016 and their respective toxicities."

Quinn McVeigh reports for Environmental Health News May 18, 2021.