Neonicotinoid insecticides (neonicotinoids) were present in a little more than half of the streams sampled across the United States and Puerto Rico, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study. This is the first national-scale study of the presence of neonicotinoids in urban and agricultural land use settings across the Nation and was completed as part of ongoing USGS investigations of pesticide levels in streams.
Neonicotinoids are one of the fastest growing classes of insecticides worldwide and are registered for use throughout the United States and the world. They are used in agricultural and urban settings and some are used predominately as seed coatings to protect seedlings such as corn and soybeans. The insecticides are also used as foliar sprays on horticultural, vegetable, and ornamental crops, pastures, and grasslands, and for domestic pests.
During the single-sample national reconnaissance study of 38 streams, imidacloprid was detected most frequently (37 percent), followed by clothianidin (24 percent), thiamethoxam (21 percent), dinotefuran (13 percent), andacetamiprid (3 percent), and thiacloprid (undetected). Concentrations of imidacloprid were related to the amount of urban land use, whereas clothianidin and thiamethoxam were related to the amount of cultivated crops.
As an addition to the national reconnaissance study, four complimentary studies were led to determine how neonicotinoid concentrations varied in streams over time and during different streamflow conditions. Neonicotinoids were present in urban streams throughout the year, whereas pulses of the insecticides were typical in agricultural streams during the crop planting season.
None of the neonicotinoid concentrations exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency aquatic life criteria, and all detected neonicotinoids are classified as not likely to be carcinogenic to humans. However, the occurrence of low levels in streams for extended periods of time highlights the need for future research on the potential effects of neonicotinoids on aquatic life and terrestrial animals that rely on aquatic life.
This research was funded by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area’s Environmental Health Program (Contaminant Biology and Toxic Substances Hydrology) with additional support from the Georgia Department of Agriculture, USGS Priority Ecosystems Science, and USGS National Water Quality Program.
Related research is listed below.
Food Resources Lifecycle Integrated Science Team
Scientists Start at the Base of the Food Chain to Understand Contaminant Affects on Energy Cycling in Streams
New Study Measures Crop Bactericide, Nitrapyrin, in Iowa Streams
Pesticide Contamination and Environmental Exposure
Native Bees are Exposed to Neonicotinoids and Other Pesticides
Neonicotinoid Insecticides Documented in Midwestern U.S. Streams
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Below are publications associated with this research.
First national-scale reconnaissance of neonicotinoid insecticides in streams across the USA
Widespread occurrence of neonicotinoid insecticides in streams in a high corn and soybean producing region, USA
Analysis of the herbicide diuron, three diuron degradates, and six neonicotinoid insecticides in water-Method details and application to two Georgia streams
Below are news stories associated with this project.
- Overview
Neonicotinoid insecticides (neonicotinoids) were present in a little more than half of the streams sampled across the United States and Puerto Rico, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study. This is the first national-scale study of the presence of neonicotinoids in urban and agricultural land use settings across the Nation and was completed as part of ongoing USGS investigations of pesticide levels in streams.
USGS scientist collecting a water-quality sample from Zollner Creek, Oregon (USGS Site ID 14201300) for a national-scale investigation of the environmental occurrence of neonicotinoid insecticides in agricultural and urban settings. The view in the photo is a oblique downstream view from right bank with the Monitor-McKee Road bridge in the background. Photo credit: Hank Johnson, USGS. Neonicotinoids are one of the fastest growing classes of insecticides worldwide and are registered for use throughout the United States and the world. They are used in agricultural and urban settings and some are used predominately as seed coatings to protect seedlings such as corn and soybeans. The insecticides are also used as foliar sprays on horticultural, vegetable, and ornamental crops, pastures, and grasslands, and for domestic pests.
During the single-sample national reconnaissance study of 38 streams, imidacloprid was detected most frequently (37 percent), followed by clothianidin (24 percent), thiamethoxam (21 percent), dinotefuran (13 percent), andacetamiprid (3 percent), and thiacloprid (undetected). Concentrations of imidacloprid were related to the amount of urban land use, whereas clothianidin and thiamethoxam were related to the amount of cultivated crops.
As an addition to the national reconnaissance study, four complimentary studies were led to determine how neonicotinoid concentrations varied in streams over time and during different streamflow conditions. Neonicotinoids were present in urban streams throughout the year, whereas pulses of the insecticides were typical in agricultural streams during the crop planting season.
None of the neonicotinoid concentrations exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency aquatic life criteria, and all detected neonicotinoids are classified as not likely to be carcinogenic to humans. However, the occurrence of low levels in streams for extended periods of time highlights the need for future research on the potential effects of neonicotinoids on aquatic life and terrestrial animals that rely on aquatic life.
