The Effects of Modern Agriculture On the Environment

Outline

I. What is Modern Agriculture?

II. Hazards, Concerns, Sources of Contamination

III.Exposure

IV.Fate of Being Exposed

V. Remediation Techniques

I. What is Modern Agriculture?

Agriculture itself is defined as the science or

occupation of farming

In America, it has been relied upon since the colonial

days

As the population grew, less land was available

With a high demand for food, farmers were forced to

produce higher yields

Fast forward and now we have modern agriculture

Modern agriculture is practically the intensification of

farming, allowing large yields

Modern agriculture is possible through

implementation of:

Fertilizers, pesticides, farm machinery, and hybrid strains

of crops

Pesticide is being sprayed onto crops

To produce efficient yields, farmer’s rely heavily on the

use of these chemically manufactured products

Improper use of these chemicals has had adverse

effects on the environment, as well as human and

animal life

II. Hazards, Concerns, Sources of Contamination

Pesticides are toxic chemicals used to kill pests,

insects, and rodents

Fertilizers are plant nutrients, which are used to

provide excess supplements to enhance plant growth

Fertilizers contain three nutrients: nitrogen,

phosphorus, and potassium

According to the EPA, over 1 billion tons of pesticides

are used each year in the U.S.

1 billion tons = 2.0x1012 pounds

This massive amount of pesticide used every year on

crops is composed of toxic chemicals

According to the fertilizer institute, 54.9 million tons of

fertilizer is used each year in the U.S.

There are large quantities of pesticides and fertilizers

used in agriculture each year

This translates to a lot of toxic chemicals and excess

nutrients being released into the environment

III. How We Become Exposed

There are many ways that humans and animals are

exposed to these toxic chemicals

Runoff

Human exposure:

Drinking Water Contamination

Excess pesticides and fertilizers are carried away from farms

as surface runoff, making their way to rivers, lakes, and

streams

As a result drinking water supplies can contain unacceptable

levels of these toxic chemicals

Human exposure:

Drinking Water Contamination

Water percolates down through the soil and contaminates

groundwater wells, as the water carries the pesticides and

fertilizers with it

According to Washington Post, 1/3 of all groundwater wells fall below EPA standards

for nitrate, which is a nutrient found in fertilizer

Human exposure:

Food Chain

Eating animal products that were exposed to fertilizers and

pesticides

Residue

Pesticide and fertilizer residue is left on crops and ingested

by humans

Animal and Aquatic Exposure:

Eating and Drinking

Animals can become poisoned by eating the rodents killed

with pesticides, or being exposed to them on the farm

They can also be poisoned by drinking contaminated water

sources affected by runoff

Predatory birds can become poisoned by eating fish that are

contaminated

Animal and Aquatic Exposure:

Runoff

The aquatic ecosystem takes the brunt of the effects from

these toxic chemicals

Agricultural runoff finds its way into rivers, lakes, and

streams

Both pesticides and fertilizers do major damage

Animal and Aquatic Exposure:

Runoff

Pesticides can cause unintentional fish kills, which range

from small to large

Frogs, turtles, mussels, water birds and more are affected

Animal and Aquatic Exposure:

Runoff

Phosphorus from fertilizers create toxic algal blooms in the water

These blooms deplete the dissolved oxygen and suffocate aquatic life

IV. Fate of Being Exposed

Exposure to these toxic chemicals are harmful to

humans, wildlife, and the environment

Human Health:

Exposure to pesticides has been linked to a wide range of

health hazards

Headaches, nausea, eye nerve damage, dizziness,

fatigue, infertility/reproductive harm, endocrine system

disruption, birth defects, and cancer; to name a few

symptoms

Human Health:

Cancer is the worst of the hazards caused by pesticides

Studies have shown the most prevalent forms of cancer

caused by pesticides are: leukemia, non-Hodgkins

lymphoma, brain, bone, breast, ovarian, prostate,

testicular, and liver

Wildlife Health:

Pesticides and fertilizers both play a hand in killing

aquatic life

Fish and other wildlife species, including endangered birds

have all been poisoned by these toxic chemicals

Environmental Hazards:

Soil is degraded by overuse of pesticides and fertilizers,

leaving it susceptible to erosion

Soil erosion clogs rivers and streams and causes flooding

which destroys fish habitats

Erosion also degrades the soil by stripping the organic

matter, nutrients, and soil fines

V. Remediation

What’s Being Done

Watershed Efforts

Diverse groups of people make efforts to reduce pollution

Nutrient Management

Conservation Tillage

Method used by farmers; a reduction of tilling fields

Organic Farmers

Refrain from using toxic chemicals

What Can Be Done

Stricter Testing

State and Federal agencies providing stricter laws and

enforcing them

Remove all toxic chemicals from system

The public should be made aware of the chemicals used

Buffers

Trees planted near water sources would filter excess

nutrients before they reach the water source