|
|
Article: Chemicals from Agriculture
- Article from:
- Water:Science and Issues
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Chemicals from Agriculture
An important national issue in the United States is the degradation of water quality from
nonpoint sources
of pollution, including the prevalent use of fertilizers and
pesticides
on agricultural land. The issue is of interest to many residents, water resource managers, and policymakers across the nation because of the possible impacts on water uses, such as drinking,
irrigation
, recreation, and sustaining aquatic life.
In sufficient quantities, nutrients from fertilizers encourage abundant growth of
algae
, which leads to low oxygen in streams and the possibility of fish kills. Pesticides and
nitrate
are a potential concern for human health if they ...