MANILA (AFP) — Drinking water contaminated by fertiliser has been found on a number of farms in the northern Philippines, environmental group Greenpeace said Friday.
Groundwater analysis conducted by Greenpeace scientists found 30 percent of artesian wells tested in Benguet and Bulacan provinces on the main island of Luzon had nitrate levels above the World Health Organisation safety threshold, the group said in a statement.
It also found high levels of nitrates around sweet pepper farms in Mangnuang, a village in the northern province of Ilocos Norte.
The group said it was caused by nitrogen-based fertiliser runoff, which poses health risks, especially to children.
Previous studies conducted by other scientists between 1995 and 1999 found pesticide residues in groundwater wells around other farming areas in Ilocos Norte in concentrations that exceeded European Union safety limits, it added.
"Clearly there is a need to shift away from the current industrial agriculture system which promotes the reliance on agrochemicals while neglecting to consider their negative effects on human health, the environment, and the economy of local communities," Greenpeace said.
It called for organic alternatives to chemical pesticides and fertilisers.
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