International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, Vol. 3, No.

1, February 2012

An Agricultural Pollutant: Chemical Fertilizer

Serpil Savci

For the next 30 years, more fertilizer will be used to

Abstract—Consumer society, in order to meet the growing obtain more products. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers
need for food, agricultural land per unit area required to in agriculture, resulting in a large number of environmental
achieve maximum efficiency and highest quality product. It is problems because some fertilizers contain heavy metals (eg.
known that the nutrition of the plant is the one of the most cadmium and chromium) and high concentrations of
important factors to control agricultural productivity and radionuclides. Later these fertilizers agro-ecosystem
quality. Rates of nutrients in the soil affects the quality of yield.
In the permanent agricultural land, the soil will be very poor constitutes the main source of heavy metals and
in nutrients, as a result, inefficient. Therefore, producers, radionuclides in plants and some results in the accumulation
fertilize the soil, combat pests, irrigation and process of of inorganic pollutants [3]. Greenhouses, aquaculture
agricultural activities to make more efficient to soil. especially large amounts of chemical fertilizers used during
Fertilization among these activities remains a priority at all the peak season, so dangerously polluted well water,
times. Recent studies, however, excessive use of fertilizers is especially water resources, crop production quantity and
the need for additional land outside the public and
environmental health of the reported adverse affects. Excessive
quality of product deteriorates. Problems caused by too
fertilization and mindless, but there were soil salinity, heavy much fertilizer:
metal accumulation, water eutrophication and accumulation of The amount of nitrate may increase in drinking water and
nitrate, to consider in terms of air pollution in the air of gases rivers as a result of high levels of nitrogen fertilizer use.
containing nitrogen and sulfur, giving and can lead to The amount of phosphate may increase in drinking water
problems such as the greenhouse effect. In this review, aims to and rivers as a result of the transport of phosphorous
reveal environmental and health problems caused by improper
fertilization provides recommendation toward solving these fertilizer with the flow of surface.
problems. High level of Nitrogen fertilizer used plants grown in
soils. It consists of carcinogenic substances such as
Index Terms—Agricultural pollution, environment, nitrosamines, especially plants such as lettuce and spinach
fertilization leaves are eaten. There are harmful accumulation of NO3
and NO2 [2-3] .
I. INTRODUCTION
Fertilization increases efficiency and obtains better
quality of product recovery in agricultural activities. It is II. EFFECTS OF CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS ON WATER
one of the most important ways. Non-organic fertilizers POLLUTION
mainly contain phosphate, nitrate, ammonium and Nowadays, human beings aware of harmful effects on the
potassium salts. Fertilizer industry is considered to be environment of the use of nitrogenous fertilizers. Nitrogen
source of natural radionuclides and heavy metals as a in agricultural areas reach the water environment by three
potential source. It contains a large majority of the heavy ways: Drainage, leaching and flow.
metals like Hg, Cd, As, Pb, Cu, Ni, and Cu; natural Nitrate leaching particularly linked to agricultural
radionuclide like 238U, 232Th, and 210Po [1-2] . However, in practices such as fertilizing and cultivation. Irrigated
recent years, fertilizer consumption increased exponentially agricultural land in some of the arid and semiarid regions,
throughout the world, causes serious environmental increased amounts of nitrate accumulation in the soil used
problems. Fertilization may affect the accumulation of and along with the evaporation of water. According to the
heavy metals in soil and plant system. Plants absorb the conditions, nitrate accumulated leached in varying amounts.
fertilizers through the soil, they can enter the food chain. It reaches the depth of soil. In the soil, fertilizers converted
Thus, fertilization leads to water, soil and air pollution. to nitrate through nitrification by microorganisms. Due to
The use of chemical fertilizers in Turkey is lower than negatively charged of nitrate can reach ground water. Even
developed and many developing countries. Chemical in ideal conditions, Plants use 50% of nitrogenous fertilizers
fertilizer used per hectare in Turkey (N+P+K) are applied to soil, 2-20% lost evaporation, 15-25% react
determined as 100.4. These values are 665.5 in the organic compounds in the clay soil and the remaining 2-
Netherlands; 624.8 in Egypt; 373.2 in Japan; 301.5 in China; 10% interfere surface and ground water [4-5]. The majority
287.5 in Britain; 205.4 in Germany; 180.1 in France; 160.8 of nitrogenous fertilizers aren't absorbed products and they
in the USA; 126.4 in Italy; 121.4 in India; 115.4 in Greece interfere with both underground and surface water.
and 106.9 in Indonesia kg/ha respectively [1]. Groundwater nitrate problem should be considered in a
global context. 22% of cultivated areas in Europe for the
international recommended dirinking water nitrate
concentration in graundwater concentration (≥ 11.3 mg/L)
Manuscript receive January 15, 2012, revised Februaruy 1, 2012. above. In European Countries, NO3-N concentration value
Serpil Savci is with the Biosystems Engineering Department in Bozok
University, Turkey (e-mail:serpilsavci@hotmail.com)
is 23 mg/L and in the USA it is 45 mg/L. NO3 and NH4+

