The National Institute of the Industrial Environment and the Risks and the French Biodiversity Office evaluated the concentrations of 141 organic contaminants over 1,600 French river sites between 2016 and 2018.
Le Monde with AFP
They evaluated the concentrations of 141 organic contaminants over 1,600 points of French rivers between 2016 and 2018. Their conclusion is without appeal: French rivers are polluted by detergents, insecticides, herbicides and medicines, with possible impacts on Natural Environments and Human Health, according to Two common studies of the National Institute of Industrial Environment and Risks (INERIS) and the French Biodiversity Office (OFB).
They evaluated the concentrations of 141 organic contaminants over 1,600 French river sites between 2016 and 2018. It appears that “the vast majority (122) did not show exceedments of ecotoxicological thresholds, or exceptionally on a limited number of sites (less than 5% of the sites) “, according to a common statement.
However, “for the remaining 19 contaminants, chronic impacts or subletal effects on aquatic populations can not be excluded.” “These contaminants are essentially detergent residues (up to 95% of the sites with thresholds), insecticides (up to 40%), herbicides (up to 25%) or drugs (up to 20%), specifies the press release.
“On a few very contaminated sites, the concentrations of certain compounds (detergent residues or biocides) may exceed by ten or a hundred times, the values of chronic impact thresholds, allowing to augur possible acute impacts on biodiversity local “, warn the inert and the OFB.
These substances may come from domestic uses, industry, agriculture or transportation and may be in nature by discharges from wastewater treatment plants or the leaching of agricultural or urban soils by rains.
These substances – which denotes under the name of micropollutants – “are known or suspected for their adverse effects on human health or ecosystems at very low concentrations,” according to the statement.