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The environmental problems associated with using agricultural chemicals
Member rating: No Rating | Words: | Submitted: Tue Jun 20 2006
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The environmental problems associated with using agricultural chemicals The use of chemicals such as fertilisers and pesticides in agricultural farming have advantages in that they increase the yield of crops and control the level of pests; however they also can have a damaging effect to the environment. Eutrophication is a process which damages the life in water environments and although it is a natural process, the use of fertilisers has aggravated the situation. Fertilisers contain the essential nutrients needed to be taken up by the plants for their optimum growth, mainly nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These nutrients applied to the soil are mainly taken up by the plants they are intended for, but some are drained away through the soil called leaching, and end up in rivers and lakes, which has a damaging effect to the life. Nitrogen is most easily leached through the soil whereas Phosphorus binds quickly with soil minerals and...
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