Calculations conducted by the Ecological-Social Market Economy Forum (FÖS) suggest that nitrate-contaminated drinking water in Germany could impose annual costs of nearly 75 million euros for treating colon cancer. Adding to this, the environmental organization Greenpeace, which commissioned the study, reported on Thursday that there are additional indirect economic losses of almost 66 million euros each year. Consequently, the overall societal costs, including the loss of healthy life years, amount to approximately 1.16 billion euros annually.
Currently, high nutrient runoff from agriculture is the primary driver of groundwater contamination by nitrate. In fact, data show that 62 percent of drinking water measurement stations across Germany register values at or above 10 milligrams per liter, far below the legal threshold of 50 milligrams per liter. Greenpeace emphasizes that long-term international studies indicate that the risk of colon cancer may increase even at concentrations significantly lower than Germany’s mandated limit.
In response, Denmark plans to introduce a limit of six milligrams of nitrate per liter alongside strict fertilizer regulations. Jörg Schullehner, an Associate Professor at Aarhus University, praised this move, stating that Denmark’s decision to drastically lower the nitrate limit is a strong action for public health. He added that it will raise the protection level against potential chronic health issues linked to nitrate contamination and is a long-overdue application of the precautionary principle.
Greenpeace agricultural expert Stephanie Töwe argued that tackling nitrogen surpluses is a more cost-effective and sustainable approach than treating nitrate-contaminated water, which is complex and expensive. She recommended that stringent fertilizer guidelines and confined animal farming are the most effective preventative measures.
While colon cancer has multiple causes-such as quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake, or limiting red meat consumption-Töwe pointed out that because we all must drink water, the nitrate issue becomes critical. She concluded that even if there is only a suspicion that nitrates in the water could increase the risk of colon cancer, policymakers must better protect drinking water sources from the consequences of excessive fertilization.