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 International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, Vol. 3, No. 1, February 2012

concentration, Nottingham, United Kingdom exceeds the the intestinal tract 4-12h and is exceted by the kidneys. The
stated limits. The city of Nottingham is underlain by the mechanism, as well as the salivary glands can concentrate
unconfined Sherwood aquifer, which is vulnerable to nitrate. As a result, the mouth is reduced to nitrite in the
contamination from various sources arising from urban and anaerobic environment.
industrial activities of the region. According to that study, It is possible to examine the toxicological effects of
samples of aquifer recharge, both artifical and natural, and nitrate in three stages. The primary toxic effect of nitrate
of shallow and deep groundwater were collected to concentrations in drinking water of 50 mg NO3- /L exceeds
determine the sources and level of contamination from the value of the bowel in adults, digestive and urinary
nitrogen species. Deep groundwater contains low systems, inflammation is seen. Seconder toxicity, high
concentrations of ammonium (less than 0.3 mg-N/L) nitrate concentration in drinking water caused digease in
throughout, however much higher nitrate concentrations infants methamoglobianemi. Stomach acid does not occur in
(less than 1.0 mg/N/L to 28.0 mg-N/L). Most remaining infants younger than six months. In this environment, nitrate
groundwater samples have a nitrogen fertiliser source, nitrite reacts with hemoglobin in the blood is minimized
possibly derived from an influent river draining a rural methamoglobin consists of nitrite in the digestive system.
catchment. In that study, groundwater quality is Meanwhile, iron contained in hemoglobin and blood oxygen
continuously monitored and isotopic measurements were transport function lost. As a result, infants are found
made [6]. Similar high concentrations of NO3 and NH4+ stragled to death. Advancing age, it is eliminated as a result
have also been reported in the USA. According to research of the increase in stomach acids. Toxicity in acid medium of
carried out in wells used on farms in Ontario, Canada, secondary and tertiary amines tertiory nitrites, alkyl
approximately 14% of the wells were found to be over the ammonium bases and react accordingly amides occurs a s a
limit values of NO3-N concentration. In that study, four result nitrosamines occurs, as a result of this and
farm wells were chosen in each township where >50% of nitrosomines. Strong carcinogenic effects of these
the land area was used for agricultural production. With in compound has been identified in recent studies. One of the
the practical constraints of the survey, it was considered that most important negative effects of intensive fertilizer use is
a total of between 1000 and 1500 wells could realistically water eutrophication. Increased amounts of nitrogen and
be included in the study. Nitrate concentration was phosphorous compounds in water as a result of the increase
measured spectrophotometrically [7]. In Antalya region of in the amount of higher aquatic plants and algae formation
Kumluca their study on the determination of nitrate concent and degradation of water quality and water environment in
of well water NO3 2.46-164.91 mg/L is changing and the the event of life is defined as eutrophication. Eutrophication
region of approximately 50% of nitrate pollution of well in the bottom layer, oxygen-free environment as a result,
water was subjected stated. Water samples were taken from not suitable for drinking and water supply, reduction in the
20 wells in the region. The results obtained showed that the number of living species in the aquatic environment fish
NO3 content of the well waters in the region changed from kills, proliferation of unwanted species, odor problem, the
2.46 to 164.91 mg/L, NH4 content from 2.35 to 7.22 mg/L, media appear to be unsuitable for recreation [5-11].
[NO3-N]+ [NH4-N] content from 2.84 to 40.02 mg/L. It was
found that the NO3 content of the 50% of the well waters
were higher than 45 mg/L which was accepted as critical III. EFFECTS OF CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS ON SOIL
value for the NO3 pollution in waters [8]. In Eskisehir, NO3 POLLUTION
pollution in their study report that under the alluvial aquifer. According to the researces and studies the effects of
The water analyses from 51 wells and 9 sampling points on chemical fertilizers on the soil is not immediately obvious.
the Porsuk River, taken over a 2-year period, were used to Because soils have strong buffering power due to their
examine the nitrate pollution in the groundwater. The components. Over the time, it states that emerged from the
average nitrate concentration in the groundwater of the pollution, deterioration of soil fertility, soil degradation
study area was 40.0 mg/L; 34.2% of the nitrate reactions occuring in the soil leads to deterioration of the
concentration of the samples were above 45 mg/L the upper balance of the current element. In addition, toxic substances
limit in drinking water standarts [9]. Their study related to accumulate within the vegetables and causing negative
the concentration of nitrate Demre, Antalya region of effects in humans and animals are fed.
approximately 45% of well water that is allowed by the Soil structure in agricultural productivity are very
World Health Organization, 50 mg/L is above the limit important and it is regarded as an indicator. Unconsciously,
value stated. In the same study at the begining of growing the fertilizing, soil, just as in the deterioration of the
season with high concentration of NO3 training period structure is caused by industrial emissions. Especially
before the decline in again showed an increase after found NaNo3, NH4NO3, KCI, K2SO4, NH4Cl demolish the
that [10]. structure, such as fertilizers, soil, soil structure,
One of the most important parameters of the pollution of deterioration is difficult to obtain high-quality and efficient
water is nitrate which is the basic component of fertilizer. product.
Both the nitrate concentration of groundwater and surface Particularly high level of sodium and potassium
water is increased by agricultural activities. Nitrate is the containing fertilizers, make a negative impact on soil, pH,
most common form of dissolved nitrogen in groundwater. soil structure deterioration and the increasing feature of acid
However, It can be found in the form of nitrite (NO2 -), irrigation or other agricultural operations or from the
nitrogen (N2), nitrogen oxide (N2O) and organic nitrogen. benefits derived from it is not possible or very scarce.
Nitrates from drinking water of the body is absorbed in Continuous use of acid-forming nitrogen fertilizers causes a

