HC Deb 20 December 1984 vol 70 cc261-2W
Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what monitoring of pesticide pollution of the atmosphere is carried out in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Waldegrave

Monitoring of pesticides in the atmosphere is carried out on a case-by-case basis for the purposes of specific research or where a specific problem requires investigation. Routine general monitoring of ambient levels of pesticides in the atmosphere is not thought to be necessary or justified.

Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list those pesticides which have been detected in groundwater and in river waters in each of the water authority regions in England in each of the last five years;

(2) what monitoring of pesticide contamination of groundwater and of river water is carried out in each of the water authority regions in England;

(3) if he will list those pesticides known to occur or to have occurred in drinking water supplied to consumers in (a) Cardiff, (b) London,' (c) Edinburgh and (d) Birmingham in each of the last five years.

Mr. Macfarlane

Data on pesticides detected in rivers and groundwater are not held centrally. However, all water authorities monitor their surface waters for the main organochlorine pesticide compounds. The general levels do not give cause for concern, either for human health or for aquatic life.

As there is less information on the newer pesticides which are replacing the organochlorines, the Department of the Environment is sponsoring exploratory surveys of these substances at some 250 sites in the United Kingdom.

Groundwaters are not generally monitored for pesticides except when they are used for water supplies.

Traces of atrazone, simazine, lindane and dieldrin have been detected in London water supplies in the last year at concentrations well below any known health risk.

No pesticides have been detected in Birmingham water supplies. My Department does not have information on pesticide concentrations in water supplies for earlier years, or for Cardiff or Edinburgh.