1. science
2. ecology
3. pollution

Groundwater Protection
and Authorisation of
Plant Protection Products
(Pesticides)
Lea Frimann Hansen, Head of Division
Pesticides and Genetechnology
Structure of groundwater services in Denmark
• Ministry of the Environment is responsible for the overall
planning, mapping and monitoring
• The municipalities are responsible for the water supply
and wastewater treatment and supervision/inspection
• Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland performs
the scientific research, development and databases
• Water companies are responsible for water extraction
and drinking water supply and municipal tasks in relation
to protection of groundwater
PAGE 2
Danish water supply
• 100 % of the drinking water derives from ground water
• The Danish water supply is highly decentralized
• 92 public water companies owned by local authorities
and 2.400 private water companies
• Total Danish drinking water extraction:
400 mill. m3/year
• Share of water extraction:
Municipal 60 %
Private 40 %
A modern Danish waterwork
PAGE 3
Pesticide legislation
Authorisation of Pesticides
• EU Regulation 1107/2009 – entry into force
14/6-2011
• Zonal assessment – North Zone
• National approval - considering national
conditions
Environmental assessments
General principles
• Uniform Principles in EU
• EU/EFSA guidance
Specific requirements:
• Nordic Zone Guidance document
• Danish Framework for Assessment of PPPs
• Tiered approach
Major topics in relation to water
pollution
For active substances and metabolites
• Persistency in soil
• Mobility in soil – risk to groundwater and
drinking water
• Risk to surface water
(not used for drinking water in DK)
Metabolites
In Denmark all metabolites* are considered
relevant, unless:
They are inherently considered non-toxic,
occur commonly in nature (for example
pyrimidine) or are simple substances such as
saccharine
* Metabolites are defined as all degradation, reaction and transformation products
that differ from the ultimate mineralisation products, i.e. CO2, H2O and mineral
salts
Persistency in soil
Tier 0: Based on laboratory tests of
degradation in soil and values normalised to
20 degrees and moisture content at field
capacity (pF2).
• DT50 < 3 months and/or a DT90 < 1 year
Based on soil types representative for Danish
conditions
Persistency in soil
Tier 1: Consider relevant field tests performed
with representative soil types under similar
climatic conditions
and the proposed conditions of use.
• DT50 < 3 months and/or a DT90 < 1 year
Persistency in soil
Tier 2: If based on the available studies, the
active substance or metabolites:
• have a DT50 between 3 and 6 months
- consider transport away from the target area, i.e.
vegetation/soil, e.g. by evaporation or leaching (ad
hoc appraisal)
- field studies on non-target organisms required
• have a DT50 > 6 months
- no authorisation
Mobility/leaching studies
• Adsorption studies (Koc, 1/n)
• (Column leaching studies)
• Lysiometer and field studies
(representative conditions)
Groundwater assessment
EU models (FOCUS) scenarios
• Specific modelling for Dk based
on more conservative in- and
output values
Higher tier:
• Monitoring data
• Pesticides Leaching
Assessment Programme (PLAP)
Model calculations in EU and DK
Degradation rate
EU
Average or median of DT50
DK
80th percentile worst-case of DT50
Sorption
Average or median of 1/n and Kfoc
80th percentil worst-case for 1/n
20th percentil worst-case for Kfoc
Evaluation of output
Average leaching for each of the 20
years modelled is calculated. Then an
80th percentile is calculated and this
must not be > 0.1 µg/L
Average leaching for each of the 20 years
modelled is calculated. If there are
exceedances of 0.1 µg/L in more than 1
out of 20 years then the product cannot
be approved
Use of product every
second or third year
If a product is used every second year First part is like in the EU, but in DK all
then 40 years are modelled with
years are evaluated individually, so for
application every second year, if used use every second your all 40 years are
every third year then 60 years are
evaluated and two exceedances of 0.1
modelled with application every third µg/L are allowed. For use every third year
year. For use every second year
it is 60 years and three exceedances are
averages are calculated for each set of allowed.
two year, likewise for use every third
year averages are calculated for every
three year period. Hence you end up
with 20 values of which an 80th
percentile is calculated.
Non relevant metabolites may exceed All metabolites are relevant and have to
0.1 µg/L.
fulfill the same criteria as the active
substance.
Metabolites
PLAP- Pesticides Leaching Assessment
Programme
In 1998 the Danish Parliament decided that:
• .. an early warning system for monitoring quality of
“young” groundwater under arable fields should be
established
– in operation since 1999/2000.
• .. data from the system should be used for checking the
pesticide approval procedures performed by European
and Danish authorities.
- and the system should make it possible to re-evaluate pesticides
in case leaching to groundwater exceeded 0.1 µ L-1.
The Parliament is provided funding
Cost - approximately 9.3 million DKkr. per year
PLAP locations
Tylstrup
Silstrup
Grovsandet
Coarse sand
Finsandet
Fine sandjord
Lerblandet
sandjord
Loamy sand
Sandblandet
Sandy loam lerjord
Lerjord
Clay
Svær
Heavylerjord
clay
Humus
Humic jord
Bebyggelse
Cities
vand
Waters
Estrup
Fårdrup
Jyndevad
Pesticide sensitive sandy soils
Mapping of highly pesticide sensitive sandy soils
Focused groundwater protection
Catchment area
Special Drinking Water Interest
Areas
Focus areas
according to
municipalities
Focus area –
ION, § 13 by
designated
Ministry of
Environment
Nitrate
senstive
areas
Focus area
designated
by MIM
Nitrate
sensitive
areas
Pesticides sensitive
areas
• Full compensation for loss of income and value of property when
municipalities makes action plans
Protection zones
•
•
Protection zones for public abstraction wells:
- physical protection zone (10 m), mandatory 25 m-zone,
- optional protection zone covering vicinity of wells
Full compensation via tariffs
Conclusion
In Denmark we have:
• A restricted general approach in the approval
system
• Post approval Monitoring in PLAP
• Specific/local Protection areas
What’s new?
• International review of the groundwater
protection from pesticides in Denmark
Thank you