This research was funded by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area’s Environmental Health Program (Contaminant Biology and Toxic Substances Hydrology) with additional support from the Georgia Department of Agriculture, USGS Priority Ecosystems Science, and USGS National Water Quality Program.
USGS scientist collecting a water-quality sample from the South Fork Zumbro River near Rochester, Minnesota (USGS Site ID 05373005). The USGS is conducting going investigations of pesticide levels in streams in agricultural and urban settings. Photo Credit: Donald S. Hansen, USGS. - Science
Related research is listed below.
Food Resources Lifecycle Integrated Science Team
The team studies the movement of toxicants and pathogens that could originate from the growing, raising, and processing/manufacturing of plant and animal products through the environment where exposure can occur. This information is used to understand if there are adverse effects upon exposure and to develop decision tools to protect health.Scientists Start at the Base of the Food Chain to Understand Contaminant Affects on Energy Cycling in Streams
Study examines the potential adverse effects of fungicides on leaf decomposition by microbes and aquatic invertebrates.New Study Measures Crop Bactericide, Nitrapyrin, in Iowa Streams
First-ever reconnaissance study documents the off-field transport of nitrapyrin — a nitrification inhibitor applied with fertilizers as a bactericide to kill natural soil bacteria for the purpose of increasing crop yields — to adjacent streams. This study is the first step in understanding the transport, occurrence, and potential effects of nitrapyrin or similar compounds on nitrogen processing in...Pesticide Contamination and Environmental Exposure
The USGS is developing methods to measure new pesticides and their byproducts in environmental media, conducting studies on the fate of these chemicals, and assessing exposure and potential effects on fish, wildlife, and human health.Native Bees are Exposed to Neonicotinoids and Other Pesticides
A recent reconnaissance study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) demonstrates the first observed occurrence of pesticides, including neonicotinoid insecticides, in wild-caught native bees. The results indicate that native bees collected in an agricultural landscape are exposed to multiple pesticides including insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides. This reconnaissance study is the first step...Neonicotinoid Insecticides Documented in Midwestern U.S. Streams
Three neonicotinoid insecticides (clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid) were detected commonly throughout the growing season in water samples collected from nine Midwestern stream sites during the 2013 growing season according to a team of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists. Clothianidin was detected most frequently (75 percent) and at the highest maximum concentration (257 nanograms...Common Weed Killer is Widespread in the Environment
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists report that glyphosate, known commercially by many trade names, and its degradation product AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid) are transported off-site from agricultural and urban sources and occur widely in the environment. This study is the largest and most comprehensive assessment of the environmental occurrence of glyphosate and AMPA in the United States...Pesticides Common in California Estuary
Pesticides were observed frequently in water, sediment, and the tissue of resident aquatic organisms from an agriculturally dominated estuary along the central California coast according to a collaborative study by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and University of California, Davis scientists published in Marine Pollution Bulletin. - Publications
Below are publications associated with this research.
First national-scale reconnaissance of neonicotinoid insecticides in streams across the USA
To better understand the fate and transport of neonicotinoid insecticides, water samples were collected from streams across the United States. In a nationwide study, at least one neonicotinoid was detected in 53 % of the samples collected, with imidacloprid detected most frequently (37 %), followed by clothianidin (24 %), thiamethoxam (21 %), dinotefuran (13 %), acetamiprid (3 %) and thiaclopridAuthorsMichelle Hladik, Dana W. KolpinWidespread occurrence of neonicotinoid insecticides in streams in a high corn and soybean producing region, USA
Neonicotinoid insecticides are of environmental concern, but little is known about their occurrence in surface water. An area of intense corn and soybean production in the Midwestern United States was chosen to study this issue because of the high agricultural use of neonicotinoids via both seed treatments and other forms of application. Water samples were collected from nine stream sites during tAuthorsMichelle Hladik, Dana W. Kolpin, Kathryn KuivilaAnalysis of the herbicide diuron, three diuron degradates, and six neonicotinoid insecticides in water-Method details and application to two Georgia streams
A method for the determination of the widely used herbicide diuron, three degradates of diuron, and six neonicotinoid insecticides in environmental water samples is described. Filtered water samples were extracted by using solid-phase extraction (SPE) with no additional cleanup steps. Quantification of the pesticides from the extracted water samples was done by using liquid chromatography with tanAuthorsMichelle Hladik, Daniel L. Calhoun - News
Below are news stories associated with this project.