DRESDEN, Ont. — A Quebec biologist says the Ontario government took a solid first step in an-nouncing its intention to reduce the use of neonicotinoid insecticides.
Madeline Chagnon of Université du Québec is a member of the Task Force on Systemic Pesticides, an international group of more than 50 scientists formed five years ago. Her paper about systemic pesticides was published in the Environmental Science and Pollution Research Journal July 14.
“Most of us with the task force feel there’s enough science now to take action,” she said.
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“At a certain point you need to ask yourself, ‘how many papers do we need before we do something?’ ”
Chagnon said the widespread use of the chemicals threatens soil, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and food security as well as pollinators.
“Our main conclusion is that the widespread use of these chemicals is not only affecting bees, it’s affecting many other organisms,” she said.
“We need to at least reduce the use. With the seed coating, about 90 percent of the active ingredient is useless in targeting the pests. It’s going into the environment.… We need to get back to integrated pest management: the right product at the right place at the right dose.”
Chagnon’s paper represents one chapter of the task force’s Worldwide Integrated Assessment on the risks of neonicotinoids and fipronil to biodiversity and ecosystems. The conclusions from that assessment were published in the same journal in June.
Pierre Petelle, vice-president of chemistry with CropLife Canada, questioned whether the task force has addressed the issue from a scientific perspective.
“A small group of scientists said they reviewed over 800 existing studies and came to some new and truly alarming conclusions,” he said.
“Conveniently, this group seems to have found one solution to a plethora of environmental issues, saying that if we ban these products, the struggles of songbirds, amphibians, bees and other benefit insects would be over.”
Petelle cited Statistics Canada numbers that show bee populations in Canada are robust and growing. He said many of the studies re-viewed by the group were conducted under laboratory conditions using unrealistically high doses of neonicotinoids.
Chagnon’s paper focuses on ecosystems, including the threat that neonicotinoids pose for wild pollinators, beneficial soil organisms such as earthworms and fresh water aquatic systems.
Chagnon found the impact on pollinators to be a major concern. The paper said 15 to 30 percent of human food depends on pollination services, while the yield and quality of 70 percent of the 124 major crops eaten by humans are enhanced through insect pollination.
“Widespread use of seed treatments does not necessarily increase crop yields but appears to be threatening pollinator and soil health as well as promoting insect pest resistance. Extensive and wide-scale use of any single insecticide has the proven potential to become a threat to agrobiodiversity,” the paper said.
“While the link between non-target impacts of these systemic insecticides and their effects on ecosystem services are not always clear in the published literature, their widespread use, persistent nature and toxicity to a broad range of beneficial organisms are strong indications that ecosystem services dependent on these organism may be at risk.”
The task force concluded that knowledge gaps remain despite the growing body of published evidence concerning the insecticides.
Neonicotinoids represent one-third of the insecticide market.
Chagnon said neonic application rates are 100 to 200 times less than DDT, but they are 5,000 to 10,000 times more toxic.
The federal Pest Management Regulatory Agency determined in September “that current agricultural practices related to the use of neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seed are not sustainable.”
Added Chagnon: “What I find to have been a failure (by the PMRA) is that neonicotinoids don’t have a full registration. It’s a temporary registration because they didn’t have all the studies that were required.”
The task force may release additional reports in the future. These could include research concerning potential human health impacts.
