Soil Erosion And Soil Pollution

The industrialization of the agricultural trade has resulted in massive increases of greenhouse gas emissions as well as particulate matter. The highest contributing air pollutant that comes from industrial farms is manure. As the manure decomposes in a lagoon, the air becomes polluted with various gases. Among these pollutants are: hydrogen sulfide, methane, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. For the most part, the gases cause harm to humans. Hydrogen sulfide results in skin, eye, and respiratory irritation, neurological and cardiac disorders, seizures, comas, and, in extreme cases, death. Methane is a greenhouse gas and is a major contributor to climate change. Exposure to ammonia causes skin, eye, and respiratory irritation. Carbon dioxide

Perhaps the most significant impact of industrial agriculture on the soil is erosion. Though erosion is a natural process that occurs through the movement of soil by water, wind, and gravity, intensive farming acts as a catalyst. The manner in which industrial agriculture is performed makes the farmland more susceptible to erosion. Over-plowing the land removes the protective layer of plants and decaying organic matter whose root systems hold the soil in place. Soil erosion becomes problematic as a result of the slowness of soil formation. Because of the slow process of soil formation, arable lands are vulnerable to desertification or the progression of arid soil becoming barren and incapable of supporting life. Sustainable Table reports: “The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service notes that erosion is the single greatest threat to soil productivity” (Soil Quality). Furthermore, soil erosion has devastating effects on aquatic ecosystems. Erosion leads to the pollution of waterways with sediment. The addition of sediment to a waterway decreases the depth and increases turbidity. Turbidity refers to the clarity of the water; the more turbid a waterway the less light can penetrate. This poses problems to aquatic life because the less light that can penetrate the surface, the lower the capability of plant

In relation to water, large concentrated animal feeding operations – CAFOs – are defined as point sources of pollutants and therefore fall under federal regulation (Stubbs, 16). In 2011, the United States Court of Appeals upheld the EPA’s regulations stating that CAFOs that discharge waste into waterways are required to apply for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits. Further regulation regarded the submission of information by CAFOs but action fell short as the EPA reported that it could obtain necessary information from existing governmental agencies (CAFO Regulations). Additional parameters were developed in relation to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In 2009, President Obama labeled the Bay a “national treasure” and thus spearheaded efforts to strengthen cleanup measures and restore the watershed (Stubbs, 18) The EPA recognized industrial agriculture as a major contributor of the Bay’s pollution as agriculture covers roughly 25% of the Bay’s watershed. Livestock waste and mismanaged chemical and nutrient administration are considered top pollutants. In response to the polluted Chesapeake Bay watershed, the EPA established total maximum daily loads – TMDLs. In essence, a TMDL is a pollution budget that lists the amount of pollution a waterway can receive without breaching standards. Additionally, states are required