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Agrochemical Pollution

An optimum nutrient level is essential for productive agriculture. Nutrients can be supplied either by natural sources or in the form of synthetic chemical fertilizers. However, the use of both natural and chemical fertilizers may result in an excess of nutrients, which can cause problems in water bodies and to health. This excess use of various fertilizers may pollute food crops and groundwater; this process is commonly called agrochemical pollution. Nitrates are highly soluble and, therefore, may quickly reach water bodies. Phosphates tend to be fixed to soil particles and can reach watercourses when soil is eroded. Phosphate-saturated soils and high phosphate levels in groundwater are found in many countries. This entry describes the main types of agrochemicals, the reasons for their use, and their effects.

Types of Agrochemicals

Agrichemical (or agrochemical) is a generic term for various chemical products used in agriculture. In most cases, agrichemical refers to the broad range of insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, but it may also include synthetic fertilizers, hormones and other chemical growth agents, and concentrated stores of raw animal manure. Most agrochemicals are toxic, and all agrochemicals in bulk storage pose significant environmental and/or health risks, particularly in the event of accidental spills. Pollutants from agrochemical sources include fertilizers, manure, and pesticides. To these, we may add accidental spills of hydrocarbons used as fuel for agricultural machinery. The main effect of this is to introduce heavy metals and their compounds in soils—that is, cadmium, arsenic, magnesium, zinc, and so on. Various harmful agrochemicals and their effects include the following:

Cadmium (Cd): Cd mainly comes from impurity in zinc-containing fertilizers. Its accumulation in the living system leads to growth retardation, diarrhea, kidney damage, liver injury, hypertension, and so on. Cd is soluble in water and is a major pollutant.

Chromium (Cr): Cr mostly comes from the fertilizer industry. It can lead to gastrointestinal ulceration, CNS (central nervous system) disease, cancer, and so on.

Copper (Cu): Cu also comes from chemical fertilizers. When Cu gets into living systems, it can lead to sporadic fever, hypertension, uremia, and even coma.

Mercury (Hg): Hg is a component of certain fungicides. It is a highly toxic chemical and acts as a cumulative poison, causing abdominal pain, headache, diarrhea, hemolysis, and so on.

Selenium (Se): Se is an ingredient of various fungicides and insecticides. Its effects can include damage to the liver, kidney, and spleen, fever, nervousness, vomiting, low blood pressure, blindness, and so on.

Zinc (Zn): Zn is an essential component of most fertilizers. It is one of the most common soil pollutants and can cause vomiting, cramps, and renal damage.

Effects of Agrochemicals

The use of pesticides in agriculture has been a major cause of pollution in soil ecosystems. Toxic, nondegradable chemicals from various pesticides accumulate in the soil and build up in concentrations that can threaten animals, crops, and plants. Agrochemicals pollute the soil directly by affecting the organisms that reside in it. Soil, however, acts as a vector for the pollution of surface water and groundwater. Persistent agrochemicals accumulate in soil and aquatic ecosystems, causing their biomagnifications in living organisms.

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