As global population increases rapidly, the demand for food increases as well, which in turn, leads to a steep rise in agricultural activities to meet the growing need for food, to feed more of the global population. However, agricultural activities have been proven to pollute water resources. Richard (2015) noted that Agricultural activities account for 53% of water pollution incidents during the years 2010 to 2012. As technology advances, fertilizers and pesticides are easily available, and also more potent in enhancing plant growth and keeping away pests. These fertilizers and pesticides that are used to speed up the growth of these crops are not disposed of properly, and pollute water resources when the pesticides or fertilizers are disposed into the water resources. In my essay, water resources refer to freshwater sources specifically. In the nation state that I will be using for my case study, laws are present to prevent further pollution of water resources. However, in my thesis where I agree that agricultural activities …show more content…
Eutrophication occurs when there is an over supply of nutrients in an environment, and can cause serious problems especially in water bodies. The increase in nutrient levels could result in algal blooms which is detrimental to the water resource, as algal blooms disrupt the natural ecosystem that functions in the water resource and take in the oxygen in the water body and blocks out sunlight. As little or no oxygen is present in the water resource, much of the aquatic life dies out, resulting in dead zones. Luckily, dead zones mostly occur in smaller water bodies, and since Loktak Lake is a large one, it did not become a dead zone, but still faces the problem of eutrophication. Eutrophication makes water resources unsafe for use as certain algal blooms, fertilizers or pesticides contain harmful chemicals that is not safe for
The Eutrophication test determines the amount of nutrients there are in a stream, creek, or most bodies of water. When we did the Eutrophication test we got a lot of low numbers. For the Phosphate test they were mostly a 0 with a .1. When we did the nitrate test we got .25, .75, 1, 1.2, 1.5, 1.3, and a .9. for the dissolved oxygen tests they were all mostly high results.
Insecticides are found in urban streams. Herbicides used in agricultural production are found in water from rural watersheds. Furthermore Bartram states that pesticides and herbicides used in agriculture frequently lead to the contamination of surface water and groundwater. According to Harrison pesticides in water aquifers are not easily degraded and persist in the aquifers due to reduced microbial activity, lower
Eutrophication is the excessive nutrients in a lake or body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of a plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen. We tested for phosphate, nitrate, and dissolved oxygen. Phosphates and Nitrates are found in fertilizers, laundry detergents, and sewage treatments. Dissolved oxygen is microscopic bubbles of gaseous oxygen that are mixed in water and aailable to aquatic organisms for respiration. We found that there was a phosphate average of 0.1 parts per million (ppm).
There is always opposition to pesticides because of the harm that it can cause on the environment and the animals alike. Pesticides though have saved a lot of hard work for farmers over the past couple of decades because it does all the dirty work, for example, the killing of weeds and other pests. Pesticides have also saved a lot of money for farmers by preventing pests from damaging crops or taking the nutrients and water supply away from crops. (Whitford, 7) In the future we need to start to find less toxic ways to prevent pests from attacking the crops and vegetation. This would prevent a lot of the other costs associated with pesticides for example, health costs for farmers that are exposed to the toxic chemicals or the killing of the habitats in the surrounding areas.
One issue found is the creation of smelly phytoplankton that makes murky unclear waters along with aquatic impurities. Moreover, the reduction of growth due to poor light conditions and dying plants make it difficult for predatory fish to hunt leading to overpopulation. (Chislock, 2013) Eutrophication can be found in many of our water resources such as ponds, estuaries, and bays. One region with high areas with eutrophication is in a lake shared by Kisumu, Kenya and Kampala, Uganda.
All organisms need oxygen to survive and when their is not enough oxygen, it leaves plants and animals to die. The area of water where there is a low count of oxygen are often called a dead zones. Also, an increase of the pH level in the water can be created because of algae blooms. The toxic killing algae can make humans sick. For the aquatic animals, these toxins attack mainly the organisms liver and nervous system (Nitrogen and
The problem the students need to solve is whether or not the river is healthy. The overall concept of this trip is trying to prevent dead zones. Dead zones or eutrophication is when algae grows in excessive amounts, blocking the sunlight, which causes a lack of oxygen, which is essential for survival. To find out if the river is healthy, the classes performed chemical tests, scored macro levels, and made physical observations.
This lab uses a lake simulation to study how the addition of nutrients and toxins can affect the lake, its inhabitants and the surrounding area. There is a strong focus on the addition of Phosphorous and added toxins because both are key elements in growth in lakes. The Virtual lake includes these five simulated species; green algae, cyanobacteria, bosmina, daphnia, and trout. There are two types of phytoplankton in the lake model, green algae and cyanobacteria. Green algae are a very diverse group that are photosynthetic, aquatic, plant like organisms that have a very simple reproductive structure.
One of the major pollution problems that affect our drinking water include animal-feeding operations. Within the United States, “animals like cattle, chickens, lambs, are fattened up before slaughter in tens of thousands of pens” (72). As a result, manure builds up because the animals are kept in their pens for such long durations. Even though the manure is moved to other areas for storage or use, rain often causes it to seep into clean waterways and aquifers (72). Our water supply is compromised because “California Central Valley alome is home to 1.4 million cows.
Nutrient-loading will increase the dissolved oxygen, which high levels will harm aquatic life and affect the water quality. Fish and other species will
Farmers began to grow their crops in San Joaquin Valley for more than 100 years. Farms in the valley produce mostly vegetables, fruits, nuts, and dairy and they are the main manufacturers in international markets and major suppliers in the United States (Hanak & Arnold, 2017). Farmers are using polluted groundwater to grow their crops and harming the environment by drying rivers and causing people to get health problems. The reason that there are pesticides in nitrates in groundwater in San Joaquin Valley may be the fact that there is a long history of farming and irrigation and generally permeable sediments (Burow & Dubrowvsky, 2014). The first organization that noticed the growth of nitrates in groundwater is the Regional Aquifier System Analyses Program.
Eutrophication, which is excessive richness of nutrients in any form of body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen, is another reason why the creek could be polluted. Fertilizers are used in farming to provide crops with nutrients, but they also play a big role in the Eutrophication process. If too much fertilizer is used, it leaches from the soil in
being used in the traditional foods, but not in organics, but then those chemicals used in the traditional foods are said to be safe for human health. People are beginning to realize as the demand for food has increased with the population growth, so has the use of chemicals fertilizers antibiotics and hormones by farmers and livestock growers. The consumption of produce and meat, grown with the use of these means has led to the increase more diseases and cancers. People are beginning to believe that the only way to have a healthy
Introduction Plants are a major necessity in the balance of nature, people’s lives, and our terrain. We may not realize it, but plants are the ultimate source of food for almost 95% of the world population so says the National Group of Food. It’s a fact that over 7,000 species of plants are being consumed today. Plants are one of the reasons that we get clean water; as they help regulate the water cycle.
LITERATURE REVIEW What is water pollution? As the country is becoming more and more populated, the demands for social services have increased significantly. This has led to an increase of the pollution in many developing towns such as Ga-kgapane. The most disturbing and problematic forms of pollution in Ga-kgapane is the pollution of the natural streams. Water pollution is when there is a build of one or more substances in water to such an extent that it causes problems for animals or plants.