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A U.S. Geological Survey study conducted from 2011 to 2014 detected at least one neonicotinoid in 53% of samples collected for its national-scale reconnaissance. That is a historical result, not a measurement of stream conditions today. The survey also found different patterns in urban and agricultural streams, while USGS reported that no measured concentration exceeded the aquatic-life criteria it cited.
What the USGS study found
The 2015 national-scale reconnaissance tested samples from 38 streams in 24 states and Puerto Rico. At least one of the six neonicotinoids tested was detected in 53% of the national study’s samples. The study record separately reports detections in 63% of 48 streams sampled across all study areas; that broader stream-level figure combines the national reconnaissance with supplemental studies, so it is not interchangeable with the 53% sample-level result. USGS study record
The national reconnaissance used single samples from its 38 streams, alongside targeted work examining temporal patterns and other conditions. It was not a census of US waterways. Its results describe the samples and locations studied during 2011–2014, not current nationwide prevalence. USGS study overview
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Detection frequencies below are the share of national-reconnaissance samples in which each compound was detected, as reported in the 2015 study record. They are not concentrations or percentages of all US streams.
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| Compound | Samples with a detection |
|---|---|
| Imidacloprid | 37% |
| Clothianidin | 24% |
| Thiamethoxam | 21% |
| Dinotefuran | 13% |
| Acetamiprid | 3% |
| Thiacloprid | 0% |
Imidacloprid was the most frequently detected compound in the national samples; thiacloprid was not detected there. These findings do not mean that the compounds were present at the same levels or in every stream. USGS study record
Why did detections vary by setting and season?
USGS reported associations between land use and some compounds: imidacloprid concentrations were positively related to urban land use in a basin, while clothianidin and thiamethoxam concentrations were positively related to cultivated-crop land use. These are observed relationships, not proof that land use alone caused any particular detection. USGS study record
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The agency described different timing patterns: neonicotinoids occurred throughout the year in urban streams, while pulses were typical in agricultural streams during crop-planting season. The study’s lead author, USGS research chemist Michelle Hladik, described this contrast in the agency’s release. USGS news release, August 18, 2015
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A distinct USGS regional study illustrates results from a high corn- and soybean-producing Midwestern area; its findings should not be treated as national prevalence. It collected 79 water samples from nine streams during the 2013 growing season. USGS regional study record
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| Compound | Regional samples with a detection | Reported maximum concentration |
|---|---|---|
| Clothianidin | 75% | 257 ng/L |
| Thiamethoxam | 47% | 185 ng/L |
| Imidacloprid | 23% | 42.7 ng/L |
Those percentages and maximum concentrations apply to that regional study’s samples, sites, and 2013 growing-season sampling—not to the national reconnaissance or US streams generally. USGS regional study record
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do the findings show that stream levels harmed wildlife?
No measured concentration in the national study exceeded the EPA aquatic-life criteria cited in the 2015 USGS news release. That benchmark comparison does not establish that ecological effects are impossible, nor does the study by itself show that the detections caused harm. USGS scientist Kathryn Kuivila said that low-level occurrence throughout the year supports further research into potential effects on aquatic life and terrestrial animals that rely on aquatic life. USGS news release, August 18, 2015 USGS science feature
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What the results can—and cannot—tell you
- They can show: neonicotinoids were detected in many samples collected in the studied locations and period, with frequency varying by compound and observed setting.
- They cannot show: how common neonicotinoids are in US streams now, whether a particular stream is affected, or that a detected concentration caused ecological harm.
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