Neonicotinoid was detected in wild turkeys in Ontario, Canada. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Neonicotinoid detection in wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) in Ontario, Canada.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2018 Apr 27. Epub 2018 Apr 27. PMID: 29704179
Amanda M MacDonald
The use of neonicotinoid insecticides in agriculture is now recognized for the health risks it poses to non-target wildlife, with associated honey bee mortality especially concerning. Research directed toward the presence and effects of these pesticides on terrestrial vertebrates that consume neonicotinoid-coated seeds, such as wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris), is lacking. This study used liquid chromatography attached to a tandem mass spectrometer to assess the liver from 40 wild turkeys for neonicotinoid and other pesticide residues and compared detected levels of these contaminants across the southern Ontario, Canada. Nine (22.5%) wild turkeys had detectible levels of neonicotinoid residues-clothianidin in eight, and thiamethoxam in three. Two (5.0%) of these turkeys had detectable levels of both clothianidin and thiamethoxam. Fuberidazole was detected in two (5.0%) wild turkeys. The highest level of thiamethoxam detected was 0.16 ppm, while clothianidin was detected at 0.12 ppm, and fuberidazole at 0.0094 ppm. Knowledge of exposure in free-ranging wildlife is critical for better understanding the effects of neonicotinoids on wildlife health; thus, these data help establish baseline data for southern Ontario wild turkeysand provide context for reference values in future analyses.