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Date Published: 12/10/2021
ARCHIVED - Subterranean water in Murcia is the most nitrate-laden in Europe
Spanish subterranean water sources are amongst the most contaminated in Europe
According to a report published by the European Commission (EC), the Region of Murcia was the most nitrate-contaminated area in Spain, and one of the worst affected in Europe, between 2016 and 2019.
Over 50 milligrams of nitrate per litre were found in Murcia’s subterranean water and, in some parts of the region, the quantity of nitrates even reached 200 mg per litre, due to the nitrate-laden fertilizer used by the agricultural sector, which seeps into the soil and contaminates water supplies.
This recently published report coincides with the Mar Menor scandal in the Region of Murcia, which has seen thousands of fish dead and the lagoon’s ecosystem badly damaged in recent months due to agricultural run-off reaching the fragile salt-water lake. Local, regional and national governments in Spain have been publicly criticized for allowing the contamination of the Mar Menor to reach such extreme levels by not properly policing the agricultural land surrounding the lagoon.
As a whole, Spain is amongst the countries with the worst water quality in Europe which, according to the EC, is due to a “systematic problem” with managing the pollution caused by nutrients used by farmers.
Also topping the European leader board for most contaminated water are the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta and the Netherlands along with some “critical areas” in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Italy, Portugal and Romania.
The European Commission has addressed the problem of nitrate contamination caused by agricultural activity stating that “drastic measures” are needed in order to fix the water quality before 2027 and the Mar Menor is being used as a warning sign for other countries, as the dismal state of the lagoon is a clear consequence of how uncontrolled nitrate contamination can affect the natural environment.
Image: European Commission
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