Agricultural Pollution

Agricultural pollution refers to the contaminants present in the environment as a reaction of agricultural practices. Most effects of agricultural pollution are felt in water environments and are caused by runoff from farms and barnyards like as ammonia, pesticides, fertilizers, oil toxins, and animal away that make their way into humanity of water. Agricultural pollution also negatively affects the quality of air. Chemicals and byproducts from the agricultural industry are quite harmful to the natural environment and can pose a problem for humans as well. As the world ' s population continues to grow at a heavy proportion the demand for biting agriculture will reach high, and so combating agricultural pollution will be increasingly difficult. With this in mind, several alternatives to industrial agriculture, with its polluting tendencies, have been explored and are being utilized today.

Pesticides used to kill insects that feed on crops can cause much damage to the environment if used inappropriately. Excessive pesticides remain in the soil after sprayings and are washed away by rain that forces them to be absorbed into groundwater. Avoiding pesticide contamination is a tricky process only feasible through careful containment practices. The same problem exists with the use of fertilizers. Excrements produced by cattle and other barnyard animals also cause pollution. The methane released from cow flatulence is also a type of greenhouse gas making it partly responsible for global warming. Emissions from the use of fossil fuels by tractors and other farm equipment used in agriculture also contribute to air pollution. Fires, which are not uncommon on farms, can be very detrimental to the environment if fertilizer or waste products are being burnt. The problem of agricultural pollution is not simply felt in regions in farming regions. Contaminates in rivers can be carried all the way to the ocean and polluted air can be blown to other areas with denser populations.

Agricultural pollution poses numerous human health problems. Chemicals that make their way into groundwater can eventually end up in water sources that are used for drinking. Blue baby syndrome, a disease that causes death in infants, is often caused by contaminated water. Pesticides released into the air and emissions from farm equipment cause difficulty breathing and a host of respiratory problems. Fertilizers, manure, waste, and ammonia that are present in water release nitrogen that reduces the amount of oxygen present resulting in the death of fish and other marine animals.

While industrial agriculture is the most efficient way to produce large quantities of food, the pollution associated with it raises many environmental and health concerns. In light of this, there has been a shift to organic farming which uses more natural ways to raise crops and livestock and avoids the use of harmful chemicals. The use of alternative crops that require less fertilizer because they are adapted to the environment in which they are grown also help to reduce agricultural pollution. However, the demand for cheaper and higher quantities of food as world population steadily rises will make changes in farming methods less likely and more difficult.

Nutrient Pollution - Consequences In Water - Causes And Effects

Nutrient pollution refers to a model of pollution in which nutrients, regularly nitrogen and phosphorus, are present in a high concentration that is damaging to ecosystems. Nutrient pollution is primarily a problem in aquatic ecosystems, equaling as streams, rivers, rewards, and lakes. It is particularly an issue of concern in lakes and relatively closed or contained tributes, like the Chesapeake bay. Nutrient pollution is caused primarily by the over - use of fertilizers in agriculture, or by away from animal farming operations. The negative effects of this pollution are to disrupt, damage, or nuke aquatic ecosystems, which regularly can have negative environmental impacts, by destroying fishing industries.

This article gives a brief overview of nutrient pollution, including its causes in agriculture and its effects on waterways and fishing industries. The article concludes with some concrete recommendations of what can be done to prevent this type of pollution, both for farmers, and for concerned clan.

How does nutrient pollution work?

Nutrients compatible as nitrogen and phosphorus are essential for all living ecosystems. Phosphorus is present in soils, and typically originates from the underlying rock or geologic substrates. Nitrogen is present in the mood, but unrivaled enters the ecosystem through a conglomerate process of nitrogen fixation, which is carried out primarily by certain plants and bacteria. The growth of plants are limited by the availability of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients, so in agriculture, the yield of crops can often be improved by applying fertilizers containing these nutrients.

Plants, however, will only utilize a certain amount of nutrients; once they have as much as they need, they are then limited by other factors, like the availability of sun or water, and the remainder of the nutrients will remain in the soil, where it leeches out when it rains, and runs off into the water table or nearby streams.

Although nutrients are beneficial to some plants, an overabundance of nutrients can cause problems in aquatic ecosystems, primarily because it can cause algal blooms. Algae, which are fast - growing microorganisms or simple plants, respond to the influx of nutrients by growing rapidly. The new growth can choke out existing plants, cloud the water, and clog waterways. When the algae begin to die, the process uses up dissolved oxygen, and if the algal bloom was big enough, it can create a dead zone. This process is called eutrophication. Eutrophication is primarily an issue in lakes and closed bodies of water, but it also happens in rivers and bays as well. Even in areas where eutrophication does not happen, nutrients can still harm and disrupt ecosystems by altering the balance of the various species.

Impact on the fishing industry:

The issue of pollution caused by runoff of nutrients from agriculture is not just an issue of protecting the environment. This form of pollution has immediate and tangible economic impacts. When an aquatic ecosystem is disrupted, the populations of all animals, including fish, crabs, oysters, and other shellfish, are disrupted. In many cases, such as in the Chesapeake bay, whole fishing industries have been destroyed. Whole towns, reliant on fishing for their livelihood, have been driven to economic ruin as a result of the waning populations of fish, caused in part by nutrient pollution, combined with other types of agricultural and industrial pollution.

Causes of nutrient pollution:

The overwhelming majority of cases of nutrient pollution are caused by runoff from agriculture. The main two culprits are the over - use of fertilizer by farming operations growing crops, and the runoff of waste from animal farming operations, such as pig farms or chicken farms.

