ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Pollution due to Agricultural Practices

Group Members

Name Roll Number

Vijay Parmar BT18CME012
Sachin Chavan BT18CME003
Nikhil Bhisikar BT18CME005
Nikhil Mundle BT18CME015

Department of Chemical Engineering

Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur
 INTRODUCTION
• Agriculture is the major occupation of Indians and the backbone of Indian economy.
• India is currently world’s second largest producer of several dry fruits, agriculture
based textile raw material, roots and tuber crops, pulses etc.
• India is also ranked under the worlds five largest producers of over 80% of
agriculture produce items including many cash crops, such as coffee, cotton
according to 2010 studies.
• Such a great enhancement in agricultural produce has been achieved in the past
few decades after green revolution took place and improvement of variety of
pesticides and fertilizers.
• However, these fertilizers and pesticides posses a great threat to the environment.
• Hence, there is great need to control the use of these harmful fertilizers and
pesticides
 EFFECT OF PESTICIDES AND FERTILIZERS
➢ Pesticides and fertilizers are one of the major sources of pollution of surface water and
ground water.
➢ These pesticides and fertilizers get drained through the rainwater and nearby water
sources.
➢ They are main sources of ground water pollution.
➢ After a period of time, the agricultural land also becomes hard and non porous due to
accumulation of phosphorus and potassium present in the fertilizers.
➢ Excessive use of pesticides may also kill useful bacteria which are useful for nitrogen
fixation.
➢ It also results into a process called as Eutrophication where excess growth of algae
takes place in the water reservoirs.
➢ However, owing to the ever increasing demand of food due to increasing population,
the use of fertilizers and pesticides cannot be eliminated completely. However certain
measures can be taken to minimize the use of fertilizers and pesticides and thus
minimizing the pollution caused by them.
 EUTROPHICATION
This results in depletion in Oxygen level in the ponds and thus causing a
threat to aquatic life.
 WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
pH 6.5 - 8.5
DO 6mg/L or more
BOD3 2mg/L or less
Total dissolved solids 500 mg/L
Total Hardness 300 mg/L
Alkalinity 200 mg/L
Iron 0.3 mg/L
Sulphates (So4) 200 mg/L
Nitrates(NO3) 45 mg/L
Chloride 250 mg/L
Flouride 1 mg/L
Lead 0.05 mg/L
E Coli. Nil
Arsenic 0.05 mg/L
Ammonia 0.5 mg/L
[Data collected from Bureau of Indian Standards for Surface Water]
(All limits are maximum desirable limits beyond which hazards may occur)
 CRITERIA FOR DECIDING WATER QUALITY
STANDARDS
➢ Human health water quality criteria:
EPA’s methodology for deriving ambient water quality criteria for the protection of human health(2000)
provides states an authorizes tribes with scientifically sound options for developing their own human health
criteria that considers local conditions. The two most important factors that are considered are direct ingestion of
water and consumption of fish, crabs etc. obtained from water bodies.
One such example in which standard for carcinogenic compounds set is,

𝐵𝑊
AWQC=RSD[𝐷𝐼+ σ𝑛 ]
𝑖=2 𝐹𝐼𝑖 +𝐵𝐴𝐹𝑖

AWQC – Ambient water quality criteria

RSD – Risk specific due to carcinogens
BW – Body weight
DI – Drinking water intake
FI – Fish intake
BAF – Bioaccumulation factor
 Similarly, various other criteria other than human health can be considered for setting
up water quality standards. The detailed procedure for setting water standards based on
different criteria can be obtained using following links,

