Fertilisers give nitrogen overdose to Maltese soil
Nitrogen in our soil is more than double the EU average
James Debono
A study conducted by the National Office of Statistics reveals that nitrogen levels in Maltese farms is two and a half times the average in other EU member states, posing a potential health risk to people who extract groundwater through illegal boreholes.
The study measured the gross nitrogen balance on Maltese farms, which is the amount of nitrogen that remains in the soil after cultivation of crops.
Nitrogen enters the agricultural system through mineral fertilisers and manure, and a high nitrogen balance is an indication of water pollution due to the leaching of nitrates into the water table beneath.
Due to high levels of nitrates, groundwater extracted by the Water Services Corporation is mixed with desalinated water to respect safety norms. But water extracted directly from illegal boreholes could pose a health risk.
The Gross Nitrogen Balance for Malta was estimated at being 117 kgN/ha (kilogram of nitrogen per hectare) while the median level in EU Member stands at 47 kgN/ha.
The only three EU countries with higher levels than Malta were the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark: countries whose agriculture is dominated by livestock production.
Nitrogen levels are particularly low in most Mediterranean countries except Malta, because of lower livestock production in this part of Europe.
The survey covered the agricultural year from September 2006 to August in 2007.
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