We have water all over the world but not all the water we have is of the same quality. Water dissolves substances in its environment in which it flows or accumulates. This same process is what gives mineral waters their peculiar flavor, unfortunately these components are dangerous contaminants.
[Source]What is agricultural pollution?
Agricultural pollution is a type of pollution produced by man, as many other pollution.
Agriculture has always caused major problems in the environment, with the cutting of trees to put crops, and new technologies to improve crops, as well as pesticides, fertilizers, etc.
These are filtered in the soil and finally ends up reaching the rivers or groundwater (see water pollution). These are contaminated, so it is important to purify the water before drinking it.
What are your causes?
Pesticides and fertilizers: The primary source of contamination has been pesticides and fertilizers. Modern pesticides and fertilizers have to deal with the local pests that have existed for hundreds of years along with the new invasive species. And so, they are loaded with chemicals that are not found in nature. Once they have been sprayed, they do not disappear completely, part of it is mixed with water and filtered into the soil. The rest is absorbed by the plant itself. As a result, the local streams that are supplied from the ground are contaminated, the animals that eat these crops and plants are also affected many times.
Contaminated Water: Contaminated water used for irrigation is another source of contamination. Much of the water we use comes from underground water reservoirs, canals and rains. While a lot of water is clean and pure, other sources are contaminated with organic compounds and heavy metals. This occurs due to the elimination of industrial and agricultural waste in the water bodies of the cities. As a result, crops are exposed to water with small amounts of mercury, arsenic, lead and cadmium dissolved in it.
Soil Erosion and Sedimentation: Other problems are caused by soil erosion and sedimentation. The soil is composed of many layers and only the layer more serves for agriculture or grazing. Due to inefficient agricultural practices, this soil is left open for erosion and leads to decreased fertility each year. Sedimentation causes soil to accumulate in areas such as rivers, streams, ditches and surrounding fields. And so, the process of agricultural contamination prevents the natural movement of water, aquatic animals and nutrients to other fertile areas.
Livestock: In the old days, farmers kept as many cattle as their land could support. Cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens and other animals were fed natural diets, which were supplemented by the residues left from the crops. As a result, the animals helped keep the farm healthy, too. From now on, cattle are raised in precarious conditions where they feed on unnatural diets and are sent to slaughterhouses on a regular basis. As a result, they are added to the process of agricultural pollution through emissions.
Pests and weeds: The cultivation of exotic crops and the reduction of natural species in a given area has become the norm for agriculture. However, it is simply adding to the process of agricultural contamination. With the arrival of new crops, the native population has dealt with new diseases, pests and weeds that are not able to fight. As a result, invasive species destroy local vegetation and wildlife, altering the ecosystem permanently. This is especially the case of genetically modified foods, which create plant and animal species that can kill existing species in a matter of years.
[Source]
Main effects and consequences of agricultural pollution.
• Soil erosion: The misuse of the land, the felling of entire forests, the poor culture of the best way to conserve soil, the use of fertilizers and pesticides cause desertification and soil erosion (see soil contamination). Many species that lived in these ecosystems or lands end up disappearing, so lately there are cases of so many species of extinction.
• Salinization and waterlogging of highly irrigated soils: Many croplands have lowered their productivity for this reason. It is because many lands are flooded with rainwater. When this water evaporates, the salts diluted in it remain on the surface, too salinized the farmland.
• Abundant and unnecessary use of fertilizers and pesticides: These substances should be used with the necessary amounts, without overdoing them. If they are not used well, the remainder of them is dragged with the rains to the rivers, lakes and underground waters. This causes eutrophication of them, killing thousands of living beings that lived in these ecosystems. Yes it must be said that in lakes and rivers it is quite easy to solve it, it is enough to purify the water. The same does not happen in groundwater. Many aquifers have been contaminated with too many nitrates in some areas, to the point of causing death to those who drink from those waters.
• Depletion of aquifers: In sunny and dry areas there is great yield and agricultural production. For that, a lot of water is needed, which is taken from the aquifers. If more water is removed in the aquifers than the one that is arriving, they are emptied. This would be even worse if the aquifer were near the sea, since the bag left by the aquifer will be filled with sea water, water that we know with a high amount of salt, and can not be used to water the plants and crops.
[Source]
Good agricultural practices to stop pollution Solutions to agricultural pollution
• Use fertilizers and pesticides with care
• Promote campaigns against deforestation, giving ideas, as well as not deforesting an entire forest, but simply a part or plant new trees where they had previously deforested.
• The crops that use water from the aquifers to irrigate crops, use it in small quantities, so that as it is spent, it will be replenished, and thus the aquifer will not be emptied.
Source
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