Question reference: S6W-27086
- Date lodged: 25 April 2024
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Current status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 May 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether SEPA has assessed any impact of flea and worm treatments used for companion animals on the environment.
Answer
SEPA have developed a new analytical technique to screen environmental water samples for a range of chemical substances, including a range of pesticides and pharmaceuticals (human and veterinary).
Through targeted screening methodology, this helps identify and provide estimated concentrations for approximately 450 chemical substances including medicines used to control parasites. Monitoring began late 2023, with initially around 100 monitoring locations (rivers and lochs) expanding to over 300 locations in 2024.
This investigative monitoring programme was designed to help SEPA understand chemical pressures on Scotland’s water environment. SEPA are finalising monitoring results for substances used in veterinary medicines to treat parasites in companion animals and will share as it becomes available, with other UK regulators and agencies through the UK cross-government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment group. In addition, SEPA are also exploring options for making this data more widely available.