Agricultural insecticides threaten surface waters at the global scale
Open accessAbstract
Significance: Agricultural systems are drivers of global environmental degradation. Insecticides, in particular, are highly biologically active substances that can threaten the ecological integrity of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Despite widespread insecticide application to croplands worldwide, no comprehensive field data-based evaluation of their risk to global surface waters exists. Our data show, for the first time to our knowledge at the global scale, that more than 50% of detected insecticide concentrations ( n = 11,300) exceed regulatory threshold levels. This finding indicates that surface water pollution resulting from current agricultural insecticide use constitutes an excessive threat to aquatic biodiversity. Overall, our analysis suggests that fundamental revisions of current regulatory procedures and pesticide application practices are needed to reverse the global environmental impacts of agrochemical-based high-intensity agriculture.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Current agricultural systems often generate negative outcomes on multiple fronts, including degradation of land, water and ecosystems, high greenhouse gas emissions, depletion of non-renewable resources and livelihood stress for farmers.
“However, they often generate a range of negative outcomes on multiple fronts, including the widespread degradation of land, water and ecosystems, high greenhouse gas emissions, the depletion of non-renewable resources and resulting in livelihood stress for farmers around the world [1,2].”
From An Actor-Oriented Multi-Criteria Assessment Framework to Support a Transition towards Sustainable Agricultural Systems Based on Crop Diversification (2020) · cites this paper as [2]
The Significance passage says agricultural systems drive global environmental degradation and documents a threat from insecticide pollution to surface waters and aquatic biodiversity. The Results and Discussion also mentions habitat degradation, but our copy does not support the attributed claims about high greenhouse gas emissions, depletion of non-renewable resources, or livelihood stress for farmers. Page numbers are not provided in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
A safe operating space for humanity
Rockström, J., Steffen, W., Noone, K., Persson, Å., Chapin, F. S., Lambin, E. F., Lenton, T. M., Scheffer, M., Folke, C., Schellnhuber, H. J., et al. (2009) · Nature · doi:10.1038/461472a · Cited by 13,333 · see citing works
Solutions for a cultivated planet
Foley, J. A., Ramankutty, N., Brauman, K. A., Cassidy, E. S., Gerber, J. S., Johnston, M., Mueller, N. D., O’Connell, C., Ray, D. K., West, P. C., et al. (2011) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature10452 · Cited by 8,476 · see citing works
Global threats to human water security and river biodiversity
Vörösmarty, C. J., McIntyre, P. B., Gessner, M. O., Dudgeon, D., Prusevich, A., Green, P., Glidden, S., Bunn, S. E., Sullivan, C. A., Liermann, C. R., et al. (2010) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature09440 · Cited by 7,582 · see citing works
Forecasting Agriculturally Driven Global Environmental Change
Tilman, D., Fargione, J., Wolff, B., D'Antonio, C., Dobson, A., Howarth, R., Schindler, D., Schlesinger, W. H., Simberloff, D., & Swackhamer, D. (2001) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1057544 · Cited by 3,992 · see citing works
The Challenge of Micropollutants in Aquatic Systems
Schwarzenbach, R. P., Escher, B. I., Fenner, K., Hofstetter, T. B., Johnson, C. A., von Gunten, U., & Wehrli, B. (2006) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1127291 · Cited by 3,717 · see citing works
The biodiversity of species and their rates of extinction, distribution, and protection
Pimm, S. L., Jenkins, C. N., Abell, R., Brooks, T. M., Gittleman, J. L., Joppa, L. N., Raven, P. H., Roberts, C. M., & Sexton, J. O. (2014) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1246752 · Cited by 3,542 · cited 1× · see citing works
“2A) reveal for the first time to our knowledge at the global scale that, in concert with nutrients and habitat degradation, agricultural insecticide use is likely a driver for biodiversity loss in agriculturally impacted aquatic ecosystems (8, 9, 24).”
