Environment Minister on thousands of watercourse pollutions: 'Far too high numbers'

Environment Minister Maria Reumert Gjerding (SF) is now responding to the new figures showing that the vast majority of Danish streams are contaminated with heavy metals.

"These are far too high numbers, and we must take them very seriously," the environment minister says in a written comment to DR.

Nearly four out of five streams are contaminated with the heavy metal zinc. And nearly half are contaminated with copper. This is shown by DR’s review of the large amount of data underlying the Ministry of Environment’s latest condition assessments of almost 6,700 stream stretches in Denmark.

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Manure is the primary source

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The vast majority of the zinc and copper that has ended up in the aquatic environment is estimated to come from agricultural fertiliser. This is shown by figures from the Ministry of Environment that DR has reviewed.

Zinc and copper have been added to pig feed for decades. From there, some of the heavy metals end up in the manure, which is spread on fields, and from there some of the substances are washed into streams.

According to the environment minister, the new figures show that the transformation of agriculture that the government has called for is necessary.

"In the government platform, the government has set a clear direction for the transformation of agriculture with a goal of fewer livestock. This will mean fewer pigs, less animal feed and less fertiliser containing environmentally harmful substances such as zinc and copper, which can burden the aquatic environment," the environment minister writes to DR.

The minister will now incorporate the new information into the upcoming work on transforming the pig sector.

"Therefore, I will also ensure that the need for further measures to reduce emissions of zinc and copper from fertiliser is assessed in connection with the upcoming water area plans," the environment minister writes to DR.

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Minister: We will not meet the EU requirement for good status on time

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Denmark – like the rest of the EU countries – is obliged to ensure good status in, among other things, our streams by the end of next year.

It was already impossible to achieve that. But with the many newly discovered zinc and copper contaminations, the goal is even further away. That is the assessment of John Jensen, senior researcher in ecotoxicology at Aarhus University.

"It is absolutely fundamentally unrealistic. It cannot be done," he says.

The Danish Society for Nature Conservation agrees.

"These are just two substances that are out in our streams. But there is a long list of other problems that also need to be solved before we can meet our obligations to the EU regarding good status in all our Danish streams," says Anna Bak Jäpelt, agricultural policy advisor at the Danish Society for Nature Conservation.

The environment minister writes to DR that the Danish Parliament has already been informed that Denmark will not achieve the target.

"Given the backlog from decades of pollution of the aquatic environment, many steps need to be taken to reach the goal. But the goal is absolutely firm: The aquatic environment must achieve good status, and Denmark must live up to the Water Framework Directive," the environment minister writes to DR.

The minister does not write to DR when the new government expects Danish streams, lakes, coastal waters and groundwater to achieve good status and thus be free of pollution from hazardous substances, among other things.

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Agriculture: We have followed the rules

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The agricultural interest organisation, Landbrug & Fødevarer, emphasises that pig producers have followed the rules for the use of zinc and copper.

"We have followed the rules that existed regarding how much could be added to the feed. It's just that people became aware of the major consequences for the environment too late, and regulation should have been put in place earlier," says Bent Ib Hansen, chief consultant at Landbrug & Fødevarer.

So you believe that the authorities have a major responsibility here regarding when things were corrected. But what about your own responsibility?

"We all have a responsibility. We used it based on what was good for the animal in terms of production and growth, and we didn't focus on the environmental side effects," explains Bent Ib Hansen.

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Expectation of fewer zinc contaminations

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Fortunately, there is reason to believe that the trend for zinc will turn.

Since 2022, it has been prohibited to give pigs medicinal zinc, which Danish pigs otherwise received on top of the zinc added to the feed.

"We do expect that in the long term the limit values will be met in the aquatic environment," says Bent Ib Hansen from Landbrug & Fødevarer.

The latest condition assessments are based on measurements up to and including 2022. Therefore, the effect of the ban on medicinal zinc has not yet been reflected in the current condition assessments.

Senior researcher John Jensen, however, doubts that all zinc contamination will disappear without further action.

"It is clear that it (the ban on medicinal zinc, ed.) will have a beneficial effect compared to what it would otherwise have developed into. Whether it is sufficient for us to reach the goal? I don't think we can say that at present," says John Jensen.

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