Malta’s Groundwater Has Highest Levels Of Ammonia in EU – And Comes Second For Nitrates
Malta is among the countries that have the highest amounts of nitrates and ammonia in the water table, according to a recently published Eurostat study.
While the amount of nitrates in EU groundwater has remained stable at just under 21 milligrams per litre since 2004, this is not the same for Malta.
As for ammonia, Malta has the highest levels in the entire EU, with Cyprus having the highest levels of nitrates and Malta’s levels coming in second place.
Ammonia levels per EU country
The high levels of ammonia and nitrates in groundwater are reportedly linked to the excessive inputs of nitrogen from agricultural sources such as mineral fertiliser and livestock manure.
“Several countries among those with the highest ammonia emissions per hectare of utilised agricultural area in Europe, such as Malta, Cyprus, Belgium and Germany, are also struggling the most with high nitrates levels in groundwater,” the report reads.
Nitrate levels per EU country
Agricultural emissions are also mainly linked to the management of agricultural soils, livestock, rice production and biomass burning.
“The agricultural sector is also responsible for considerable quantities of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for more than 11% of total GHG emissions in the EU in 2020.”
Although necessary for plants, nitrates can be extremely dangerous for humans and can harm the respiratory and reproductive system, kidney, spleen, and thyroid in children and adults.
When ammonia is present in water at high enough levels, it is difficult for aquatic organisms to sufficiently excrete the toxicant, leading to toxic buildup in internal tissues and blood, and potentially death.
What do you make of these statistics?
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