Another roadmap to nowhere?
Government publishes plan (from July 2025) to address presence of chemicals from pet flea and tick treatments in UK waterways.
New plans to address the presence of chemicals from flea and tick treatments in rivers and streams across the UK have been unveiled today (Tuesday 22 July).
The initiative by the Cross-Government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) Group focuses primarily on two chemicals - fipronil and imidacloprid - commonly used in topical parasite treatments for pets. These medicines play an essential role in protecting both animal and human health against fleas and ticks, however there are growing concerns around the amount of fipronil and imidacloprid finding its way into UK rivers and lakes .
The new roadmap outlines key actions to reduce levels of flea and tick treatments in the environment while protecting animal welfare - which includes commissioning research to better understand this issue and using this evidence to support an international review of environmental risk assessment guidelines . The three key stages of the roadmap are: