Impact of agricultural waste on the environment

This situation creates a high demand for pesticides in order to kill insects and protect
against the spread of epidemic diseases; this need often lead to the abuse of pesticides by
farmers. After using pesticides, most of the bottles and packages holding these pesticides
are thrown into fields or ponds. According to an estimate made by the Plant Protection
Department (PPD), about 1.8% of the chemicals remain in their packaging.These wastes
have the potential to cause unpredictable environmental consequences such as

 food poisoning,
 unsafe food hygiene and
 contaminated farm land due to their potentially lasting and toxic chemicals.

In addition to this, existing stagnant or unused pesticides and pesticide packages with residue
from the original contents poses serious environmental consequence in that they could be
stored or buried in the wrong way which may leak or enter the environment through
osmosis and thereby affecting the environment.

Residues
Contaminants from animal residues include:

 residues arising from the use of pesticides and veterinary medicines

 heavy metals (e.g. mercury, cadmium, lead)
 naturally occurring chemicals such as mycotoxins (toxins produced by certain fungi)
 microorganisms.

All of these may be present in food, either through natural circumstances or as a consequence of
industrial or agricultural activities.

Chemicals that may be detected as residues

These include:

 antibiotics used to control bacterial diseases in animals

 anthelmintics used to control internal parasites in animals
 fungicides used to control fungal diseases in plants and plant products
 insecticides used to control insect pests in crops, protect stored grain and control external
parasites on animals
 herbicides used to control weeds in crops
 fumigants used to protect grain and sterilise soil, sheds and bee hives
 hormonal growth promotants used as veterinary medicines or to improve growth in
livestock.
 Impact of wastes on the environment
Dumping of wastes in a haphazard and unscientific manner has serious environmental impact.
Most of the wastes contain a number of inorganic minerals and other harmful matter which
contaminate the environment and lead to:
1Spoilage of Landscape:
It is a common practice to dump plastic bags, containers, vegetables, fruit peels, cans etc. in the open
area without thinking about its consequences . We need to be fully aware that improper disposal of
waste spoils the beauty of the landscape
2Pollution:
1. Degradation of land,
2. Pollution of drinking water,
3. Destruction of aquatic life,
4. Degradation of ground and surface water used for irrigation and industries, and
5. Improper disposal of wastes cause soil, air and water pollution.
3 Health Hazards:
Human health is directly concerned with the overall quality of the environment. However, in the last
few decades, due to human’s desire for rapid advancement in industrialisation, agriculture and other
activities, much damage has been done to the environment. Large-scale deforestation, drastic
climatic changes and pollutants on land, air and water are some of the unpleasant consequences
that ultimately affect the human health.

It is a well-known fact that an adult healthy man is exposed everyday to polluted air through
breathing and to food and water through oral intake. Our skin is also exposed to the
environmental chemicals which lead to many health problems immediately or after sometime.

Health hazards due to air pollution:

Hazardous air pollutants present in the atmosphere affect human health both directly and indirectly.
It may be a short-term or long-term effect.

The following are the adverse effects on human health:

1. Toxic gas carbon monoxide reduces the blood oxygen and formation of haemoglobin, causing
injury to heart and central nervous system.

2. Sulphur dioxide and sulphuric acid both cause irritation in the respiratory tracts of humans and
high concentrations of sulphur dioxide leads to severe heart and lung diseases like bronchitis,
asthma, etc.

3. Nitrogen oxide at higher concentration affects respiratory organs, liver and kidneys.
4. Ozone can seriously affect the pulmonary functions.

5. Lead can cause injury in blood-formation organs and nervous system, especially impairing of
brain functions of new-born babies.

6. Pesticides and radiations are other toxic air pollutants which are very dangerous for human health.

7. Metal, dusts, asbestos and hydrocarbons shorten the life span and cause deterioration of
nervous system and there is additional risk of cancer.

8. In mining operation, silica and dust cause pneumoconiosis (common disease in mine workers).

9. Petroleum components can affect the blood forming organs, brain, teeth bones etc.

10. Mercury and cadmium are known to damage the kidneys and brain.

Water is said to be polluted when its quality or composition is changed either naturally or as a result
of human activities. Nearly 80% of the human diseases in developing countries are due to polluted
water alone.

The well-known impacts of water pollutants are as follows:

1. A large numbers of industrial pollutants that come to human body through drinking water and
contaminated food threaten the life and health. The famous MINAMATA and ITAI-ITAI diseases
took a big toll of human life in Japan due to mercury and cadmium from the industrial effluents in
the aquatic ecosystem.

2. Some agrochemicals like chlorinated pesticides disposed in water accumulate in the aquatic food
chains and enter the human body causing heavy infection. In coastal Karnataka, several people died
by consuming crabs contaminated with pesticides.

3. Changes in water quality due to deficiency of iodine lead to goitre which has been found to be
endemic in many parts of India.

4. Many water borne diseases prevalent in the Indian population, like cholera, typhoid,
gastroenteritis and hepatitis are due to polluted water.

5. Excess fluorine in drinking water has caused bone and teeth diseases (fluorosis), the most severe
disease is the KNOCK-KNEE syndrome in Andhra Pradesh.

Health Hazards due to Soil or Land Pollution:

The accumulation of toxic chemical compounds, salts, disease-causing organisms and radioactive
materials in the soil cause various health problems.

The impact of waste accumulation in soil/land has shown the following major health effects:
1. The impact of land pollution on human health is indirect. The pollutants added in the soil enter the
human body through water or air through the food chain.

2. Several agrochemicals like DDT, fluorine, arsenic, lead compounds and organ phosphorus
compounds are super toxic and cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, salivation
and muscular tremors.

3. Some rodenticides as strychnine, sodium fluoro-acetate etc..are blood coagulants.

4. Ethylene dichloride, ethylene dibromide and methyl dibromide accumulate in liver, kidney, heart,
spleen and cause degenerative lesions.

Impact of Waste Accumulation on Terrestrial Life:

Hazardous wastes may pollute soil, air, surface water and underground water. The oil pollutants may
affect man, plants and animals. These toxic substances are transferred to different organisms through
the food chain and cause a number of complications in living organisms.

Some of these are as follows:

1. Many toxic chemicals, pesticides, other agricultural wastes released into the environment that are
taken up by the plants from air, water and soil. Plants growing under such conditions are severely
affected by these toxic chemicals.
2. Exposure to high concentration of pollutants may cause acute injuries like chlorosis, discolouration
and even the death of plants.
3. Crops show reduced productivity and yield. The quality of plant nutrients is also decreased.
4. Sulphur dioxide is a most toxic pollutant which damage the crops.
5. In recent years, the losses to agriculture and animal life due to fluoride content have greatly
increased.
6. Besides morphological changes, biochemical and physiological changes have also been observed in
many mammals including man.
7. Too much accumulation of wastes disturb the behaviour of wild and domestic animals and also
cause health problems.
8. Some highly toxic chemicals lead to genetic disorders in animals.
9. Several domestic animals like cow, buffalo, goat etc. often eat polythene and plastics bags along
with food material which ultimately reach to their alimentary canal causing many disorders and even
their death.
Impact of Waste Accumulation on Fresh Water:
Large amount of wastes of human society are disposed of in the rivers, lakes, ponds and other aquatic
bodies making the water polluted which is not fit for drinking and other domestic purposes.
The impacts of waste dumping on aquatic life are as follows:
1. The toxic wastes reaching the water bodies badly disturb the aquatic life.
2. The sewage of cities is often drained into the rivers, which is dangerous to flora, fauna and human
life.
3. Due to heavy accumulation of wastes into the canals, lakes and rivers, oxygen concentration is
reduced considerably thus affecting the life of fishes and other aquatic populations. In extreme
deficiency of oxygen most of the fishes die.
4. Sewage from municipalities, sanatoria and tanneries discharged into the rivers, canals and lakes etc.
carry many species of bacteria and other microbes which cause diseases in human and animals.
5. Some pollutants for example heavy metals, cyanides and several other organic and inorganic
compounds are harmful to aquatic organisms. Many of them especially non-biodegradable ones
accumulate in the body of organisms and cause long-term effects.
6. Biodiversity decreases in highly polluted aquatic habitats.
7. The DDT and other pesticides present in very low concentrations in water may accumulate to
higher concentration within algae, insects and fishes. The birds or people that feed on these fishes are
then exposed to very high levels of hazardous substances. In birds, these substances can affect the egg
production and bone formation.
Impact of Waste Accumulation on Marine Life:
One of the least known but most significant uses of the sea is as an enormous dumpsite. In the past,
the oceans were able to assimilate the wastes of the civilization without noticeable adverse effects.
However, industrialization and other associated developments along with sharp increase in global
population have given rise to huge amounts of wastes that are now taxing the capacity of the oceans to
absorb them. Human wastes ranging from the raw sewage of urban centres to junked appliances and
automobiles have heavily polluted the sea shores.
The impacts of waste dumping on marine life are as follows:
1. The growth of marine algae is affected.
2. Massive oil spills not only spoil innumerable beaches and estuaries but also cause widespread
damage to marine life.
3. Herbicides and pesticides (especially the organ chlorides) reach the oceans via the wind and rivers
and contaminate marine water.
4. It is a matter of great concern that mangrove forests are being damaged at an alarming rate due to
disposal of wastes along sea shores.
5. Thermal and radioactive pollution have disturbed the life of fishes in estuaries and coastal
ecosystems. Their breeding is also affected adversely.
 Nature and Characteristics of Agricultural wastes and their
impact on the environment
Agricultural waste otherwise called agro-waste is comprised of

The principal nutrients of concern in the aquatic environment are N & P.

(i) Nitrogen—Nitrogen occurs throughout the environment and 78 % of the air we
breathe is nitrogen. When plants and animals die or when waste products are excreted,
nitrogen returns to the environment and is cycled back to the land, water, and air and
eventually back to other plants and animals.Figure 3–2. The conversion from one form of
nitrogen to another is usually the result of bacterial processes. Some conversions require
the presence of oxygen, while others require no oxygen. In water quality analyses, total
nitrogen (TN) includes the organic (Org-N), total ammonia (NH3 + NH4), nitrite (NO2),
and nitrate (NO3) forms. Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) includes the total organic
and total ammonia nitrogen. The ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate forms of nitrogen may be
expressed in terms of the concentration of N (NO3–N or NH4–N) or in terms of the
concentration of the particular ion or molecule (NO3 or NH4). Thus, 45 mg/L of NO3 is
equivalent to 10 mg/L of NO3–N.
Organic nitrogen—Nitrogen in fresh manure is mostly in the organic form (60–80% of
total N). Organic nitrogen in the solid fraction (faeces) of most animal waste is usually in
the form of complex molecules associated with digested food, while that in the liquid
fraction is in the form of urea.Organic N is not used by crops; however, it is not mobile
once applied to the land unless runoff carries away the organic matter or soil particles to
which it might be attached. From 40 to 90 % of the organic N is converted to ammonia
within 4 to 5 months after application to the land. The conversion of organic N to
ammonia (mineralization) is more rapid in warmer climates. Under the right temperature
and moisture conditions, mineralization can be essentially complete in 60 days.
Conversion to ammonia can occur either under aerobic or anaerobic conditions.
Ammoniacal nitrogen—This term is often used to refer NH4 (the ammonium ion) and
NH3 (un-ionized ammonia). These forms of ammonia exist in equilibrium, with the
concentrations of each depending on pH and temperature. NH3 istoxic to fish and other
aquatic life in very small concentrations.
The positively charged NH4+ tends to attach to the negatively charged clay
particles and generally remains in place until converted to other
forms.Ammonia can be lost to the atmosphere in gaseous form
(volatilization). Ammonia can be converted to nitrite and then to nitrate
(nitrified) only under aerobic conditions. For this reason, organic N and
ammonia N generally are the only forms of nitrogen in anaerobic lagoons
and waste storage ponds. Nitrite (NO2)—This is normally a transitory phase
in the nitrification and denitrification processes. Very little NO2 is normally
detected in the soil or in most natural waters.Nitrites occasionally occur
in significant concentrations in farm ponds and commercial fish ponds
when the mud on the bottom of the pond is disturbed during
commercial harvesting.If the bottom material is enriched with nutrients
(from excess commercial feed, fish waste, or other sources of animal
waste), the concentrations of nitrites in the overlying water can be raised
enough to cause nitrite poisoning or brown blood disease in fish. The
dead or dying fish have “chocolate” colored blood, which indicates that
the hemoglobin has been converted to methemoglobin.Nitrite
concentrations at or below 5 mg/L should be protective of most
warmwaterfish, and concentrations at or below 0.06 mg/L should suffice
for coldwater fish.

Nitrate (NO3)— The nitrate form of N is soluble in water and is readily

used by plants.Under anaerobic conditions, microbial activity can convert
NO3 to a gaseous form of N, through denitrification. Nitrogen in animal
waste that has been converted to nitrate after land application can leach into
the soil profile, encounter a saturated anaerobic zone, and then be denitrified
through microbial activity. The gaseous forms of N created in this process
can then migrate upward through the soil profile and be lost to the
atmosphere.The principal source of agricultural nitrates in surface
water is runoff from feedlots, cropland, and pastures.

Nitrates are toxic to fish only at very high concentrations—typically in

excess of 1,000 mg/L for most freshwater fish. Although nitrates are not
normally toxic to aquatic organisms, NO3 is a source of enrichment for
aquatic plants. If an adequate supply of other essential nutrients is available
(especially phosphorus), nitrates can help promote algae blooms and the
production of other aquatic vegetation.

(ii) Phosphorus—Phosphorus (P) is one of the major nutrients needed for

plant growth, whether the plant is terrestrial or aquatic. Because phosphorus
is used extensively in agriculture, the potential for pollution from this source
is high.

Forms of phosphorus—Water samples are often analysed for only total

phosphorus; however, total phosphorus can include organic, soluble, or
“bound” forms. An understanding of the relationship among these forms is
important to understanding the extent to which phosphorus can move within
the environment and the methods for its control. Figure 3-3 depicts the
relationship between the phosphorus forms and illustrates ways that P can be
lost from waste application sites.

