Pesticides in Drinking Water - Are Private Analyses Worthwhile in Switzerland?

In 2020, there were two referendums in Switzerland aimed at limiting the use of synthetic pesticides. These can also be found on the official website of the Swiss Confederation. However, both were rejected by the majority of the central council, arguing they went too far. But how great is the threat of pesticides in Switzerland's drinking water?

What Pesticides Were Commonly Found in Drinking Water?

While the sale of glyphosate, for example, was banned in Austria in 2019, it is still regularly used in Switzerland. Glyphosate is a herbicide that prevents plant growth by suppressing an enzyme. Since humans do not have this enzyme, it initially appears to be harmless. However, several studies suggest that glyphosate can be carcinogenic to humans and animals. A counter-study, which was disseminated and covertly funded by Monsanto, a leading pesticide company, was found to be inconclusive.

Following this scandal, the study was deleted, but misinformation still circulates. Other pesticides found in Swiss drinking water include the beet herbicide chloridazon, which appeared extensively in tests, as well as the fungicide chlorothalonil and atrazine, the concentration of which has been declining since its ban in 2007. Herbicides are intended to combat weeds, and fungicides to counteract fungal infestations. All these pesticides are synthetic and can be harmful in high doses.

But Don't the Federal Food Safety Office's (BLV) Limits for Pesticides in Drinking Water Protect Us?

The legal limit for pesticide active ingredients and their metabolites in drinking and groundwater is 0.1 micrograms. If this limit is exceeded, as in the village of Kappelen in the canton of Bern by about 22 times the amount, not much happens. New pipelines and the long-term reduction in the use of these substances are supposed to solve the problem. Another issue is the extremely slow movement. Until the 1980s, plant protection products containing lead were used in Switzerland and Europe, which can still be detected in Swiss drinking water and the rest of the EU today. Although the limit for lead has just been reduced from 0.1 micrograms to 0.05 micrograms, the realistic regulation will not come into effect for another 15 years. This is despite the fact that a critical amount is actually being exceeded.

How Do Pesticides and Fertilizers Get into Drinking Water?

There are, of course, strict regulations for the direct use of plant protection products and fertilizers. However, despite proper use, pesticides and fertilizers can still appear in groundwater. These substances enter the groundwater through the soil and rivers, and from there they reach our faucets. Often, those affected do not even know that their drinking water is contaminated, as harmful substances are often odorless and tasteless.

In this case, only a private water analysis can provide certainty, as it examines your personal water and provides clear values.

Is It Possible Without Chemicals?

In the past, weeds were combated mechanically by plowing the fields, but as fewer and fewer farmers manage larger and larger fields, meaning much more area to work, this method is being used less and less. Additionally, the Swiss Federal Council currently financially supports farmers who use synthetic plant protection products and fertilizers.

Are Private Tests and Controls Worthwhile?

Regular water analyses and controls are prerequisites for high drinking water quality.

However, it is evident that these controls and limits are only very slowly adjusted, just like the limits themselves. And as long as inconclusive studies, such as those by the scientist Michael Schmitz, who formerly taught at the University of Giessen and covertly received payments from Monsanto, are used, we must assume that not all controls, and the laws based on them, are truly conclusive.

Therefore, further independent studies are a good comparison to existing ones, and private water analyses are a good supplement, providing confirmation and certainty about the quality of one's own water.

Sources: