Rivers in England are contaminated with powerful insecticides, new testing has This is increasing concerns over the of the toxic chemicals on fish and birds. Neonicotinoids were from use on flowering crops in the European Union in 2013. This was due to the harm they cause to bees and other pollinators. Following even more evidence of harm, an EU vote to extend the ban to all outdoor uses is soon. However, evidence is also that neonicotinoids – the world’s most widely used insecticide – harm other species, such as songbirds. Neonicotinoids have been in since the early 1990s. They now contaminate landscapes the world. But very little monitoring of their concentration in soils or water is done.