Pesticide pollution in the Upper Rhine moat: An environmental scandal threatens!

Pesticide pollution in the Upper Rhine moat: An environmental scandal threatens!

A comprehensive study by the Rhineland-Palatinate University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU) shows alarming results regarding the pesticide pollution in the Upper Rhine moat. As part of this research, which was carried out from February 2021 to February 2022, a team led by Carsten Brühl has found comprehensive contamination with chemical-synthetic pesticides. These substances are not only found in agricultural areas, but also in adjacent meadows, hedges and fields, which significantly emphasizes the range of pesticide stress. gabot.de reports that ...

Research focused on an area of around 300 kilometers between Bingen and Basel and data recorded by 78 locations. It is particularly revealing that a total of 93 common pesticides were analyzed in the examined samples. 63 pesticides had residues, and shocking 97 % of the floor and vegetation samples were contaminated. These pesticides often occur in complex mixtures; On average, five pesticides in the top floor and up to 26 different active ingredients were detected in individual samples.

long -term effects and year -round presence

The results of the study also raise questions about chronic pesticide pollution. While pesticides are typically applied during the injection phases, the data show that they are detectable all year round in floors and vegetation. This also happens, although there are no data records to load the arable floors. In Germany, over 30 % of the country area is used for agriculture, and the continuous application of pesticides since the 1970s could have long -term and possibly irreparable effects on the environment and biodiversity. Sonnenage.com continues that ...

The study shows that chemical-synthetic pesticides can also be detectable in surrounding meadows, which indicates distribution through wind abrasion. This indicates that the existing EU registration procedures that only take into account individual substances do not meet the risks through pesticide mixtures. The need for a reduction in pesticide use is increasingly perceived by 2030 to protect biodiversity and maintain soil fertility.

political measures and possible solutions

scientists therefore not only require a strict reduction in pesticide use, but also the introduction of programs to monitor the pesticide pollution. Pilot projects for pesticide -free cultural landscapes are considered significant to promote alternative cultivation systems. In addition, the decline in biodiversity must be recognized as a serious problem that requires direct political measures to promote sustainable agriculture. This is the only way to ensure that both humans and the environment are protected from the harmful effects of pesticides.