Recreational water(river, lakes, coastal waters) https://www.epa.gov/wqc/2012-recreational-

quality criteria
Aquatic life water criteria quality criteria
Nutrient water quality criteria
Biological water quality criteria
Sediment benchmarks
Wildlife water quality criteria
water-quality-criteria
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/201
6-02/documents/guidelines-water-quality-
criteria.pdf
https://www.epa.gov/nutrient-policy-
data/technical-support-numeric-nutrient-
criteria-development
https://www.epa.gov/wqc/biological-water-
quality-criteria
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/201
5-10/documents/sediment-report.pdf
http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-
idx?SID=c9bb5419eda21453c02c44f7f0146587&
node=pt40.22.132&rgn=div5
 Methods for Determination of various contents in
Water.
➢ Phosphorus Content:
Phosphorus content is determined using Ascorbic Acid method. The
sample is first given heat treatment to convert all other forms of phosphate to orthophosphate.
The process involves treating the sample wit Ammonium Molybdate and Antimony Potassium
Tartrate to form Antimony-phospho-molybdate. This complex is reduced by Ascorbic Acid to a
intense blue coloured complex. The intensity of the colour is directly proportional to the
concentration of the phosphate. This is done by Spectrophotometer.
➢ TDS Content:
For Drinking water the TDS content is measured using a TDS meter which is a
small hand held device. Presence of Dissolved Solids in water affects the conductivity of water
and usually increase the conductivity of water. Thus TDS meter measures the conductivity of
water and then estimates the TDS content in mg/L from that value.
➢ Nitrite and Nitrate Nitrogen Content:
The sample is first passed through a column
containing copper cadmium to reduce nitrate to nitrite. The nitrite is determined by diazotizing
with sulphanilamide and coupling with N-(1-naphthyl)-ethylenediamine dihydrochloride to form
a highly coloured azo dye. The intensity is then measured using spectrophotometer. Performing
the same procedure with Cu-Cd reduction only the nitrite content is determined and from the
two values nitrate content can be calculated.
➢ Ammoniacal Nitrogen Content:

The sample is first buffered at a pH of 9.5 with a Borate

Buffer in order to decrease the hydrolysis of cyanates and is then distilled into a solution of boric
acid. Alkaline Phenol and Hypochlorite react with ammonia to form Iodophenol Blue that is
proportional to ammonia concentration. The blue colour formed is intensified by Sodium
Nitroprusside and measured Calorimetrically.
➢ BOD Content:
The method consists of placing the sample in a full, airtight bottle and
incubating the bottle under specific conditions for specific the time. The DO content is
measured initially and after the incubation. BOD is calculated from the initial and final DO.
Normally a 5 day BOD test period is used where the sample is incubated in the dark (to restrict
algae growth) at 293 K.
➢ Total Hardness Content:

The method makes use of a Chelate known as Ethylene Diamine

Tetraacetate (EDTA). The Magnesium EDTA exchanges magnesium on an equivalent basis
for Calcium or any other hardness causing cation to form a more stable EDTA chelate than
magnesium. The free magnesium reacts with calmagite at a pH of 10 to give a red violet
complex. Thus by measuring only Mg in the final reaction stream, an accurate measurement
of total hardness is possible.

NOTE: There are many other pollutants also that are present in water. However the above
mentioned pollutants are the major once that are the result of agricultural practices.
 CONTROL MEASURES
1. Nutrient Management:

➢ Using soil surveys to determine soil productivity and identifying environmentally

sensitive areas.
➢ Application of only recommended amount of fertilizers.
➢ Soil testing for pH, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to determine the nutrient
need of the soil.
➢ Use of proper timing formulation and application methods for nutrients to
maximize plant utilization and hence minimize losses.
➢ Co-ordination between irrigation and nutrient application to minimize washing
away of nutrients by irrigation water.
➢ Use of small grain cover crops or deeply rooted legumes to scavenge nutrients
remaining in the soil after harvest.
➢ Use of buffer area if agricultural field is very close to the water reservoir to minimize
seepage into the reservoir.
➢ Calibrate nutrient application equipment regularly.
2. Pesticide Management :

➢ Determining land area having potential of leaching and runoff of pesticides.

