Control Of Water Pollution From Cropland An Overview

Report on methods and practices for controlling water pollution (pollution control) resulting from nonpoint agricultural pollutants - examines erosion control, plant nutrition, fertilization, pesticide control, the application of animal wastes, etc., and includes a glossary. Illustrations, references and statistical tables.

Agricultural operations can contribute to water quality deterioration through the release of several materials into water: sediments, pesticides, animal manure, fertilizers and other sources of inorganic and organic matter. This guidelines document on control and management of agricultural water pollution aims to delineate the nature and consequences of agricultural impacts on water quality, and to provide a framework for practical measures to be undertaken by relevant professionals and decision-makers to control water pollution. Contents Chapter 1: Introduction to Agricultural Water Pollution; Water quality as a global issue, Non-point source pollution defined, Classes of non-point sources, Scope of the problem, Agricultural impacts on water quality, Types of impacts, Irrigation impacts on surface water quality, Public health impacts, Data on agricultural water pollution in developing countries, Types of decisions in agriculture for non-point source pollution control, The data problem; Chapter 2: Pollution by Sediments; Sediment as a physical pollutant, Sediment as a chemical pollutant, Key processes: precipitation and runoff, Key concepts, Sediment delivery ratio, Sediment enrichment ratio, Measurement and prediction of sediment loss, Prediction models, Sediment yield, Scale problems, Recommendations; Chapter 3: Fertilizers as Water Pollutants; Eutrophication of surface water, Role of agriculture in eutrophication, Organic fertilizers, Environmental chemistry, The point versus non-point source dilemma, Management of water quality impacts from fertilizers, Mineral fertilizers, Organic fertilizers, Sludge management, Economics of control of fertilizer runoff, Aquaculture, Problems of restoration of eutrophic lakes; Chapter 4: Pesticides as Water pollutants; Historical development of pesticides, North-south dilemma over pesticide economics, Fate and effects of pesticides, Factors affecting pesticide toxicity in aquatic systems, Human health effects of pesticides, Ecological effects of pesticides, Natural factors that degrade pesticides, Pesticide monitoring in surface water, Pesticide management and control, The european experience, Pesticide registration, The danish example, Pesticides and water quality in the developing countries; Chapter 5: Summary and Recommendations; Necessity to internalize costs at the farm level, Integrated national water quality management, Assessment methodology, Environmental capacity, The data problem in water quality, Water quality indices for application to agricultural water quality issues, Economic analysis of cost of water pollution attributed to agriculture, Information technology and decision making, Use of water quality objectives, FAO and the POPs agenda, Pesticides in developing countries.

Over the last few decades the quality of many international water bodies has deteriorated, resulting in economic losses from declines in the fishing industry and in tourism, as well as a loss of biodiversity and health impacts from contaminated water. This deterioration has been caused by many factors including nutrient run-off from agriculture, insufficiently treated sewage, drainage of wetlands, coastal erosion, introduction of exotic species, eutrophication and inadequate resource management. One of the most significant sources of degradation has been form excessive discharge of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds (nutrients), due to the poor management practices used in agricultural, domestic and industrial activities. This publication aims to draw the attention of professionals and practitioners working in agricultural and environmental sectors to the experience and successes of the environmentally friendly good agricultural practices being used in the Chesapeake Bay Region of the United States to reduce nutrient loads in water.