BackgroundClosing yield gaps through nutrient and water management
Mueller, N. D., Gerber, J., Johnston, M., Ray, D. K., Ramankutty, N., & Foley, J. A. (2012) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature11420 · Cited by 2,832 · see citing works
Comparing the yields of organic and conventional agriculture
Seufert, V., Ramankutty, N., & Foley, J. A. (2012) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature11069 · Cited by 2,165 · see citing works
Precision Agriculture and Food Security
Gebbers, R., & Adamchuk, V. I. (2010) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1183899 · Cited by 1,750 · see citing works
Morrissey, C. A., Mineau, P., Devries, J. H., Sánchez‐Bayo, F., Liess, M., Cavallaro, M. C., & Liber, K. (2014) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2014.10.024 · Cited by 1,409 · see citing works
Declines in insectivorous birds are associated with high neonicotinoid concentrations
Hallmann, C. A., Foppen, R. P. B., van Turnhout, C. A. M., de Kroon, H., & Jongejans, E. (2014) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature13531 · Cited by 1,052 · see citing works
Pesticides reduce regional biodiversity of stream invertebrates
Beketov, M. A., Kefford, B. J., Schäfer, R. B., & Liess, M. (2013) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1305618110 · Cited by 876 · see citing works
Organic chemicals jeopardize the health of freshwater ecosystems on the continental scale
Malaj, E., von der Ohe, P. C., Grote, M., Kühne, R., Mondy, C. P., Usseglio‐Polatera, P., Brack, W., & Schäfer, R. B. (2014) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1321082111 · Cited by 812 · see citing works
Reichenberger, S., Bach, M., Skitschak, A., & Frede, H. (2007) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.04.046 · Cited by 702 · see citing works
Pesticide use in developing countries
Ecobichon, D. J. (2001) · Toxicology · doi:10.1016/s0300-483x(00)00452-2 · Cited by 672 · see citing works
Current Challenges and Trends in the Discovery of Agrochemicals
Lamberth, C., Jeanmart, S., Luksch, T., et al. (2013) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1237227 · Cited by 654 · see citing works
Schulz, R. (2004) · Journal of Environmental Quality · doi:10.2134/jeq2004.4190 · Cited by 509 · see citing works
Self-citationPhysical and Chemical Properties of Pyrethroids
Laskowski, D. A. (2002) · Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology · doi:10.1007/978-1-4757-4260-2_3 · Cited by 508 · see citing works
Pesticides in U.S. Streams and Groundwater
Gilliom, R. J. (2007) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es072531u · Cited by 412 · see citing works
US Environmental Protection Agency (1985) · PubMed · Cited by 367 · see citing works
Insecticide use: Contexts and ecological consequences
Devine, G. J., & Furlong, M. J. (2007) · Agriculture and Human Values · doi:10.1007/s10460-007-9067-z · Cited by 335 · see citing works
Schäfer, R. B., von der Ohe, P. C., Rasmussen, J. J., Kefford, B. J., Beketov, M. A., Schulz, R., & Liess, M. (2012) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es2039882 · Cited by 279 · see citing works
Self-citationWeston, D. P., & Lydy, M. J. (2010) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es9035573 · Cited by 241 · see citing works
Schulz, R., & Liess, M. (1999) · Aquatic Toxicology · doi:10.1016/s0166-445x(99)00002-8 · Cited by 185 · see citing works
Self-citationPesticide risk mitigation by vegetated treatment systems: a meta-analysis.
Stehle, S., Elsaesser, D., Grégoire, C., Imfeld, G., Niehaus, E., Passeport, E., Payraudeau, S., Schäfer, R. B., Tournebize, J., & Schulz, R. (2011) · Journal of Environmental Quality · doi:10.2134/jeq2010.0510 · Cited by 130 · see citing works
Self-citationThe behaviour of 39 pesticides in surface waters as a function of scale
Capel, P. D., Larson, S. J., & Winterstein, T. A. (2001) · Hydrological Processes · doi:10.1002/hyp.212 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
Synthetic Pyrethroid Use Patterns, Properties, and Environmental Effects
Spurlock, F. C., & Lee, M. (2008) · ACS symposium series · doi:10.1021/bk-2008-0991.ch001 · Cited by 116 · see citing works
Stehle, S., Knäbel, A., & Schulz, R. (2012) · Environmental Monitoring and Assessment · doi:10.1007/s10661-012-3026-x · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Self-citationRegulatory FOCUS Surface Water Models Fail to Predict Insecticide Concentrations in the Field
Knäbel, A., Stehle, S., Schäfer, R. B., et al. (2012) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es301649w · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Self-citationInhibition of aquatic toxicity of pyrethroid insecticides by suspended sediment
Yang, W., Spurlock, F. C., Liu, W., et al. (2006) · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry · doi:10.1897/05-616r.1 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Finlayson, C. M., & D'Cruz, R. F. (2005) · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Loss of Pesticides from Agricultural Fields in SE Norway – Runoff Through Surface and Drainage Water
Riise, G., Lundekvam, H., Wu, Q., et al. (2004) · Environmental Geochemistry and Health · doi:10.1023/b:egah.0000039590.84335.d6 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
Schultz, H. W. (1981) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-011-7373-5_16 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Bioavailability-based chronic toxicity measurements of permethrin to Chironomus dilutus
