A new study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters, titled 'Occurrence of neonicotinoid insecticides in finished drinking water and fate during drinking water treatment' [i] has reported disturbing findings. Although neonicotinoid insecticides are widespread in surface waters across the agriculturally intensive Midwestern United States, the investigation released from The University of Iowa is the first peer-reviewed study to alert the public of the presence of the chemicals in their tap water. The study states:
"We report for the first time the presence of three neonicotinoids in finished drinking water and demonstrate their general persistence during conventional water treatment."In 2016 following maize and soy planting, finished drinking water samples were collected from taps at The University of Iowa and at three locations in Iowa City, IA. The study shows that samples collected from The University of Iowa drinking water treatment plant suggest that clothianidin and imidacloprid persist throughout conventional water treatment processes, while thiamethoxam is partially removed. The study found clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam were ubiquitously present (i.e., 100%) in all samples (n = 16) collected from University of Iowa tap water, with concentrations ranging between 3.89 and 57.3 ng/L, between 1.22 and 39.5 ng/L, and between 0.24 and 4.15 ng/L, respectively.
Comment: If these insecticides kill the birds and the bees, what can they do to humans? The results of this review yields clues: