Sources of water pollution from plant production

3 Sources of water pollution from plant production 

This group of pollution sources includes — in addition to washings from fields due to water erosion and drainage waters — particularly those which 

From the viewpoint of water management the application of high doses of industrial fertilizers as one of the important intensifying factors in plant production for the increase of acreage yields is unfavourably manifested in the increasing rate of surface and groundwater poUution. Non-industrial pollution of water resources in developed countries amounts already to about 60% and the contribution of industrial fertilizers is significant. 

When using water resources for a public supply of drinking water, the greatest danger lies in an emergency excess of nitrates. In many basins the content of nitrates has doubled within the last 20-25 years. If this development of pollution with nitrates continues there is a possibility of deterioration of all sources of drinking waters within several decades. 

A similar development of pollution has also been observed in the case of other biogenous elements. Phosphorus in surface waters which originate from the run-off from agricultural lands to which phosphorus fertilizers have been applied stimulates considerably the eutrophization of waters, contributing thus to secondary, even more serious deterioration of the drinking water sources. 

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Q.4.3 Sources of water pollution from plant production... 

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