Evian drinking water tainted with pesticides, Swiss researchers find
Evian water was first bottled in 1826 and has been owned by Danone since 1970.
Keystone / Martin Ruetschi
Swiss researchers have found residues of the banned pesticide chlorothalonil in Evian mineral water, according to the SonntagsZeitung newspaper.External link
The concentration is well below the legal limits and is not harmful to health but the finding is seen as significant because Evian water, which springs directly from the heart of the Alps, is considered so pure that scientists use it to calibrate their measuring instruments.
“The fact that even the Evian springs in the French Alps, which are hardly affected by humans, contain pesticide residues is alarming and shows the far too careless handling of these substances,” Roman Wiget, president of the international drinking water association AWBRExternal link told the German-language Swiss weekly.
Evian mineral water is owned by the French multinational corporation Danone. The water originates in several sources near Évian-les-Bains, on the southern shore of Lake Geneva.
The concentration of chlorothalonil found in Evian is “comparable with Lake Zurich water”, said Juliane Hollender, co-author of the Eawag study.
Switzerland’s Federal Office for AgricultureExternal link approved the use of chlorothalonil in the 1970s. The active substance was used to combat fungal attacks in cereal, vegetable, vine and ornamental plant cultivation.
Last year, based on new research findings, the Swiss government re-designated chlorothalonil as “probably carcinogenic” and prohibited its use from the beginning of 2020.
This content was published on
Drinking water in at least a third of Switzerland’s 26 cantons contains above-recommended levels of the banned pesticide chlorothalonil.
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
Swiss Solidarity raises over CHF10 million for victims of extreme weather
This content was published on
The money raised will be used to help those affected by the recent storms and flooding in the cantons of Ticino, Graubünden, and Valais.
Swiss giant Roche given green light for lung cancer drug in Canada
This content was published on
According to a recent study, Roche’s Alecensaro reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 76% compared to chemotherapy alone.
Swiss luxury watch market hit hard by China-led slump
This content was published on
Sales of Swiss-made luxury watches are in sharp retreat as nervous consumers reconsider splashing out on expensive timepieces and demand slumps.
Swiss foreign minister briefs Russian counterpart on Ukraine peace summit
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in New York, during Russia's presidency of the UN Security Council.
Criminal proceedings filed over Swiss components in Russian weapons
This content was published on
The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs has opened more than 50 administrative criminal proceedings for violations of sanctions against Russia.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss groundwater quality threatened by pollution
This content was published on
The water quality studyExternal link from the Federal Office for the EnvironmentExternal link (FOEN), released on Thursday, said groundwater faces the greatest pressures in areas of high farming activity. It stated that groundwater is currently safe to drink but argued for a range of measures to ensure that remains the case. The study measured water…
Does saving bee colonies mean breaking with tradition?
This content was published on
Experts have presented new ideas to help save the bees, but they may struggle to gain acceptance among traditional beekeepers.
This content was published on
One couple in Switzerland is connecting consumers with coffee farmers in Ethiopia to make the best and most sustainable cup of coffee.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.