Suchergebnisse

The potential harm to human health and the environment of compounds derived from nitrate is an issue that occasionally awakens media and public concern. Recent studies provide a new understanding of the role of nitrate and nitrite in our body and motivate revision of the long-held view that nitrate poses a health risk. Coincidently, national authorities are performing research, surveys and risk assessments to provide scientific support for the regulations laid down in the 1990s setting limits on nitrate in lettuce and spinach. In addition to the health factor, the economic (market unity) and environmental (agricultural contamination) aspects of the issue are being considered in this legislative work. In order to obtain data of appropriate and comparable quality in this study, a standardised method was needed for analysing nitrate and nitrite in foodstuffs. The standardisation process comprised three stages: a) comparative evaluation of the performance of three liquid chromatography methods; b) internal validation of the selected ion chromatography method; and c) external validation across an international collaborative study. The validated analytical method is now a Nordic and European standard method. The standardised analytical method was then used in a European monitoring programme of nitrate levels in green leafy vegetables. Our participation involved obtaining data on nitrate in Swedish-produced lettuce and spinach over the past ten years (1995-2005). The satisfactory levels of nitrate found in Swedish lettuce and spinach are partly explained by the prevention measures taken by Swedish farmers to reduce the content of nitrate in vegetables. These ten years of Swedish data confirm that the European maximum limits are reasonable. Implementation and enforcement of the current regulation are advisable from an environmental point of view.

Der Verfasser gibt zunächst einen Überblick über die Agrar-Umwelt-Diskussion und arbeitet zentrale ökologische Schwachstellen der modernen Landwirtschaft heraus, die sich im Zuge der ökonomisierung landwirtschaftlicher Produktion entwickelt haben. Er stellt dann exemplarisch die Debatte um das Nitratproblem dar, in der vor allem die zulässigen Grenzwerte der Trinkwasserbelastung, die Diskussion über die Verursachung der Belastung, die Wahl präventiver oder korrektiver Maßnahmen und die Kostenfrage eine Rolle spielten. Es schließt sich eine Darstellung von Prozessen und Regulierungsversuchen in Zusammenhang mit dem Nitratproblem im politischen Raum an, in der der Verfasser die Interdependenz unterschiedlicher Politikarenen, rechtliche und institutionelle Restriktionen, das Verteilungsmuster von Macht- und Einflußsphären und die daraus resultierende Segmentierung von Ansätzen zur Bewältigung des Problems herausarbeitet. (WZ)

This report is presented by the Nitrates Expert Group1 comprising officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government; Teagasc, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG) is the lead authority for the Nitrates Regulations (SI 605 2017). The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine implements and operates the Nitrates Derogation (SI 65 2018). Teagasc is actively researching and promoting mitigation measures for livestock farmers and the EPA is responsible for monitoring and reporting environmental indicators. A review of Ireland?s nitrates derogation has been conducted to examine further opportunities for derogation farmers to improve efficiencies and continue to reduce their environmental footprint with regard to water, climate and air quality. It is conducted against the background of derogation farms being a very significant intensive cohort and the increasing area being farmed under the derogation. Furthermore, recent EPA reports have highlighted deterioration in water quality and increasing green house gas and ammonia emissions. Following this consultation, the Nitrates Expert Group examined all submissions and provided the recommendations in relation to how derogation farmers can improve their nutrient use efficiency and environmental footprint. It is expected that the outcome of this review, including recommendations, will be published in autumn 2019, in order to allow derogation farmers sufficient time to plan for 2020 and beyond.

AbstractThis paper, describes nitrate concentrations in a groundwater catchment currently designated as a nitrate‐sensitive area. Although the scheme has been operational for two years, groundwater nitrate concentrations have regularly exceeded the EC maximum admissible concentration of 11.3 mg/1 NO3‐N (50 mg/1 NO3) from sources draining both arable and grassland management regimes. Nitrate levels from arable areas tend to produce a seasonal pattern of winter leaching and summer uptake, whilst no such pattern or fluctuation is observed from grassland areas. Four processes are defined which regulate nitrate inputs to the saturated zone of the Great Oolite aquifer: (i) availability of 'free'nitrogen, (ii) variations in nitrogen uptake, (iii) leaching of nitrates from the soil environment, and (iv) limited atttenuation within the unsaturated zone.