Nutrient runoff is a wasted resource:

Because nutrients are valuable inputs into the agricultural process, nutrient pollution involves unnecessary waste, waste of inputs, or a wasted resource which is being discarded. In sustainable farming practices, the farmer will apply only the amount of fertilizer that is needed, and the nutrients will be taken up completely by the crops being grown. In sustainable production of animals, the animal waste will be gathered and used as fertilizer for other crops. For example, traditional farming methods use manure from cows and large animals, as well as chicken and pig waste, to fertilize other crops.

A point for hope:

This last realization is a point for hope. Nutrient pollution is not necessary; it represents an inefficiency. It is a problem that can be solved. But there are other ways in which people can prevent or minimize the effects of this form of pollution. One simple but powerful solution is the creation of buffer zones, wild green spaces, along waterways. By filling the areas along streams and rivers with lush growth of plants, the plants will extract nutrients from the water before it runs into the river, and use it for their own growth. The preservation and restoration of wetlands also has a similar effect, filtering nutrients out of the water, as plants use them for their own growth. By raising awareness of these issues, we can ultimately solve the problem of nutrient pollution.

Water Pollution its Causes, Prevention And Conservation

Water pollution has become the extensive source of concern these days. There are at odds human activities which are constrained for affecting quality of water that includes industry misspend, disposal of human misuse, urbanization, population growth, etc. In country like India where water pollution is caused terribly due to Industrial, agriculture and sewage squander, as a denouement this affects the quality of drinking water away or indirectly polluting rivers, lake and sea. Besides there is not enough facility to treat this misspend water in many cities in India. On the other hand due to consistent growth of industries has not peerless resulted in to water pollution but it has also leaded to rise in air pollution as well. Water pollution in India is rapidly increasing as one of the reasons is polluted water gets transported to different cities via medium of rivers, etc. Water pollution has not only affected human life but it also has severely affected marine ecosystem as a whole.

In general, there are many causes of water pollution. Some of the causes of water pollution are listed below:

Industrial waste

Sewage and waste water

Oil spills

Underground storage leakages

Global warming ( Climate change )

Radioactive waste

Dumping waste in to marine environment

It has become essential to find solutions to mitigate the problem of water pollution. There can be some effective water pollution prevention solutions which can be brought in to practice, they are as listed below:

One of the good measures of water pollution prevention is primary education and awareness. People can be made aware by conducting different programs like drama, videos, etc. which shows significance of water.

Usage of chemicals and fertilizers may reduce risk of water pollution up to certain extent

Installation of an effective filtration system will also help in prevention of water pollution

Garbage or drains should be cleaned regularly

Henceforth, ultimate decision depends on us on how seriously we commit ourselves in order to prevent water pollution.

Moreover it is not only our moral responsibility to control water pollution; it is also our duty to conserve water. One of the major examples of water conservation is harvesting rain water. One can utilize harvested rain water for domestic and agriculture use. Ponds, wells, etc are also an effective medium for saving rain water. Prime benefit of saving rain water is it is pure and drinkable.

Benefits related to water conservation are as follows:

It reduces scarcity of water

Ecosystem and habitat is protected

Improves the quality of drinking water

Improves quality of ground water

Environment friendly

Hence water is the prime source of livelihood for all living creatures; it is our responsibility to tackle to the issues related to complex sources of pollution which can be either in form of Industrial waste, sewage waste or agriculture run off. Perhaps there are many water pollution prevention techniques and more good technologies are developing for that which can be catered for reducing the level of pollution. Still there is much to be done over this issue, but at least we can start with small initiative.

Water Pollution Solutions

These days water pollution is considered as the main problem on this earth. The chief source which has contributed to the water pollution is the human beings. Human beings needs the water at par and though a big contributor in the water pollution. The sweet water in the cast of rivers and ponds are so polluted that it has come to the proportionate of extinction. Water pollutants are of contradistinctive types but chiefly four contributors are agriculture, natural, industrial pollutants and municipal. The natural water pollutants can combine earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, which leaves an unbalance oceanic asphalt causing flash floods. Flush global warming has also some contribution to the water pollution. As a water pollution solution, human beings cannot do anything about the volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, but can do little about global warming. But some scientist says that global warming is an irreversible damage.

Poultry waste and other animal waste can be considered as the major cause of water pollution. These wastes can be called agricultural pollutants. Animal wastes and other wastes related to agriculture are disposed in the nearby stream of water. Even farmers dispose pesticides and fertilizers use in the crops are disposed in the rivers and fresh water streams. Water pollution solution in case of the agricultural pollutants can be easily reached with some strong steps. In case of agricultural pollutants mass propaganda about the proper disposal of waste should be conducted.

Then comes the water pollution caused by the municipalities. Municipalities play an important role in the water pollution because all the waste from the cities and residential areas is dumped into the nearby rivers and ocean. The liquid waste thrown by the residential areas is directly thrown into the river. A government should take strict steps in order to dump waste from the cities and residential areas as a major water pollution solution. Industrial sector can be directly blamed for the major water pollution. Industries directly dump their hazardous and toxic chemicals directly into the river and oceans. These pollute the water in a larger extent. Even the left out hazardous material from the petroleum and nuclear plants are dumped into the water. This leads to a serious water pollution which cannot be treated for millions of years to come. Governments should come with some strict laws for the dumping of these toxic materials as a part of a water pollution solution. Toxic and hazardous liquid material should be well treated in the treatment plants before dumping in the river or ocean.