Du, J., Pang, J., & You, J. (2013) · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry · doi:10.1002/etc.2192 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Bollmohr, S., & Schulz, R. (2009) · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry · doi:10.1897/08-228r.1 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Self-citationA Probabilistic Screening Model for Evaluating Pyrethroid Surface Water Monitoring Data
Spurlock, F. C., Bacey, J., Starner, K., et al. (2005) · Environmental Monitoring and Assessment · doi:10.1007/s10661-005-5847-3 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Pirimiphos‐methyl and benalaxyl losses in surface runoff from plots cultivated with potatoes
Patakioutas, G., Karras, G., Hela, D. G., et al. (2002) · Pest Management Science · doi:10.1002/ps.589 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Variations in Agricultural Practice and Environmental Care
de Snoo, G. R. (2003) · Pesticides · doi:10.1002/9780470995457.ch7 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- [11]11. European Commission (2009) Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parlia- ment and of the Council of 21 October 2009 concerning the placing of plant pro- tection products on the market and repealing Council Directives 79/117/EEC and 91/414/EEC. Off J Eur Union L 309(1):1-50.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Risk of pesticide pollution at the global scale
Tang, F. H. M., Lenzen, M., McBratney, A., & Maggi, F. (2021) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/s41561-021-00712-5 · Cited by 1,340 · see citing works
Agriculture production as a major driver of the Earth system exceeding planetary boundaries
Campbell, B. M., Beare, D. J., Bennett, E. M., Hall-Spencer, J. M., Ingram, J. S. I., Jaramillo, F., Ortiz, R., Ramankutty, N., Sayer, J. A., & Shindell, D. (2017) · Ecology and Society · doi:10.5751/es-09595-220408 · Cited by 1,197 · see citing works
Decoupling livestock from land use through industrial feed production pathways
Pikaar, I., Matassa, S., Bodirsky, B. L., Weindl, I., Humpenöder, F., Rabaey, K., Boon, N., Bruschi, M., Yuan, Z., van Zanten, H., et al. (2018) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/acs.est.8b00216 · Cited by 186 · see citing works
Microbes and the next nitrogen revolution
Pikaar, I., Matassa, S., Rabaey, K., Bodirsky, B. L., Popp, A., Herrero, M., & Verstraete, W. (2017) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/acs.est.7b00916 · Cited by 120 · see citing works
Hoekman, S. K., Broch, A., & Liu, X. (. (2018) · Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.rser.2017.05.050 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Protecting and restoring habitats to benefit freshwater biodiversity
Piczak, M. L., Perry, D., Cooke, S. J., Harrison, I., Benitez, S., Koning, A., Peng, L., Limbu, P., Smokorowski, K. E., Salinas-Rodriguez, S., et al. (2024) · Environmental Reviews · doi:10.1139/er-2023-0034 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Iocola, I., Angevin, F., Bockstaller, C., Catarino, R., Curran, M., Messéan, A., Schader, C., Stilmant, D., Van Stappen, F., Vanhove, P., et al. (2020) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su12135434 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
“However, they often generate a range of negative outcomes on multiple fronts, including the widespread degradation of land, water and ecosystems, high greenhouse gas emissions, the depletion of non-renewable resources and resulting in livelihood stress for farmers around the world [1,2].”
BackgroundInteractions between Bt crops and aquatic ecosystems: A review
Venter, H. J., & Bøhn, T. (2016) · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry · doi:10.1002/etc.3583 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Widespread agrochemicals differentially affect zooplankton biomass and community structure
Hébert, M., Fugère, V., Beisner, B. E., Barbosa da Costa, N., Barrett, R. D. H., Bell, G., Shapiro, B. J., Yargeau, V., Gonzalez, A., & Fussmann, G. F. (2021) · Ecological Applications · doi:10.1002/eap.2423 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Pott, A., Otto, M., & Schulz, R. (2018) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.013 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Stehle, S., & Schulz, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Koblenz and Landau (DE)
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2015-04-13
- Volume
- 112
- Issue
- 18
- Pages
- 5750-5755
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC4426442
- OpenAlex
- W2095016596
- Cited by
- 782
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 92 · 2025: 82 · 2024: 81 · 2023: 82 · 2022: 76 · 2021: 82 · 2020: 68 · 2019: 61 · 2018: 60 · 2017: 45 · 2016: 39 · 2015: 14
- FWCI
- 4.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG SCHU 2271/6-1)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Pesticide and Herbicide Environmental Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Pesticide Residue Analysis and Safety
- Keywords
- agricultural insecticides, surface water contamination, macroinvertebrate biodiversity, aquatic biodiversity, pyrethroid insecticides, sediment contamination, pesticide regulation, environmental monitoring, catchment size, pesticide exposure
- MeSH terms
- Agriculture, Environmental Monitoring, Geography, Insecticides, Pesticides, Water, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Ecosystem, Risk Assessment, Biodiversity
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
