Which way? Neonicotinoid pesticides can disrupt bee navigation (Image: Zhang Bo/Getty)
A worldwide dispute over the threat to bees posed by the class of pesticides called neonicotinoids, took a dramatic new turn last week, when a US court overturned federal approval for a new formulation called sulfoxaflor. Judges found that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had relied on 鈥渇lawed and limited鈥� data, and its green light was unjustified given the 鈥減recariousness of bee populations鈥�.
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As a result of the US decisions, rules on the controversial chemicals in the US and European Union are in bizarre contradiction. The US has approved most neonicotinoids while now banning sulfoxaflor.
But the EU has banned most neonicotinoids for use on flowering crops and spring sown crops since 2013, but approved sulfoxaflor in July on the basis that it would not have any unacceptable effects on the environment. 鈥淭he public will be justifiably confused and concerned,鈥� says , CEO of Buglife, a British group that campaigns against neonicotinoids.
The US ruling against sulfoxaflor, which is manufactured by Dow AgroSciences, was made by a federal appeals court in San Francisco and applies nationally. The that, in granting approval for sulfoxaflor in 2013, the agency had violated its own rules on obtaining safety information, and should collect more data on its effects on bees before granting approval for its use.
Circuit judge Randy Smith said: 鈥淚 am inclined to believe the EPA鈥� decided to register sulfoxaflor unconditionally in response to public pressure for the product and attempted to support its decision retrospectively with studies it had previously found inadequate.鈥�
Dow, which says the chemical has a multibillion dollar market, said it would seek to overturn the ruling by undertaking 鈥渁dditional regulatory work鈥�. The EPA did not comment, but that, while sulfoxaflor is toxic to bees, 鈥渢he key is to limit exposure鈥� by not spraying crops at a time when they attract bees.
Environmentalists and bee-keepers鈥� associations who brought the action believe the ruling could turn the tide against neonicotinoids in general. Campaigners told 快猫短视频 that the same criticisms of the quality of research highlighted by the court applied to the three other neonicotinoid pesticides: clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid.
Neonicotinoids have grown popular for protecting fruit, vegetables and arable crops against boring and biting pests, including aphids and beetles. But they have been widely accused of harming bees and other pollinators by disrupting their navigation systems, with major impacts on the survival of colonies. The US court found that the EPA, after initially asking Dow for more studies on these sub-lethal effects, eventually granted approval for the pesticides without them.
The EU banned most neonicotinoids in 2013, citing concerns for bees raised by its scientific watchdog, the European Food Standards Authority. But, under pressure from manufacturers, Europe last month approved sulfoxaflor, while leaving final decisions on its use to national regulators. This despite the that 鈥渕issing information鈥� about sulfoxaflor meant that 鈥渁 high risk to bees was not excluded鈥�. Meanwhile, a review of the wider ban on neonicotinoids begins this autumn.
The on neonicotinoids in some parts of the country in July, so the pesticides could be used on oilseed rape crops.
