Kohsiek LHM ,
Ven F van der ,
Beugelink GP ,
Pellenbarg NP
80 p
in Dutch
1991
Toon Nederlands
English Abstract In all the EC countries current practices lead to
non-sustainable use of groundwater systems. The main problem areas are
found in the agricultural and industrial core regions of the EC. The scale
and complexity of the problems vary per region. The most serious problems
are: - pollution from pesticides and nitrate - pollution from industrial and
urban areas - overexploitation and intensified drainage leading to lowering
of groundwater levels and salt-water intrusion - point pollution from
illegal or improper dumping of municipal, industrial mining and hazardous
waste. Nitrate leaching at a level of 50 mg/l (EC drinking-water standard)
and more occurs in about 25% of the agricultural soils in the EC,
particularly in the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, the southern
part of the UK, the Po area and western France. In another 45% the computed
levels are between 25% and 50 mg/l, which is above the EC target value of 25
mg/l. Computations indicate that concentrations in groundwater in 65% of the
agricultural soils the EC drinking-water standard for the sum of pesticides
(0.5 mug/l) will be exceeded. In approximately 25% of the area this
standard will be exceeded by more than 10 times. If no remedial action or
further precautions with respect to waste disposal are taken, the potential
polluted area of the groundwater systems will be in the order of 20,000-
60,000 km2 within a period of 50 years, in other words 2 - 4% of the land
surface of the Community. Overexploitation leads to a depletion of the
resource, excessive decline of groundwater levels, intrusion of sea water
and upconing of mineral-rich groundwater. But also, due to intensified land
drainage and regulation of surface water levels, a systematic lowering of
the groundwater levels is introduced. Both flora and fauna are being
threatened and sensitive rare species are disappearing.
