Pesticides in groundwater (Flanders)

When using some pesticides, there is a risk that they or their degradation products will end up in groundwater. They can cause pollution for a long time. Especially hard-degradable agents with high mobility due to good water solubility and low adsorption capacity of soil particles pose a potential danger to groundwater. Furthermore, the spread of pesticides is determined by the characteristics of the aquifers present, such as the permeability, the hydraulic gradient and the presence/absence of adsorbent substances. Pesticides and their metabolites are found almost exclusively in the phreatic (shallow) aquifers due to their environmental external origin and recent application.