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Pesticide Action Network UK

We are the only UK charity focused on tackling the problems caused by pesticides.
Pesticide Action Network UK

Helping Cotton Farmers to Cut Pesticide Use
Pesticide Action Network UK

Are Pesticides Harming Bees?

PAN UK HomeSam Claydon2024-11-14T00:15:36+00:00

PAN UK Updates

New study reveals lasting effects of glyphosate on brain health
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New study reveals lasting effects of glyphosate on brain health

All PAN UK posts, Safeguarding health

New study reveals lasting effects of glyphosate on brain health

Sam Claydon2025-02-06T15:22:08+00:00February 6th, 2025|

A new study led by researchers from TGen, part of City of Hope and Arizona State University, has identified an association between [...]

Garden birds are being poisoned by pet flea treatments
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Garden birds are being poisoned by pet flea treatments

All PAN UK posts, Defending the environment, Phasing out HHPs

Garden birds are being poisoned by pet flea treatments

Sam Claydon2025-01-27T12:21:37+00:00January 27th, 2025|

A study by the University of Sussex, published in Science of the Total Environment, has found that there is a [...]

Paraquat and Parkinson’s: Australian neurologists call for action
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Paraquat and Parkinson’s: Australian neurologists call for action

All PAN UK posts, Phasing out HHPs, Safeguarding health

Paraquat and Parkinson’s: Australian neurologists call for action

Sam Claydon2025-01-15T09:52:52+00:00January 14th, 2025|

In a recent interview with PAN UK, eminent Australian neurologist Dr David Blacker explains the urgent need for Australia to [...]

Find out more about glyphosate - the active ingredient in Roundup

Find out more alternatives to pesticides using our resources section.

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Dr Cannelle Tassin de Montaigu, the lead author on

Dr Cannelle Tassin de Montaigu, the lead author on the study, said: “No nest was free from insecticides in our study, and this significant presence of harmful chemicals could be having devastating consequences on the UK’s bird populations."

Sue Morgan, Chief Executive of @songbirdsurvival who funded the study, said: “We are a nation of pet lovers and bird lovers, and it is extremely concerning to see the alarming levels of toxic pesticides in bird nests from veterinary drugs. Pet owners will be upset to hear that in trying to do the right thing to support their pets with fleas and ticks, they could be harming our ecosystem, resulting in dead newborn chicks and unhatched eggs. As pet owners, we need to have confidence that we are keeping our pets well, without devastating impacts on our wildlife.

“Our UK songbirds are in crisis. More than half of our UK songbirds are threatened or already in decline, which is why this latest research shows the importance of taking action as soon as possible. We want the government to undertake a more comprehensive environmental risk assessment of veterinary drugs.”

Read the full story on our blog. Link in bio.

Great news! A win for bees. The application to al

Great news! A win for bees.

The application to allow the use of a banned pesticide, the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam, on sugar beet has been denied.

After years of repeated 'emergency' authorisations of this banned chemical we are happy to see the new government stand up for our pollinators.

#neonics #bees

CORRECTION: Note that the level of glyphosate allo

CORRECTION: Note that the level of glyphosate allowed in UK drinking water is 0.1 micrograms and not 0.1 milligrammes as stated in the graphics.

Glyphosate (the most widely-used herbicide in the world) is applied on farms, used by councils to control weeds in our towns and cities and is available to buy in garden centres. While it is meant to just target plants, studies are increasingly pointing to negative effects on wildlife and our health.

A new study from the Federal University of Fronteira Sul in Brazil has found that glyphosate-based pesticides significantly affect the early life stages of frogs. They tested the effects of 0.1 mg/L, 0.35mg/L and 0.7 mg/L (0.5 mg/L is allowed in drinking water in Brazil) on embryos and hatchlings of the weeping frog.

They found that these levels of exposure were sufficient to impact the early life stages of the frog. They were smaller in size, had increased heart rates, malformations in the mouth and intestines and were less likely to flee from predators.

Amphibians are experiencing a global population decline, with over a third of species threatened with extinction. Glyphosate is up for a license renewal in the UK this year.

@escolhiseruffs @ppgcta_uffs @labeco.uffs

Full post our blog (link in bio)

#glyphosate #frogs #amphibians #herbicide #pesticides

A walk in the countryside used to be buzzing with

A walk in the countryside used to be buzzing with life, but now the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. The countryside is almost devoid of life and our gardens are quieter than ever.

The alarming over-use of pesticides in our countryside, our gardens and in our urban spaces is one of the key drivers of these losses.

A @buglife_ict project has found a 78% drop in abundance of flying insects since 2004. @savebutterflies has declared a butterfly emergency as numbers hit the lowest on record this year. @bumblebeeconservationtrust has reported that bumblebees are in crisis with populations having crashed.

You may not be a fan of wasps, mosquitos and flies, but these species underpin an ecosystem of interconnected relationships full of glorious colour, intrigue and curiosity. Insects, in their various life stages, are food for nearly all of our other much-loved wildlife further up the food chain, from birds and bats to hedgehogs and frogs and toads, all of which are now also struggling to survive.

Hundreds of different pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides etc.) are approved for use in the UK and insecticides in particular have become far more toxic over the years. There is little to no understanding of how this invisible cocktail of chemicals interacts with one another to affect our soil, water, our biodiversity and us.

We work tirelessly to change this toxic tide. But, with your help we can do even more!

The use of pesticides underpins many of the challenges we face today. They are largely made from fossil fuels, they support industrial farming, deforestation and habitat loss, they degrade our soils and poison our rivers. Yet, they don’t receive the attention they deserve from the public or decision makers.

Please support us with a donation this year. Or even better, sign up to support us with a direct debit each month to enable us to plan ahead. Join us in our fight against an incredibly powerful pesticide industry. Our wonderfully diverse and vibrant world of insects is counting on us.

Link in our bio! 💛

New analysis shows that food imported into Great B

New analysis shows that food imported into Great Britain may pose a greater risk to consumer health than domestically grown produce. The most recent testing by the UK government detected 46 pesticides with links to cancer on imported produce, compared to 19 on food of UK origin.

These results were mirrored by other pesticides of concern. Between two and three times the number of both “developmental or reproductive toxins” (which negatively affect sexual function and fertility) and neurotoxins (impacts the nervous system) were detected in imports when compared with UK produce.

Imported food was also found to contain more than double (29 to 12) the number of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals which can interfere with hormone systems leading to a range of health problems including cancers and birth defects.

Find more info via the link in our bio.

The new ‘Dirty Dozen’ list is now available to

The new ‘Dirty Dozen’ list is now available to download. The list, which reveals the food most likely to contain cocktails of multiple pesticides, is designed to be used as a handy leaflet to help you avoid the ‘dirtiest’ produce and make informed shopping decisions.

Topping the most recent list is soft citrus, which includes satsumas, tangerines and clementines.

Note that the most recent data is based on the UK government’s testing in 2023. There is a second list looking at produce over the last six years which gives a more general overview.

Despite some food items showing residues of up to 12 different pesticides, government safety limits continue to be set for just one chemical at a time, ignoring evidence that chemicals can become more harmful when combined.

#thecocktaileffect
#dirtydozen

Click the link in our bio for access to the list.

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