Pesticides and herbicides are still prevalent in our groundwater. A new European directive comes into force on January 1 and will improve the accuracy of controls and analyses. Some areas are more affected than others. This is the case in Walloon Brabant, where rates of one of these herbicides, chloridazone, are high.
The province’s sandy soils are particularly permeable. Hence herbicides used in agriculture have no difficulty in permeating the soil and ground water. “The main problem is the metabolites of chloridazone, i.e. the breakdown products”Bruno Schiffers, emeritus professor at the University of Liège, explains Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech. “Until last year, chloridazon was used in beet, corn or rapeseed cultivation, but the residues are still in the soil. It is necessary to control our groundwater. In France, systematic analyzes have already been implemented in the areas in proportion. By reducing the use of pesticides, especially when the agricultural land is permeable, the prevention We have to work our way up by playing cards!”