Pesticide load Biodiversity of small waterbodies

The 2024 status report shows that most of the small water bodies examined between 2018 and 2021 had a good to very good status based on their contamination with pesticides. A status update will be provided in 2028.

Due to limited databases, the pollution indicator “plant protection product contamination” could so far only be applied to the small water body type 'Sölle of the North German Plain' in the agricultural landscape without a temporal comparison or distinction between agricultural areas. 9% of the small water bodies examined were in very poor condition in terms of their pesticide contamination.

The data basis is the TU_max for the water flea Daphnia magna or the chironomid midge Chironomus riparius of pesticide active ingredients according to the analyzed active ingredient spectrum per small water body. The indicator values calculated using representative samples within the small water body backdrop (> 0.15 ha to < 1.0 ha) are reported at national level. Where the spatial coverage of the samples allows, the national reporting level can be supplemented with agricultural area-specific statements. With the start of implementation of the monitoring, the first results will be available from 2023; the indicator will be reported completely after renewed data collection at 5-year intervals. The indicator only shows the direct effects of the pesticide active ingredients. Indirect effects through influencing habitat and water quality on macrozoobenthos diversity are shown in the impact indicator “Biodiversity and Plant Protection”.