One of the most dangerous pesticides has been found in drinking water, a new study reveals.

Scientists say neonicotinoids, which attack cells in the human nervous system, have been spotted in taps across the US.

The class of insecticides is one of the most commonly used across the country, branded as being safer than other chemicals on the market.

But chronic exposure to the pesticide has been linked in damage to the central nervous system that could result in paralysis or even death.

One of the most dangerous pesticides, neonicotinoids, has been found in drinking water, a new study reveals. Chronic exposure to the insecticide has been linked to damage to the central nervous system that could result in paralysis or even death

Neonicotinoids, most of which were released in the 1990s, were designed to be the most environmentally-friendly chemicals on the market and soon became the most widely used, especially in the Midwest.

The compounds don't just coat leaves and stems but work their way into plant tissue, meaning fewer sprays are needed.

But the neonics, as they are nicknamed, became reputable for being something else - a bee killer, wreaking havoc on insect nervous systems.

Past research has suggested that chronic exposure to the compounds can cause developmental or neurological problems in humans too.

A 2016 study suggested a link between neonicotinoid use and the drop in the bee population that was foraging on the crops treated with the pesticide.

A year prior, the US Geological Survey collected water samples from streams throughout the country and found neonicotinoids in more than half of the sample.

The current joint-study, from the US Geological Survey and University of Iowa, found the chemicals in drinking water as well.

The researchers say it marks the first time that anyone has identified this class of pesticide in tap water.

EXPOSURE TO PESTICIDES SPEEDS UP PUBERTY IN BOYS Exposure to pesticides can cause boys to hit puberty earlier, a shocking new study finds. Researchers at Zhejang University, in Hangzhou, China, studied more than 460 Chinese boys between the ages of nine and 16 They said the boys with a 10 percent increase of the chemicals in their body were up to 110 percent more likely to be in an advanced stage of puberty. This is because the pesticides increase levels of hormones that spur the production of testosterone. Previous research has shown that early puberty increases the risk of diseases in adulthood, such as testicular cancer in men and breast cancer in women. Early puberty also can stunt growth and cause behavioral problems. 'This is the first study to provide evidence that environmental exposure to pyrethroids…is associated with measurable effects on male pubertal development,' said lead investigator Dr Jing Liu. 'Given the growing use of pyrethroid insecticides, we must prudently assess these chemicals for their risks to children's health.' Advertisement

Neonicotinoids, like nicotine, bind to receptors of cells located in the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system.

They activate the receptors, causing nervous stimulation - electrical impulses running up and down the body.

High levels can overstimulate the body and block the receptors, causing paralysis and even death.

Typically, a neurotransmitter activates these receptors, which are broken down to terminate the signals.

But neonicotinoids can't be broken down and their binding is irreversible.

Co-author Dr Gregory LeFevre, a University of Iowa environmental engineer, told The Washington Post that the find was important but not cause for immediate alarm.

'Having these types of compounds present in water does have the potential to be concerning,' he said.

'But we don't really know, at this point, what these levels might be.'

The team tested water as it went through two different water treatment systems.

They found that a system serving Iowa City, which uses granular activated carbon filtration that dissolves organic compounds, removed 100 percent, 94 percent and 85 percent of the neonicotinoids clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, respectively.

But the rapid sand filtration system serving the University of Iowa, which uses relatively coarse sand and other granular media to remove particles, reduced the same substances only by about one percent, eight percent and 44 percent, respectively.

Regulators have not yet defined safe levels of neonicotinoids in drinking water, in part because researchers are currently working to understand if and how the compounds impact human health.

'There is no EPA standard for drinking water,' Dr LeFevre said.

Dr Melissa Perry, a public health researcher at George Washington University, told The Washington Post that the new study 'provides further evidence that neonicotinoid pesticides are present in our daily environments'.

'From a public health standpoint, this issue clearly needs better attention,' she added.

Because the study had a small sample size, Dr Perry says more comprehensive assessments are needed to detect how prevalent neonics are in national water supplies.

The chances of that happening are unclear.

'There is currently no national effort to measure to what extent neonicotinoids are making it into our bodies, be it through water or food,' she said.