➢ Use of only recommended amount of Pesticides.
➢ Use of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies .
➢ Some of IPM strategies are
• Use of verities of crops resistant to pests
• Use of crop rotation: Crop rotation interrupts pests buildup by elimination of host
plant. Thus if one section of the field is attacked by pests, the other section
remains protected to a certain extent.
• Ridge Farming: This helps in trapping the rain water.(Shown in fig.)
• Use of cover crops: This reduces deep percolation of water thus preventing
leaching of pesticides into ground water.
• Foster biological controls: This includes proper identification of crops and
recognizing useful insects. Then a suitable pesticide is selected that is not harmful
to these useful crops.
• Mechanical destruction of weeds
• Use of trap crops: These are the crops which are more easily attacked by the pests.
Hence pests preferentially attack these crop and our main crop is protected to a
certain extent.
• Use of efficient application methods
 CROP ROTATION
Two or more types of Crops are grown alternately so that even if one of
section of one crop is infected by pests, the other section of the same
crop remains protected.
 RIDGE FARMING
As it is seen the Water is completely trapped within the ridges. Thus preventing soil erosion
as well as runoff of pesticides and fertilizers with water.
3. Soil Erosion Management:

➢ Chiseling: Loosening of soil to improve penetration of water into the soil as well to
improve aeration in the soil.
➢ Conservation Cover: Establishing maintaining vegetative cover around agricultural
fields to protect soil and water resources on the land retired from agricultural
production.
➢ Any tillage or planting system that maintains at least 30% of the soil surface covered
by residue after planting to reduce soil erosion by water or wind.
➢ Critical area Planting: Planting vegetation such as trees, shrubs, vines, grasses or
legumes on highly erodible areas.
➢ Seasonal Residue Management: Using Plant residue to cultivated field during critical
erosion periods so that the soil is covered by plant residue and erosion is prevented.
➢ Using diversion practices i.e. Constructing a channel across the slope with a
supporting ridge on the lower side.
➢ Roughening the soil surface by ridges.
➢ Contour Farming: Farming on sloping land in such a way that plantation and
cultivation are done on contour.
 CONTOUR FARMING
This is a very effective way to prevent soil erosion from sloping
land.
4. Crop Residue Management:

In India, most of the crop residue that is obtained after cultivation is either
used for animal fodder or is burned. This residue that is burned is considered as one of the
major reasons behind the air pollutions that Delhi faces. Hence, effective management of this
crop residue is very important. Extensive research is going on various practices that can be
efficiently used. Some of the practices are mentioned below:

➢ Crop residues like wheat, paddy, straw can be used as animal feed.
➢ Crop residues that are low in digestibility can undergo various physical, chemical and
biological treatment to break their lignocellulose bond and hence increase their
nutritional value.
➢ Use of non edible crop residue having high moisture content as well as high protein
content for mushroom production.
➢ Use of crop residue in bio thermal power plants.
➢ Incorporation of crop residue in soil may increase soil organic matter content.
➢ Production of bio oil from oil residue.
 CONCLUSION
Unlike other pollution sources, the pollution caused due to agricultural practices widely
depend on various factors like type of crop, nature of soil, climatic conditions, site of agricultural
field etc. Hence we cannot choose a practice that is best suitable for all agricultural fields. A best
management practice can be selected from various discussed management practices only after
considering all the above mentioned factors. Thus awareness must be created among farmers
regarding all these management practices and they should be made to realize that these
practices are economically beneficial for them on a long term basis. Thus farmers must be able to
select the best management practice for their farm as they are the ones who are aware of all the
factors mentioned for selection of management practices. Hence carrying out awareness
programs among Farmers about efficient management practices is very important.
 References

• ENVIROMENT PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) WEBSITE

• CENTRAL POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD (CPCB) WEBSITE
• BEREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS (BIS) WEBSITE
• WIKIPEDIA
• RESEARCHGATE
• ETC.