The harmful substance glyphosate and its residues have been found in surface waters in eleven of the twelve European countries investigated, from Belgium to Bulgaria, and from Poland to Portugal. This is revealed by research conducted by the NGO Pesticide Action Network Europe.
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in various pesticides, is everywhere: it has already been detected in human urine, household dust, and soil. New research by PAN Europe and the European Greens shows that the substance and its metabolite AMPA can also be found in the waterways of eleven of the twelve EU member states examined.
Glyphosate and/or AMPA were detected above the threshold of 0.2 micrograms per liter in 17 out of 23 water samples from 11 of the 12 countries.
Samples from Belgium, Austria, Poland, Spain, and Portugal even showed concentrations of glyphosate – or its breakdown product AMPA – above 1 microgram per liter. Only the sample from Slovenia tested negative.
This pollution poses a threat to aquatic life and results in unnecessary costs for European water companies, according to PAN Europe. Even more concerning is that the samples were taken in the second half of October 2022 – the “off-peak season” for pesticide use in most European countries.
