Global study shows pesticides are a major contributor to the biodiversity crisis - Pesticide Action Network UK
Pesticides are causing overwhelming negative effects on hundreds of species of microorganisms, plants, insects, fish, birds and mammals that they are not intended to harm, and globally their use is a major contributor to the biodiversity crisis.
That is the finding of the first study assessing the impacts of pesticides across all types of species in land and water habitats, carried out by an international research team that included the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and the University of Sussex.
Multiple negative impacts
The scientists analysed over 1,700 existing lab and field studies of the impacts of 471 different pesticide types – either insecticides, fungicides or herbicides – in agricultural, commercial or domestic use.
Wide-ranging negative effects were seen for over 800 species found on land and in water, including impacts on how fast they grow, their reproductive success, and even behaviour such as their ability to catch prey, find plants to forage upon, move, or attract mates. Pesticides can also affect organisms’ metabolism and damage cells.
These negative effects can result in the premature death of wild organisms and reduce populations.
The international study, led by East China University of Science and Technology, has been published in Nature Communications. The researchers say that, unlike previous studies which have tended to look at specific groups of species such as bees, fish or plants, or specific habitats, they have considered representatives of the whole spectrum of species found in the natural world.
Posted On: 14/02/2025
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