How can fertilizer chemicals pollute water

In , over 21 million kilograms of elemental sulfur were used in California alone. Living near the agricultural fields treated with sulfur-based pesticides may pose serious health risks. A new study of the Berkley University of California finds that elemental sulfur, one of the most heavily used pesticides to control fungus and pests, is significantly associated to the development of asthma-related symptoms and reduced lung functions in children living in close proximity to the farms where pesticides are used.

The sulfur used within one kilometer from a child's residence has been linked to a decrease in the maximal amount of forced exhaled air per second in a average seven-year old child, and an increase of 3.

Skip to main content. Nutrient Pollution. Contact Us. The Sources and Solutions: Agriculture. Applying fertilizers in the proper amount, at the right time of year and with the right method can significantly reduce how much fertilizer reaches water bodies. Keeping animals and their waste out of streams keeps nitrogen and phosphorus out of the water and protects stream banks.

Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem. Or they may eat contaminated fish or shellfish and ingest the toxins that way. Algal toxins can also have devastating effects on pets. When dogs swim in algae-infested waters, they can become ill and die. Because dogs are more likely than humans to drink water that contains visible algal scum, they are more likely to experience profound symptoms. And because they cannot communicate their symptoms, owners may not be aware that something is wrong until their pets are in obvious, extreme distress.

Seaweed growth occurs in response to fertilizer runoff for much the same reason algal growth does. Most seaweed is a large form of algae known as macroalgae. It responds to nutrients like nitrates and phosphates in the same way algae does — by overgrowing its aquatic environment. Though seaweed does not tend to produce toxins the way cyanobacterial algae does, it can still choke out other organisms by consuming the resources they need to thrive. When fertilizer pollution in water leads to an abundance of nutrients and promotes algal overgrowth, one frequent result is oxygen depletion.

Algal blooms consume and use up the available dissolved oxygen, leaving little left for fish and other aquatic organisms. Severe oxygen depletion, known as hypoxia, occurs when oxygen levels in the water fall to less than 2 parts per million. When oxygen levels in an aquatic environment drop, the consequences can be severe.

Fish and other organisms may grow sick and die. If you notice a lake covered with blue-green algae and containing unusual numbers of dead fish, a toxic algal bloom is most likely the culprit.

Hypoxia can sometimes create dead zones in bodies of water. One famous example is the dead zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico, which occurs every summer because of excessive nutrient pollution, algal growth, and oxygen depletion. At its largest, in , it measured 8, square miles.

This dead zone becomes uninhabitable for the many animals that once thrived there — fish, shrimp, and crabs can sometimes swim out of the area, but other organisms slowly suffocate. As time goes by, an algal bloom in a lake or stream begins to choke out other species. Lowered oxygen levels mean that fish, aquatic plants, and small animals can no longer live there. The altered balance of species has significant impacts on the food chain and larger ecosystem as well.

A shortage of fish may drive away mid-chain consumers like otters or herons and lead even apex predators like ospreys and eagles to leave in search of a more reliable food supply.

When carbon dioxide dissolves in the ocean, it reacts with the water to form carbonic acid. Ocean acidification causes many problems, including interfering with the shell-building abilities of crabs and other organisms that require calcium carbonate to build.

Recent evidence has shown that the eutrophication associated with fertilizer runoff also leads directly to coastal ocean acidification and compounds its harmful effects. If fertilizer nutrients like nitrates make it into the drinking water supply, they can have particularly severe adverse health impacts on infants. Public water supplies usually receive thorough treatment under federal law, but even so, municipal filters may be older and insufficient for filtering nonbacterial contaminants like nitrates.

Babies may be at risk if family members unknowingly use contaminated water to mix their formula. They cause some of the hemoglobin to turn into an alternate form known as methemoglobin. Methemoglobin differs from hemoglobin in that it cannot bind oxygen, so people who develop this illness often see precipitous drops in their blood oxygen saturation.

Many infants begin to turn blue because of the lack of oxygen in their bodies. Methemoglobinemia can also cause symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, seizures, coma, and even death. At this point, you may be wondering how to prevent fertilizer runoff from your lawn or garden.

When you mow your lawn, consider leaving the lawn clippings there as nourishment. As they decay, they return nutrients to the soil, so they can help you cut down on your need for purchased fertilizer. They also help absorb water to prevent runoff. You can take the collection box off your lawnmower to keep the clippings on your lawn, or you can use a mulching mower to spread the clippings.

