The ocean contains many kinds of pollution, pollution that reflects our lifestyle and our consumption habits. As industrial activities have progressed over the past decades, increasingly more pollution from chemical products and substances has been detected in the ocean. Chemical pollution is caused by various sources: industrial, urban, agricultural, and domestic. Common pollutants from these industries can take form as heavy metals, phtalates, oil and pesticides. The use of pesticides in particular has increased by 25% in the last decade and has a direct negative impact on water quality.
From fields to the ocean : the impacting path of pesticides
Pesticide use started in the 1930s and has grown in popularity and application ever since. It is important to understand that the generic term « pesticide » includes herbicides, insecticides and fungicides, which are responsible for eliminating weeds, insects, pests and fungi respectively.
For the sake of effectiveness and simplicity, they have been widely used in the agricultural sector as well as in a domestic gardening.
Over the last decade, scientific data shows a 25% increase of pesticides use. This current behaviour is completely in contradiction with the goals set by several Ecophyto plans, which aim at a 25% reduction by 2020.
How are pesticides endangering the ocean’s environmental quality and overall health? Once chemical pollutants are sprayed on land, water molecules, via rain, watering or groundwater flows, act as vehicles that pick up and transport chemical substances from land, into the water cycle, and eventually the ocean. For instance, residuals from plant fertilizers found in the ocean have been transported through water streams coming from the land. These streams, before reaching the ocean, have been polluted by pesticide runoff. The interconnectivity of the water cycle means that even contamination at the molecular level can have an amplified impact on the ocean.
As part of European guidelines on water, this chemical parameter is widely surveilled due to its negative affect on plankton, and proven properties as an endocrine disruptor.
Other factors contributing to the increase in ocean chemical pollution is urbanization and soil sealing. In areas with more permeable land, polluted runoff can be absorbed before reaching the ocean, but in urban areas that are heavily concreted, contaminated water has no where to go but the sewer system or directly into coastal waters. Heavy maritime transportation of goods and more frequent domestic travel has also resulted in higher levels of pollution.
Bathing water quality policy : for a chemical substance control in the legislation
Given the worrying presence of chemical substances in the ocean, Surfrider Europe developed a citizen network to gather and record water samples from the marine environment. The results of this monitoring have prompted the following demand for action:
Pesticide residuals are currently monitored solely based on the environmental risk they represent. Current regulations define ‘environmental quality standards’ as a threshold which chemical levels must not exceed in nature. However, when it comes to human health risks, the only test considered is for drinking water and this is limited to detect only the presence of fecal-based bacteria. With zero tests conducted on bathing water, there are no regulations in place to protect users from swimming in a chemically polluted water (by pesticides for instance). As part of discussions on the new European policy on bathing water quality, Surfrider Europe is asking to broaden protocol to include a control on the presence of chemical substances in the environment.
This request is supported by citizen feedback generated by a 2019 public survey. The majority of people surveyed expressed a desire for increased chemical parameters be monitored and better communication regarding related health risks.
Reducing chemical pollution at the source
It is important to develop a more comprehensive bathing water quality policy at the European level, but we must, in addition, act at the source to reduce chemical pollution.
Alternate solutions exist in the farming and domestics sectors that attempt to decrease the use of pesticides and prevent chemical pollution. Biodynamic and organic farming methods are examples of more sustainable practices. A change in field management can also be considered: « bocage » instead of open field (as it is currently in place in France), which would retain and absorb pesticides before reaching water streams. Moreover, daily changes in consumption can be realized by all citizens. Choosing all-natural options for home cleaning and gardening products that are free from toxic chemicals protects local water resources and soil quality. Even homemade cleaners and fertilizers can be made simply and affordably with organic elements like compost, coffee grounds or essential oils. Explore the many available options online or at your local gardening supply!
