Pesticides contaminate 100 per cent of British garden birds tested
Pesticides were found on blackbirds, blue tits, chaffinches, dunnocks and goldfinches.
A new study from the University of Sussex warned that many popular British garden birds could be contaminated with pesticides.
These pesticides, commonly found in flea and tick treatments, were discovered in the feathers, eggs and chicks of wild birds.
Across two studies, funded by conservation charity SongBird Survival, aimed to explore the environmental risks posed by these veterinary treatments. The charity has raised serious concerns about the declining songbird population.
The first study saw researchers analyse 74 feather samples from five common UK garden birds: blackbirds, blue tits, chaffinches, dunnocks and goldfinches.
Analysis revealed pesticides in every sample tested, with a high prevalence of chemicals found in household flea treatments. Imidacloprid was identified in 88 per cent of samples, while fipronil was identified in 72 per cent of samples.
Imidacloprid and fipronil are banned for plant protection and agricultural use respectively in the EU, suggesting they are originating from their use in pets.
The study also identified the chemical chlorpyrifos in 96 per cent of samples. Since this pesticide has been illegal in the EU since 2020, researchers believe this has long-term persistence in UK environments.
In the second study, researchers tested the unhatched eggs and dead chicks found in bird nests. Each sample was screened for 20 pesticides.
Researchers discovered that the majority of samples contained at least one chemical which is used in pet flea treatments. The most frequently found chemicals were fipronil sulfone, fipronil and imidacloprid.
The findings come amid a government investigation into the impact of pet flea and tick treatments on the environment. A consultation has been launched, which could see the government restrict distribution to veterinary practitioners and pharmacists only.
The University of Sussex’s latest study follows previous research which confirmed the widespread contamination of birds’ nests from pet flea treatments. It says that this latest study is the first direct evidence that these chemicals are also transferring to eggs and body tissue.
The research team has called for further research into how these birds are being exposed to the chemicals, and how this exposure is impacting bird health and welfare.
Dr Cannelle Tassin de Montaigu, lead researcher and a research fellow at the University of Sussex’s School of Life Sciences, said: “These findings highlight the need to evaluate the environmental safety of veterinary products and their potential impact on wildlife, particularly given the frequent, year-round application of these treatments which may contribute to a chronic and largely overlooked source of chemical exposure.”
Both studies are published in the journal Environ Sci Pollut Res. The first study can be found here, with the second study available here.
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Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