Instead of dumping huge volumes of chemicals into your plants all at once, slow-release fertilizer controls the nutrient release so that it remains low and constant throughout the growing season. This schedule means the fertilizer will release nutrients when the grass is actively growing and can absorb them to prevent fertilizer runoff.

Setting your lawnmower blades to 3 inches or higher can help you reduce runoff in your yard. Taller grass absorbs more water, and it also develops a more robust and intricate root system that can hold water in place to impede runoff. When you apply fertilizer to your grounds, be sure to keep it at least 20 feet away from water sources. If you have a stream running through your property or your yard overlooks a lake, keep your fertilizer well away from these areas to reduce the risk of nutrient pollution.

Try spreading a layer of compost, applying fertilizer directly to the plant roots, and then spreading a 2- or 3-inch layer of mulch over the top. The mulch will help hold in soil moisture and keep fertilizer in place even during heavy rainfall. Because of the harmful effects of eutrophication, some states started banning the use of the mineral phosphorus in fertilizer.

Today, many fertilizer companies use phosphorus only in fertilizers intended for short-term use on new lawns and gardens. A good rule of thumb for fertilizing a lawn or garden is to apply half a pound to a pound of nitrogen for every 1, square feet.

Fertilizer bags typically contain NPK numbers that look something like , where the numbers are the percentages of nitrogen N , phosphorus P , and potassium K respectively. A pound bag marked holds 10 pounds of nitrogen, 20 pounds of phosphorus, and 10 pounds of potassium. Contaminated water can get into your home in several ways. Agriculture is the primary source of pollution in streams and rivers in the U. According to the U. As a primary source of pollution of water, agriculture accounts for 70 percent of worldwide water withdrawals and plays a significant role in the contamination of water.

Agricultural runoff flows into the rivers and lakes where many towns get their water supply. Farms discharge huge quantities of organic matter, agrochemicals, sediments, saline drainage, and drug residues into water bodies.

In between frequent storms, ranchers and farmers have brief dry weather stretches that are just long enough for them to apply fertilizers and pesticides. And, each time it rains, animal waste from livestock operations and farms, fertilizers, and pesticides wash pathogens like viruses, bacteria, and nutrients into our waterways.

In many emerging economies and high-income countries, agricultural pollution exceeds contamination from industries and settlements and is now the primary factor in inland and coastal water degradation. Uneaten feeds and fish excreta from fed aquaculture diminish the quality of water. An increase in production combined with greater use of fungicides, antibiotics, and anti-fouling agents contributes to the pollution of downstream ecosystems. Surface water covers around 70 percent of the earth and fills our lakes, oceans, rivers, and other bodies of water.

Surface water from freshwater sources accounts for over 60 percent of the water delivered to homes in the U. Almost half of our streams and rivers and over a third of our lakes are polluted, making them unfit for fishing, swimming, and drinking.

Nutrient pollution, including phosphates and nitrates, is the main type of contamination in these sources of freshwater. When rain falls and seeps into the ground, filling the crevices, cracks, and porous areas of underground aquifers, it becomes groundwater.

Almost 40 percent of people in the U. Groundwater is the only source of freshwater for some people in rural areas. It becomes polluted when fertilizers, pesticides, waste, and other contaminants leached from septic systems and landfills reach an aquifer and render it unsafe for humans to use.

Groundwater may also spread these contaminants far from the initial pollution source as it seeps into lakes, oceans, and streams. Contaminated water affects your body in several ways. Here are some of the contaminants and their effects:. Higher levels of turbidity, or cloudiness, are frequently linked with higher levels of microorganisms causing disease like parasites, viruses, and some bacteria.

These microorganisms can cause symptoms in humans such as:. Too much phosphorus and nitrogen in the water cause a faster growth rate of algae than ecosystems can handle. Substantial increases in algae can harm habitats and food resources, water quality, and reduce the oxygen aquatic life needs to survive. Some algal blooms can harm humans since they produce bacterial growth and elevated toxins that can make you sick if you consume tainted shellfish or fish, come into contact with polluted water, or drink contaminated water.

Nutrient pollutants in groundwater can be harmful to the millions of individuals in the U.