IMPACTS
ENVIROMENTAL IMPACT
River and ground water pollution due to:
- Surface run off of fertilizer
- Leaching of excessive fertilizer

EUTROPHICATION (1)
Overabundance of nutrients through leaching of conventional fertilizers cause eutrophication and hypertrophication of nearby water body. These actions induce excessive growth of water plants and algae which can kill off marine animals, as well as cause overgrowth of Cyanobacteria which can produce harmful toxins that can accumulate in the food chain and can be harmful to humans. Chemical fertilizers that have polluted the rivers, lakes, and even oceans are high nitrogen-rich compounds cause oxygen depletion in the water threaten aquatic life. It doesn’t take much of an imagination to anticipate what happens to life under the water when oxygen is depleted.
ACIDIFICATION (2)
Uncontrolled fertilizer application accelerates soil acidification processes through perturbation of the natural cycles of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) in soil. Intensive agriculture can speed up soil acidification through many processes – increasing leaching, addition of fertilizers, removal of produce and build-up of soil organic matter.
REFERENCES
(1) Wilfried Werner "Fertilizers, 6. Environmental Aspects" Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 2002, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim.doi:10.1002/14356007.n10_n05Chislock, M.F.; Doster, E.; Zitomer, R.A.; Wilson, A.E. (2013). "Eutrophication: Causes, Consequences, and Controls in Aquatic Ecosystems". Nature Education Knowledge. 4 (4): 10. Retrieved 10 March 2018.