Agricultural pollution

1123 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effects of agriculture on the environment

There are countless sources of water pollutions that exist today due to our industrious and technologically advanced lifestyles. However, the most vexing is caused by the most basic necessity for survival, Agricultural Pollution. Agricultural Pollution is defined as, “ liquid and solid wastes from all types of farming activities, including run-off from pesticide and fertilizer use, and from feedlots; erosion and dust from ploughing; animal manure and carcasses; and crop residues and debris. In essence Agricultural Pollution is a nonpoint source water pollutant since it comes from various locations and cannot be pinpointed” (EPA-web). Although there are many practices already in place that will decrease the pollution, increase productivity, and save farmers money in the long run, the farmers are careful to change practices.

Sedimentation

The most prevalent source of agricultural water pollution is soil that is washed off of fields. These fields have been treated with fertilizers and pesticides, which over time have accumulated heavy metals that are then transferred to lakes and streams. The excess particles cloud the water blocking vital oxygen and sun for the aquatic plants.

Nutrients

Farmers apply nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, manure, and potassium in the form of fertilizers to produce a better product for the consumers. When these sources exceed the plants needs or if these nutrients are applied before a heavy rain then the opportunity for these excess to wash into aquatic ecosystems exists.

Animal Feeding Practices

Farmers can efficiently feed and maintain livestock by confining them into small areas or lots. This presents a problem. Hundreds to millions of tons of manure is produced and ineffectively d...

... middle of paper ...

...eeper Alliance." Factory Farm Pollution of NC Water and Air Reported by Media. Riverlaw Blog, 10 Sept. 2011. Web. 9 Mar. 2012. .

Cunningham, William, and Mary Ann Cunningham. "Chapter 18: Water Pollution." Environmental Science. ; A Global Concern. 12th ed. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. 396-421. Print.

"Protecting Water Quality from Agricultural Runoff." Home. EPA, Mar. 2005. Web. 9 Mar. 2012. .

"Intro to Agricultural Water Pollution." Http://www.fao.org/docrep/W2598E/w2598e04.htm. FAO/ Natural Resources Management and Environment Management. Web. 9 Mar. 2012. .

"Facts about Pollution from Livestock Farms." NRDC:. NRDC, 13 Jan. 2011. Web. 09 Mar. 2012. .

Show More
Related

  • Caged Animal Feeding Operations and the Environment

    1842 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...urkholder, J., Libra, B., Weyer, P., Heathcote, S., Kolpin, D., Thorne, P., et al. (2007). Impacts of waste from concentrated animal feeding operations on water quality. Environmental Health Perspectives, 11(2), 308–312. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1817674/pdf/ehp0115-000308.pdf

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Buckeye Lake

    1275 Words  | 3 Pages

    Water pollution is a very serious problem as it affects one of the most essential ingredients to our very livelihood. The earth is covered in water, in fact about 70% of the Earth is covered in water, only

    Read More

  • Analysis of the Documentary Film "Flow- For the Love of Water"

    950 Words  | 2 Pages

    Whether we want to believe it or not water pollution is one of the world’s l...

    Read More

  • Water Pollution in North Carolina

    416 Words  | 1 Pages

    About 80% of the State’s surveyed freshwater rivers and streams have good water quality that fully supports aquatic life uses, 17% have fair water quality that partially supports aquatic life uses, and 3% have poor water quality that does not support aquatic life uses. Ten percent of the surveyed rivers do not fully support swimming. The major sources of impairment are agriculture (responsible for 53% of the impaired river miles), urban runoff (responsible for 16%), and construction (responsible for 13%). These sources generate siltation, bacteria, and organic wastes that deplete disssolved opxygen.

    Read More

  • Enviropig Pros And Cons

    1404 Words  | 3 Pages

    In animal agriculture today, manure that is produced by hogs has the potential to do a lot

    Read More

  • Pollution in the Great Lakes

    971 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many ways pollutants can enter lakes and rivers: agricultural and urban runoff, industrial outfalls, migration through groundwater, through the food chain, and many more. Many p...

    Read More

  • The Effects of Ocean Pollution on the Environment

    1635 Words  | 4 Pages

    "Water Pollution." Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 5 May 2014.

    Read More

  • Saving the Environment with Veganism

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    Phasing out animal agriculture and replacing it with stronger, safer plant cultivation would greatly reduce pollution released into the environment as animal waste, burning fossil fuels, and contaminated water runoff. The animal waste produced in factory farms is dumped into immense open-air lago...

    Read More

  • The Impact Of Animal Agriculture On The Environment

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    The biggest threat to the environment is due to animal waste produce by factory farming. “According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the EPA, animal feeding operations produce approximately 500 million tons of manure every year”( AN HSUS Report: The Impact of Industrialized Animal Agriculture on the Environment). Traditional farming operations that include the production of produce as well as livestock use the animal waste as fertilizer for crops, the high nitrogen levels help to boost plant growth. However industrial livestock companies must use other disposable methods due to the lack of land required for grassroots solution to animal waste. Instead corporations will haul to smaller nearby farming operations, the intense concentration of the manure in these agriculture areas cause high levels of harmful natural occurring chemicals found in animal waste end up in the water supply. Water runoff inevitably ends up in streams, ponds, lakes and drinking water. The high levels pollutants such as phosphorus and nitrogen removes oxygen from the water which is detrimental to aquatic life. Moreover the use of manure lagoons, which are essentially open pits used for storage of manure, pose a great risk to air quality due to the release of high levels of harmful gases (An HSUS Report: The Impact of Industrialized Animal Agriculture on the Environment). There is also great risk that manure lagoons could spill and leak into nearby water supplies which poses an immense threat to local wildlife and aquatic animals. The increasing amount of these pollutants in the air put workers and nearby residents at risk for developing severe chronic illnesses and contributes to the declining overall quality of breathable air. Factory farming is a major contributor to global climate change due to the emission of green house gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. As the

    Read More

  • Eutrophication

    1102 Words  | 3 Pages

    I am particularly surprised how the agricultural industry inflicts these problems on themselves, by excessive use of sewage systems and pollutants which find their way to local rivers [Fig 1.]. The trophic state (i.e. the natural nutrition factors) and biodiversity of lakes and rivers are greatly effected by the main nutrients involved, nitrates and phosphates. The transition occurs mainly between a mesotropic state, with an average biological productivity to a eutrophic state where there is a larger production of organisms due to high nutrient concentrations. Tropical reservoirs in particular often become eutrophic.

    Read More

  • Effects of Agriculture on the Environment

    2078 Words  | 5 Pages

    Agriculture also leads to soil erosion, both through rainfall and wind. This soil can damage the aquatic ecosystems it ends up in, an...

    Read More

  • Causes, Effects and Solution of Water Polution

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hennigan, Robert D. "Water Pollution." Oxford University Press 19.11 (1969): 976-78. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

  • The Problem of Water Scarcity

    1538 Words  | 4 Pages

    The problem of water scarcity has increasingly spread throughout the world as of yet, The UN reports that within the next half- century up to 7 billion people in 60 countries which is more than the whole present population will face water scarcity (Sawin “Water Scarcity could Overwhelm the Next Generation”). As well the demand for freshwater has tripled over the past 50 years, and is continuing to rise as a result of population growth and economic development. 70% of this demand derives from agriculture which shows the influence of water on food supply globally as well not just drinking water (Sawin “Water Scarcity could overwhelm the Next Generation”). But increasing water use is not just a matter of the greater number of people needing it to drink and eat; it also comes from pollution and misuse of water supplies, by either dumping or runoff of bacteria or chemicals into water. This also “causes other pollutions as well such as soil and air pollution, accelerating wetland damage and human caused global warming” (Smith and Thomassey 25). According to UN report, recent estimates suggest that climate change will account for about 20 percent of the increase in global water scarcity in coming decades.

    Read More

  • Water Is an Irreplaceable Natural Resource

    761 Words  | 2 Pages

    Water pollutants are of different types such as oxygen demanding wastes, disease causing agents, synthetic organic compounds, plant nutrients, inorganic chemicals and minerals, oils, thermal discharge and radioactive wastes. Of all these water pollutants, heavy metals and synthetic organic compounds cause majority of water pollution. Industries like paper and pulp, tanneries, textiles and coke ovens, pha...

    Read More

  • Essay On Causes Of Water Pollution

    560 Words  | 2 Pages

    Water pollution is something that can be prevented; it is important to be aware of the causes of water pollution to keep the environment safe and clean for the many generations to come. Domestic households and industrial and agricultural practices often produce wastewater that can cause rivers and lakes to become polluted. This is typically called sewage and wastewater pollution. Sewage is a term for wastewater that usually contains feces, urine, and laundry waste. With there being billions of people on earth, treating sewage is a big priority.

    Read More

More about Agricultural pollution

Open Document