Plant protection products in the environment

Plant protection products (PPPs) are chemical and biological products that are intended to protect plants from damage by animals or diseases such as fungal infestation. PPPs also include products that are used to control plants such as undesirable weeds. On average, around nine kilograms of PPPs are used per hectare of agricultural land each year. PPPs are therefore introduced into the environment on a large scale and in a targeted manner like no other chemical.

The spread of PPPs in the environment takes place via various entry paths. PPPs can also drift into neighbouring areas when they are applied using spraying equipment. PPPs can also enter surface waters through run-off after heavy rainfall and via drainage pipes. In turn, seepage is a relevant entry pathway for groundwater. In this way, PPPs also enter soils and water bodies outside the actual treatment areas and their impact is not limited to the actual treatment area.

PPPs are toxic to the respective target species as intended. However, due to their broad spectrum of action, a harmful effect on non-target species cannot be ruled out. The degradation of PPPs in the environment is slow and residues sometimes remain in soil and water for longer periods. The contamination of groundwater with PPPs is currently declining, as certain active substances have been banned for years or decades and are slowly degrading in the groundwater. In contrast, the number of findings of active substances and degradation products of currently authorised PPPs remains constant. However, the informative value of such surveys is limited by the fact that the selection of monitoring sites is limited or the detection limits of the available methods are inadequate. The actual contamination is often much higher than assumed in the authorisation of PPPs, as targeted investigations in surface waters on agricultural land have shown.

A major challenge in the future will be to minimise the use of PPPs and to develop more ecologically compatible measures for a high harvest success.

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