Organic phosphorus is a part of all living organisms, including microbial

tissue and plant residue, and it is the principal form of P in the wastes of
most animals. About 73 % of the P in the fresh waste of various types of
livestock is in the organic form.

Soluble phosphorus (also called available or dissolved P) is the form used

by all plants. It is also the form that is subject to leaching. The soluble form
generally accounts for less than 15 % of the total P in most soils.
Attached phosphorus includes those compounds that are formed when the
anionic (negatively charged) forms of dissolved P become attached to
cations, such as iron, aluminum, and calcium. Attached phosphorus includes
labile, or loosely bound, forms and those that are “fixed,” or tightly
adsorbed, on or within individual soil particles.It should be noted that the
labile P remains in equilibrium with the soluble P. Thus, when the
concentration of soluble P is reduced because of the removal by plants, some
of the labile P is converted to the soluble form to maintain the equilibrium.

Factors affecting the translocation of phosphorus—Some of the principal

factors affecting P movement to surface and ground waters are noted below.

Degree of contact with the soil. Manure that is surface applied in solid form
generally has a higher potential for loss in surface runoff than wastewater
applied through irrigation. Because phosphorus readily attaches to soil
particles, the potential for loss in surface runoff is greatly reduced by
incorporating land applied solid wastes into the soil profile.
Soil pH. After animal waste makes contact with the soil, organic P eventually
converts to soluble P, which is used by plants or converted to bound P.
However, the amount of soluble P is related to the pH of the soil as illustrated in
figure 3-4. In acid soils the soluble P occurs primarily as H2PO4, and when the
pH increases above 7, the principal soluble form is HPO4.

Soil texture. Phosphorus is more readily retained on soils that have a high clay
fraction than on sandy soils. As noted in figure 3-4, those soil particles that
contain a large fraction of aluminum, iron, and calcium are very reactive with
phosphorus. Thus, clay soils have a higher adsorption potential than that of
sandy soils.Research has shown that soils with even a modest clay fraction have
the potential to adsorb large amounts of P. This does not mean that all of the
applied P would be adsorbed within the soil profile. Rather, the soil simply has
the potential for such adsorption, assuming none is lost through other means.

Amount of waste applied.Organic P readily adsorbs to soil particles and

tends to depress the adsorption of inorganic P, especially where organic P
is applied at high rates. Thus, the concentrations of soluble and labile P
increase significantly at high application rates of organic P.When organic P and
commercial superphosphate are applied at the same rates, the superphosphate P
will be less effective in raising the concentration of soluble P than the P applied
in manure or other organic waste. This occurs because the organic P competes
for adsorption sites, resulting in more P staying in soluble form rather than
becoming attached as labile P.

Long-term applications of organic P at rates that exceed the uptake rate of

plants will result in saturation of the adsorption sites near the soil surface. This,
in turn, results in greatly increased concentrations of both soluble and labile P.
The excess soluble P can either leach downward to a zone that has more
attachment sites and then be converted to labile P or fixed P, or it can be carried
off the land in runoff water.
If soils that have high labile P concentrations reach surface water as sediment,
they will continuously desorb or release P to the soluble form until equilibrium
is attained. Therefore, sediment from land receiving animal waste at high rates
or over a long period of time will have a high potential to pollute surface water.

Erosion control measures. Although organic matter increases the water

holding capacity of soils and generally helps to reduce the potential for erosion,
erosion can still occur on land receiving livestock and poultry wastes. If wastes
are applied to satisfy the N requirements of the crops, the P concentrations in
the soil may become extremely high. Because such soils generally have a high
concentration of labile P, any loss of soil to surface water poses a serious threat
to water quality in the receiving water, especially ponds and lakes. For this
reason, good erosion control measures are essential on land receiving animal
waste.
Effects of phosphorus in the aquatic environment—When phosphorus enters
the freshwater environment, it can promote growths of algae and aquatic weeds.
Direct toxicity to fish and other aquatic organisms is not a major concern. Some
algae species are toxic to animals if ingested with drinking water. It is
recommended that total phosphate concentrations should not exceed 50 µg/L (as
P) in any stream at the point where it enters a lake or reservoir.

EPA reports these findings regarding phosphorus in natural water (EPA 1984):

• High phosphorus concentrations are associated with accelerated eutrophication

of water, when other growth-promoting factors are present.

• Aquatic plant problems develop in reservoirs and other standing water at

phosphorus values lower than those critical in flowing streams.

• Reservoirs and lakes collect phosphates from influent streams and store part of
them within consolidated sediment, thus serving as a phosphate sink.

• Phosphorus concentrations critical to noxious plant growth vary, and nuisance

growths may result from a particular concentration of phosphate in one
geographic area, but not in another.