Find out how greenhouses have become a source of pesticide emissions into the environment and put human health at risk!
The European Union pesticide legislation considers greenhouses to be closed systems that do not generate toxic emissions to the environment. However, a study conducted by Ecologistas en Acción (Ecologists in Action) shows the opposite. According to analyses carried out in Almeria, pesticides allowed exclusively inside greenhouses escape from these structures and contaminate nearby ecosystems.
The results of these analyses indicate that some chemicals, such as the fungicide Metalaxyl M, permitted only for indoor use due to its high toxicity, are found outside the greenhouses and may affect the environment and human health. In addition, 22 other different pesticides were additionally detected in a sample taken at the Sotomontes wetland, nine of which are not approved in the EU.
This fact is aggravated by the fact that 19 of the pesticides detected are found in concentrations above the established thresholds and that the total concentration of pesticides in the samples is approximately 12 times higher than the threshold proposed by the European Commission.
Greenhouses are emitters of toxic substances
In a second study conducted by Ecologistas en Acción, high glyphosate contamination was detected in samples taken at different points, exceeding in all cases the quality standard established by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
Kistiñe García, spokesperson for Ecologistas en Acción, pointed out that greenhouses are not watertight spaces but act as sources of toxic substances emitted into the environment. In view of this alarming situation, García has called on the European and Spanish authorities to change the legislation and not to allow the use of prohibited substances in greenhouses outdoors.
There is a need for greater awareness of the importance of regulating and controlling the use of pesticides in greenhouses, as well as promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices. The protection of our ecosystems and our health must be a priority in the face of the advance of agricultural production.
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