Neonicotinoids

María Fernanda Morales, Alicia Tejeda, Génesis Romero

Neonicotinoids are a class of chemicals used as insecticides because of their neurotoxic action at
the postsynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, displacing even organophosphates and
carbamates in their use. Its use has progressively increased worldwide. In 2004 they accounted for
11.15% of the global insecticide market and by 2015 they were above pyrethroids with 16% of the
pesticide market. This document presents three reasons why we are against it.

Neonicotinoids may be considered harmful to humans.

Estrada among other authors (2016) presented two cases of poisoning by two products of this class,
thiamethoxan and imidacloprid, one of a 43-year-old man from the countryside and another of a
16-year-old girl, both entering the hospital to the emergency area.

Its mortality rate was 2.9% in 2016, however there is no antidote registered for this poisoning, its
treatment is supportive

According to Gómez (2021) these products can affect the health of embryos and pregnant women

The pollinators

Pollinators are biotic agents that play an important role in the pollination process, mainly bees that
contribute 80% of pollination (Gill and Garg, 2014). The activity of these can be affected by
environmental stress caused by parasites, competitors, diseases, predators, pesticides or habitat
modifications (Gill and Garg, 2014). habitat modifications (Gill and Garg, 2014). These stressors
underpin colony health decline and colony collapse (CCD), contributing significantly to the spread
and abundance of pathogens and parasites (Sanchez-Bayo et al., 2016).

For example, in Europe the honey bee population has declined by 25% between 1985 and 2005 and
in the United States of America (USA), the honey bee population has declined by 25% between 1985
and 2005 of North America (USA) by more than half (Brandt et al., 2016).

The general effects caused by these pesticides on honeybees are change in foraging behavior,
decrease in mating frequency, reduction in the production of queen bee and immune system failure
(Brand et al., 2016; Forfrt et al., 2017; Gill et al., 2012 and Whitehorn et al., 2012).

On the other hand sublethal doce 2 can damage the brain, bee body, memory and learning capacity
(Forfrt et al., 2017). In addition, Brittain et al., 2010 points out that it not only affects bees but also
decreases the diversity of bumblebees and butterflies. The results of the evaluations have led to
impose restrictions on the use of clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam (Dominica et al.,
2017).

Migratory birds

For our final reason to be agains neonicotinoids is based on a recent study by researchers from the
Department of Biology at the University of Saskatchewan has shown that the negative effect of
neonicotinoid insecticides goes beyond affecting insects, as they also affect migratory birds. In the
study, researchers fed white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) with grain treated with
Imidacloprid - a neonicotinoid insecticide widely used in Canada - at the beginning of their migration
path, and then released them. Using a telemetry network based on radio signals, the birds were
tracked to determine how long it took them to reach their breeding grounds.

The results were incredible, and disturbing. Birds fed the Imidacloprid-treated grain took longer than
normal to reach their destinations. This delay could be fatal to the reproduction and survival of these
birds, as they are less likely to find mates and breed, and less likely to return north when winter
arrives in the southern hemisphere. The recorded delay is due to the fact that neonicotinoid
insecticides suppress the birds' appetite, so they feed less and have less energy to fly the long flight
path during their migration (UCR, 2019).

Although neonicotinoids were designed as insecticides specifically to kill insect pests in agricultural
systems, several studies have shown that they can affect other organisms for which they were not
intended. The neonicotinoid controversy began in France in 1994, following the introduction of
imidacloprid in agriculture, when some beekeepers noticed that bee populations in their hives were
declining (UCR,2019).