AGRICULTURAL

POLLUTION
PRESENTED BY
S.ARUL
SECOND YEAR
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ENGINEERING
THE KAVERY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
MECHERI
CONTENT
• Introduction
• What is agricultural Pollution?
• Sources of agricultural pollution
• Main causes of agricultural Pollution
• Effects of agricultural Pollution
• Ways to reduce agricultural Pollution
• Conclusion
INTRODUCTION
• Over the past few decades,the increase in
population and advances made in farming
technology has increased the demand for
crops and livestocks from the agricultural
industry.
• These growth in agricultural production has
resulted in an increase in contaminants
polluting soil and waterways.
• Total emission of agricultural pollution is 15
million tonnes per year.
WHAT IS AGRICULTURAL
POLLUTION?
• Agricultural pollution is contamination
of the environment and related
surroundings as a result of using the
natural and chemical products for
farming.
• This contamination is actually injurious
to all living organisms that depends on
the food on cultivation.
SOURCES OF AGRICULTURAL
POLLUTION
• There are two sources of agricultural pollution, and they are point
source and non-point source pollution.
• Point source pollution is any single identifiable sources such as water,
air, noise, light or thermal pollution.
• On the other hand, non-point source pollution refers to pollution
resulting from land runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition,
seepage, hydraulic modification or drainage, where it is difficult to
trace the pollution to a single source.
MAIN CAUSES OF AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION
Chemical fertilizers
• These are mostly nitrogen and phosphorus based chemicals like ammonia
and nitrates that in correct amount boost the fertility of the soil.
• But in most cases these are used in more
quantity than required.
• In 2018,among the major states, the per-
hectare consumption is more than 100kg
in West Bengal (122kg), Haryana(167kg),
Punjab (184kg), Andhra Pradesh (138kg),
Tamil Nadu (112kg) and remaining states
are lesser than 100kg.
Chemical pesticides
• When pests and insects cause losses on a large scale, this leads to
economic fallout for the farmers.
• Pesticides and insecticides like organochlorines, organophosphates and
carbonates are toxic to the pests.
• Pesticides are not discriminatory in nature as they also cause harm to
beneficial insects such as bees and pollinators.
• In 2018,the consumption of pesticides in India is 9% of total cultivable
lands(16.7 million hectares).
Soil erosion
• Loss of soil material due to poor management causes soil to become infertile.
• The model result, an estimated 36 billion tonnes of soil eroded per year(2018).In
this 66.6% of fertile soil eroded.
Excessive tillage of land
• Overturning, digging or stirring leads to release of greenhouse gases produced in
the gas such as nitrous oxide.
Introduction of foreign species
• Many instances of foreign species of plants, animals and insects were introduced
to control pests and weeds.
• They cause harm to indigenous flora and fauna competing for the natural
resources and also cause changes in the bio diversity.
• There has been loss of many indigenous beneficial creatures due to this kind of
biological pest control.
Animal management
• Farms specializing in rearing cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry
must have strict regulations concerning the disposal of manure and
other associated waste material.
• These must not be indiscriminately disposed in the surrounding areas.
• They cause pollution of the air as well as the water.
• 18 percent of greenhouse gases are said to be generated by farm
animals.
EFFECTS OF AGRICULTURAL
POLLUTION
• Mainly its effects are carried over as water pollution and air
pollution.
• Drinking or swimming in water with dangerous levels of algal
bloom causes rashes, stomach and liver problems, respiratory
illness and neurological effects.
• Infants drinking water with high level of nitrates get affected by the
blue baby syndrome which is often fatal. Symptoms ate shortness
of breath and blue tinted skin.
• Formation of dead zones or hypoxic areas where no aquatic life
exists; Examples Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico.
WAYS TO REDUCE AGRICULTURAL
POLLUTION
• Applying fertilizers in the proper amount, at the right time of year and
with the right method can significantly reduce potential for pollution.
• Planting certain grasses, grains or clovers can help keep nutrients out of
the water by recycling excess nitrogen and reducing soil erosion.
• Reducing how often fields are tilled reduces soil erosion and soil
compaction builds soil organic matter, and reduce runoff.
• Planting trees, shrubs and grass around the fields, especially those that
border water bodies, can help by absorbing or filtering out nutrients
before they reach the water body.
CONCLUSION
Agricultural pollution also causes heavy economic losses. Visibility at
tourist locations and scenic spots are reduced by air pollution Safee
drinking water and clean water habitats are the rights of every living
being. Let’s become more responsible in our agricultural practices in
order to preserve this and make this available to all.
Thank You