Dear Mr. Url,
With this letter we like to make you aware of new research[1] that demonstrates that pesticides are widely present in feed for dairy cows and that a number of these pesticides are transferred to manure. The pesticides in manure have a negative effect on the number of Coleoptera and as a consequence may also affect ecosystem services such as the disappearance of manure pats and the presence of insects in manure pats as feed for farm birds or bats. A total of 70 pesticides were detected in the different types of feed of eight farms studied, while also biocide use (fly treatment) contributed to contamination. The concentration of pesticides in the manure was on average 423 μg/kg DM (range of 112–1980 μg/kg DM). Those indirect effects of pesticides are currently disregarded in EFSA’s risk assessment policy, which is not in line with regulation (EU) 1107/2009 that aims at ensuring a high level of protection for the environment.