Overview

• Broads Authority warns that spot-on treatments containing fipronil and imidacloprid wash off when pets swim or are bathed, killing dragonflies, damselflies and freshwater beetles.
• Research by the San Francisco Estuary Institute and University of Sussex has detected these pesticides at concentrations above U.S. EPA safety thresholds in wastewater discharges and natural water bodies.
• University of Sussex studies report fipronil residues in bird nests sourced from treated fur, linking exposure to lower hatching success and increased chick mortality.
• Veterinarians recommend switching to oral or chewable flea and tick medications that metabolize internally and leave no pesticide residue on pet fur.
• The UK government’s new pollution reduction strategy for chemical runoff has been welcomed by the Broads Authority and accompanied by ramped-up public awareness campaigns.