Nitrate in drinking water: "It’s time for Governments to phase out chemical fertilisers" (Greenpeace)

"With mounting scientific evidence of the health risks from nitrate, it’s time for Governments to end livestock expansion and phase out chemical fertilisers to ensure that 'safe and clean' water isn't a luxury, but a guarantee", said Amanda Larsson, Global Project Lead for Agriculture at Greenpeace, on 08/04/2026.

Greenpeace reacted to the recent conclusion of an international expert group, commissioned by the Danish Ministry of Environment, which concluded that the "current limit of nitrate in drinking water is insufficient to protect public health".

The expert group recommended reducing the permitted level of nitrates in drinking water from 50 mg/L to 6 mg/L to "minimise the risk of colorectal cancer".

"According to the EEA, mineral fertilisers and manure are the main sources of nitrate concentrations in EU groundwaters and an estimated 80% of the nitrogen discharge to the EU aquatic environment stems from agriculture", Greenpeace pointed out.

The NGO also highlighted that "there is a significant gap between current regulations and the latest health science research". According to…