SUPPLY SCAN

摘要

A class of pesticides called neo-nicotinoids have been linked to a decline in bees, butterflies and other pollinators. These pesticides were developed to be less harmful to beneficial insects and mammals, but have impacted the ecosystem, resulting in what scientists call Colony Collapse Disorder. Neonicotinoids have been used since the late 1990s in crop seeds. The pesticide binds to receptors in an insects nervous system killing them and keeping corn and soya bean crops safe. Unfortunately, it appears that collateral damage has occurred in bees and other pollinators who have come in contact with the plants. European food safety regulators determined that the use of clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam-the three most common neonicotinoids-should be minimized for use in certain crops. It was followed by a proposed two-year ban on these chemicals by the European Union.