In recent years, environmental groups have focused on reducing nitrogen pollution in waterways from agricultural practices. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has highlighted the environmental hazards of intensive fertilizer use, and environmental authorities in the United States have identified agriculture as a significant source of reactive nitrogen pollution. Both agencies have called for a reduction in agricultural nitrogen use and regulation.
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Reactive nitrogen pollution
Reducing nitrogen pollution from agriculture has been difficult in the past, but new science and regulations are changing the situation. Luckily, there are several solutions to the problem. One of these is to use organic fertilizers, which add nutrients without causing any harm to the environment. Other solutions include improving the efficiency of agricultural practices.
One way to reduce agricultural Nr pollution is to improve wastewater processing. In the Netherlands, for example, a high-tech wastewater treatment process called denitrification can reduce ammonia pollution by 78 per cent. In the United States, a 5-per cent rate is considered acceptable.
Diffuse pollution
Diffuse nitrogen pollution from agriculture is accumulating in groundwater systems across the globe, causing significant health concerns. Most nitrate contamination originates from fertilizer application. However, many other factors can contribute to nitrate pollution, including livestock waste and sewage from cities. Furthermore, the increased use of mineral fertilizers contributes to nitrate pollution of surface waters and aquifers. The effects of these fertilizers are challenging to pinpoint, as nitrate concentrations vary greatly, even within the same watershed.
The USGS uses soil drainage maps to determine which areas are most at risk for nitrate pollution, including soils with high nitrogen content. These maps also show how vulnerable aquifers are to nitrate pollution and the extent of woodland interspersed with cropland. However, the risk maps are not accurate enough to identify contamination; many local differences in land use, irrigation systems, and rainfall can also affect nitrate concentrations.
Conservation practices
Conservation practices help reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus released into rivers and streams. By using the right practices, farmers can reduce the amount of nitrogen that enters Lake Erie by sixty per cent. These practices reduce the amount of nutrients released into the water and help keep the soil covered with vegetation.
The survey asks growers about their conservation practices for nitrogen management. Among these are split fertilizer N application, leaf and soil N sampling, adoption of an N budget, and deployment of soil sensors. Some growers also use organic matter amendments.
Conflicts with farmers
Farming practices that contribute to nitrogen pollution in drinking water are often a source of conflict. Despite federal laws requiring farms to monitor and address nitrogen pollution, farmers continue to evade the regulations. Meanwhile, the federal government allows farmers to disregard the rules by allowing nutrient and nitrogen excesses in their fields to flow directly into the water supply. As a result, there is a growing conflict between farmers and municipal authorities over clean drinking water in Iowa.
The problem of diffuse nitrate pollution in drinking water is a complex and wicked problem. It involves a number of competing interests, including those of farmers and energy producers. In addition, there are competing economic incentives for renewable energy production, which can lead to ineffective persuasion.
State efforts to reduce nutrient pollution
While nitrogen is a natural part of the environment, it can also be introduced to the environment via sewage and fertilizers. Farmers often apply too much nitrogen in their fields, which can contaminate groundwater and waterways. Excess nitrogen also causes dead zones in lakes and oceans. It also contributes to climate change and is 300 times more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
The Department of Environmental Protection's efforts to curb nitrogen pollution in the state was undermined by the robust agricultural industry, which flooded public hearings and filed countless statements against the regulation. Eventually, the state's agriculture agency bowed to the industry's pressure and stalled efforts to reduce nitrogen pollution from agriculture. The result was that the Minnesota Legislature passed a bill blocking the regulation, which Governor Dayton vetoed. Farmers and farm groups no longer oppose the revised rule despite the veto.
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