Costa Rican pineapple farms contaminating water, study shows - FreshFruitPortal.com

Costa Rican pineapple farms contaminating water, study shows

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Costa Rican pineapple farms contaminating water, study shows

A study by Costa Rica's National University (UNA) has found traces of pineapple farming pesticides in rivers and streams in the country's LimĆ³n province, website Elpais.cr reported.

The results showed the contamination was caused by runoff, following biological tests in the lower basin of the JimƩnez River between GuƔcimo and Pococƭ, along with three sites in the upper basin.

The tests were presented by biologist Silvia Echeverrƭa SƔenz, revealing the presence of pesticides capable of killing laboratory organisms.

"When a pesticide enters rivers and streams it could have a toxic effect on aquatic organisms that inhabit these bodies of surface water. In other words, they could be causing harmful effects on aquatic life and this could cause imbalance in food chains, or even the loss of biodiversity," she was quoted as saying.

The pesticides found included carbaryl, diazinon, ethoprophos, bromasil, ametrine, hexazinone, diuron, triadimefon and chlorothalonil, the story reported.

Pineapples are Costa Rica's second-largest agricultural export with more than 50,000 hectares of the crop planted across the country.

Related stories: Costa Rica: pineapple growers blamed for eco degradation

Costa Rica uses most pesticides per hectare

Photo: El Pais

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