Tulip Growers’ Pesticides Flood Waterways, Dutch Officials Say
Tulip growers are flooding local waterways in this flower-growing region with pesticides, including such banned substances as DDT, to protect their crops, water officials said Friday.
“All kinds of pesticides were found in surface waters in the bulb-growing area, and their levels were far above the norms in most cases,” said Hans van der Hoek, a spokesman for the local water management board.
“In samples, we’ve even found long-banned substances such as DDT, aldrin, and dieldrin,” Van der Hoek said.
All three are highly toxic substances, but Van der Hoek said it had not been determined if the pesticide levels in the water were a threat to public health.
One-fifth of the Netherlands’ 39,500-acre bulb-growing area lies just north of this western Dutch city. The remainder is spread over the northwestern and central Netherlands.
Van der Hoek said that the water management board had launched a joint study with the bulb growers on how to tackle the problem.
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