Results of the Environment Agency’s 2003 monitoring showed 23% fewer freshwater sites (rivers and lakes) with pesticide levels exceeding established Environmental Quality Standards (EQSs) compared with the average for the previous five years. In 2003 111 out of 1913 freshwater sites (approx 6%) failed an EQS at least once while 7% of site tested in both 2002 and 2001 failed.
Agrochemical industry concern over a possible pesticide tax has led to a series of measures carried out under the umbrella of the Voluntary Initiative. These measures are designed to reduce the impacts of pesticide use and so avert a tax. It is possible they may be contributing to the observed reductions in pesticide contamination.
However, Andy Croxford, Pesticide Policy Manager at the Environment Agency, said ‘The fact that the level of pesticides found in our rivers and streams has declined is encouraging, but there is no room for complacency. We cannot be certain whether the reduced levels are down to better use of pesticides, or how big a factor the dry weather has been.’
In 2003 the UK experienced an exceptionally dry spring and autumn. This in itself could significantly reduce concentrations of pesticides washed into rivers and lakes. It will only be possible to interpret results from 2003 when monitoring data for 2004, a slightly wetter than average year, is available.
The top nine pesticides found contaminating rivers and lakes were all herbicides with levels of chlorotoluron rising.
The Environment Agency monitoring data for marine waters was less encouraging; 88 out of 407 sites (approx 22%) failed an EQS at least once, a slight increase on previous years (21% failed in 2002 and 19% failed in 2001).
(RM)
[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 67, March 2005, page 17]