River Itchen: Atrazine

(asked on 2nd April 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the incidence of atrazine in the River Itchen near the Alresford Salads factory.


Answered by
Thérèse Coffey Portrait
Thérèse Coffey
This question was answered on 8th April 2019

The Environment Agency (EA) monitors groundwater boreholes in the surrounding area of the Alre catchment (where Alresford Salads factory is located), and in the principal River Itchen, for atrazine and its breakdown products. The EA therefore holds monitoring data on atrazine and its concentrations for the River Itchen and groundwater in the Alre catchment, including self-monitoring data provided by Alresford Salads. The data confirms that riverine concentrations of atrazine within the Itchen are consistent with atrazine concentrations detected in groundwater. The data shows a reduction in atrazine concentrations over time, and consistently below the Environmental Quality Standard, Drinking Water Standard and Predicted No Effect Concentration.

Atrazine is a herbicide that no longer has EU approval for use. Its use was restricted in 2006 and completely withdrawn in 2007 in the UK.

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