Insecticides

Neonicotinoids detected in surface water and sediment of the Pearl Rivers, South China

Occurrence and distribution of five neonicotinoids (NEOs) in surface water and sediment were studied in the Pearl Rivers, including three trunk streams, Dongjiang, Beijiang, Xijiang River (DR, BR and XR), South China. At least one neonicotinoid was detected in surface water and sediment of the Pearl Rivers, with imidacloprid (IMI) and thiamethoxam (THM) being the frequently detected NEOs. Total amount of NEOs (∑5neonics) in surface water and sediment ranged from 24.0 to 322 ng/L, and from 0.11 to 11.6 ng/g dw, respectively.

Deltaplan Biodiversiteitsherstel negeert de grootste sleutelproblemen op het Nederlandse platteland

De laatste decennia is het Nederlandse platteland veranderd in een ecologische woestijn. De verstikkende deken van ammoniak en landbouwgif die over ons landschap ligt, heeft vergaande gevolgen, niet alleen voor de natuur, maar ook voor onze gezondheid en voor het agrarische bedrijf. Iedereen heeft dan ook lang uitgekeken naar het Deltaplan Biodiversiteitsherstel dat een oplossing zou presenteren. Maar zelden was de teleurstelling zo groot. Het plan negeert de grootste sleutelproblemen op het Nederlandse platteland: het te kleine natuurareaal en een landbouw die extreem vervuilend is.

Pesticides are to blame for millions of birds lost from the New Zealand countryside over the past 30 years

Millions of birds have been lost from New Zealand countryside over the past 30 years. Most of them were introduced birds so have not been missed, but surely someone should have recognised that their loss indicated something had gone very wrong with farmland ecosystems. It is the decline of insects that has had the greatest impact on birds. There is no monitoring of insects in New Zealand to my knowledge.

Half of Michigan's Bumblebee Species in Decline, One Extinct

In Michigan, half of its bumblebee species have declined by 50 percent or more, Michigan Radio reported. "Of those twelve species, about half of them have declined and the other half are stable," Thomas Wood, a post-doctoral research associate at Michigan State University, told the radio station. Of the six species that have declined, their numbers dropped by more than 50 percent, Wood added. One species, the rusty patched bumblebee (Bombus affinis), has even gone extinct in Michigan. In 2017, the U.S.

Auch Spatzenfedern sind mit Neonicotinoiden belastet

Forscher der Schweizer Universität Neuenburg haben die Federn von Spatzen (Passer domesticus) in der Nähe von Ackerflächen auf Pestizide hin untersucht und sind auf Neonicotinoide gestoßen. Forscher um Fabrice Helfenstein und Segolene Humann-Guilleminot untersuchten nun, ob Vögel, die sich von Samen oder Insekten ernähren, einer Kontamination mit Neonicotinoiden ausgesetzt sind. Von den Ergebnissen berichten die Wissenschafter im Fachblatt "Science of the Total Environment".

Pesticides discovered in 83% of examined European soils

Today, 2,000 pesticides with 500 chemical substances are being used in Europe. However, data on how such substances affect soil quality is incomplete and fragmented, and fails to clearly reflect their overall impact on soil systems and human health. First-time research conducted in the course of two EU-funded projects, iSQAPER and RECARE, is shedding light on the state of European soils. The results are far from reassuring.

Syngenta and Bayer Agree to Ban of 12 Bee-Harming Pesticides

Twelve pesticides made with chemicals shown to harm bees and other pollinators are slated to be banned as part of a proposed settlement with the manufacturers, the EPA announced Dec. 12. The pesticides, marketed by Syngenta AG., Bayer AG, and Valent USA Corp., contain either thiamethoxam or clothianidin, two chemicals in the neonicotinoid class that are linked to declining bee populations.

Wageningse experts over de oorzaken van bijensterfte vanaf 2009

Akkerwijzer in 2009: Sinds 2000 sterven bijen massaal. Bijonderzoeker Tjeerd Blacquière van Universiteit Wageningen, maakt zich zorgen over deze situatie. Imkers kennen het fenomeen dat bijenvolken sterven. Gemiddeld sterft 10 procent in de winter. De afgelopen jaren lag dat percentage hoger en fluctueert dit. Blacquière wijt de sterfte aan de varraomijt. Romeé van der Zee, bijendeskundige uit Tersoal, denkt dat Nosema ceranea, een soort schimmel, de boosdoener is. Een andere oorzaak van de afname van de bijenvolken is de vergrijzing van de imkers.

Truths about pesticides

Chemical agriculture is destroying the ecosystems that sustain all life. Pesticides are a key culprit in the decline of bees, butterflies and other pollinators — leading some scientists to warn of a “second silent spring.” , Pesticides wreak havoc on the soil by killing the organisms that are the basis of soil life. And they pollute rivers, lakes and oceans, leading to fish die-offs.

Das Glühwürmchen wird seltener

Zwei Sorten Leuchtkäfer sind in der Schweiz verbreitet: Beim Grossen Leuchtkäfer (Lampyris noctiluca) leuchten nur die flügellosen Weibchen, beim Kleinen Leuchtkäfer (Lamprohiza splendidula) glitzern auch die fliegenden Männchen. Das bezaubernde Leuchten ist allerdings nicht mehr sehr häufig zu beobachten: Auch die Leuchtkäfer sind vom allgemeinen Insektensterben betroffen. Um darauf hinzuweisen, hat Pro Natura sie zum Tier des Jahres 2019 ernannt.