We reported on the pesticides from pet flea treatments being found in our rivers back in 2020 and again in 2023.
Now more research by the University of Sussex and Imperial College London shows that pet owners using ‘spot on’ flea treatments risk contaminating their hands with fipronil and imidacloprid, two insecticides, for at least 28 days after the treatment has been applied.
Hand washing by pet owners, as well as washing the pets and their bedding, results in pesticides getting into the sewage system.
These pesticides are present in English rivers in concentrations that exceed accepted safe limits for wildlife. This is despite the fact that these chemicals are deemed to be too toxic to be used in agriculture.
More information in this article in the Guardian and from one of the researchers, Dave Goulson, on this thread on the social media platform formerly known at Twitter.
