Evidence from the vets’ panel followed a session last week when three environmental scientists gave evidence on their research, telling peers there was strong evidence that these two chemicals wash off into water, where they go on to kill off insects at the bottom of the food chain for fish, birds and other mammals.
The scientists highlighted that both neurotoxins had been banned for use, external as agricultural pesticides in the UK in 2017 and 2018 respectively, due to evidence they were killing off bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
Ecological consultant Matthew Shardlow said he believed the active ingredients in flea treatments are so toxic, and so easily transferred onto humans, household items, and into water, that they should be withdrawn from sale.
Asked whether he thought a ban was necessary, Shardlow said: “We know enough to act, we don’t need more information for fipronil and imidacloprid as we’ve got absolutely all the evidence we need.
“They’ve been banned in agriculture actually on probably less evidence than we’ve currently got for the flea treatment issue here at the moment.”
He stressed getting levels of fipronil and imidacloprid down to safe levels would not be possible under current government guidance, which does not advise pet owners to stop monthly preventative treatments, but instead only gives guidance on correct use of the products.
Guy Woodward, an ecology professor at Imperial College London, said imidacloprid is highly water soluble and caused damage to wildlife in even very small amounts, the equivalent of two sugar cubes in 400 Olympic sized swimming pools.
He said: “These things are toxic, extremely toxic, in extremely small concentrations… and it’s only now we’re starting to glimpse the full scale of contamination.”
