It was only in 2015 that the US Geological Survey first studied whether neonicotinoid residue shows up in streams (it does), and new research from the University of Iowa is the first to find it in drinking water. This new study tested water from drinking taps throughout Iowa City for neonicotinoid presence. Iowa City is on the smaller side, with an estimated population of fewer than 75,000, but its presence in a largely agricultural state makes it well-placed to see how nearby pesticide use can affect an urban area. And the study did in fact find neonicotinoids in drinking water, albeit at a very low concentration: between 0.24 and 57.3 nanograms per liter, which is, as the Washington Post notes, is in the range of parts per trillion. That’s a low concentration of anything—but is it harmful? Who knows?
Source: Modern Farmer, April 7, 2017
https://modernfarmer.com/2017/04/neonicotinoid-residue-found-drinking-w…
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