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decrease in soil pH, liming, if not carried to prevent the V. CONCLUSION

declining efficiency of field crops. Basic use of fertilizers in Today, use of fertilizers is seen as a necessary
the soil leads to an increase in pH. Increaeses in soil and agricultural technology. Because soil restores nutrients.
plants, seedlings pH circuit of a sudden drop in the yield However, firstly soil analysis should be performed carefully.
and quality drops, but causes harmfulness. In addition After then, fertilizer should be given to soil. The structure
expanding the size of soil pollution by accumulation in the and chemical content of the soil should be identified and
soil. the most appropriate type of fertilizers should be selected.
Research in the province of Rize in the territory of our The most suitable method should be processed. Otherwise,
country, one-way ammonium sulfate fertilization of tea, the fertilizer should be noted that errors will result in the
actually led to an increase in acidity of soils with low pH. loss of both energy and finance. Fertilizing should be done
Today 85% of the territory has dropped below pH 4 which in time, should not be inappropriate times. For example a
is considered as the critical level. In Nevsehir over the last heavy rainfall to the seasons, fertilization, fertilizers water
twenty-five years as a result of nitrogen fertilization of will mix with the surrounding soil by leaching. For this
potatoes grown in 100-fold increased acidity of the soil pH reason, fertilizer will be lost from soil, as well as pollution
has fallen to 2. Granting the land, excessive nitrogen of surrounding water and therefore it will result in
fertilizers Rhizobium sp. activites, such as symbiotic eutrophication [1]. Water caused by chemical fertilizers is
nitrogen fixing microorganisms is negatively affected. In the most effective way to prevent eutrophication, especially
this case, the part of the air plugs to benefit from the free in the form of phosphorus flow will stop. In addition,
nitro. In addition, more nitrogenous fertilizers limit the sedimentation, nutrients, dilution, pressure water application,
activities of nitrifying bacteria. Thus, the cost of the second filtration, water algasit or herbicides, such as the addition of
nitrogen source is damaged [12] some physical and chemical methods can be effective [15-
Given large amounts of potassium fertilizers in the soil of 16].
Ca and Fe with Zn disrupt the balance of nutrients by the
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Available:http://md1.csa.com/partners/viewrecord.php?requester=gs
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&setcookie=yes.

Serpil Savci was born in Turkey in 1978. At first,

she graduated environmental engineering department
in Mersin University in Turkey in 2002. After that
she studied master program in the same department
in Cukurova University in Adana in Turkey. She got
her master degree in 2005. Her thesis title is
'Investigation of Adsorption Properties Of Basic
Blue 41 Dye By Living And Non-Living Submerged
Aquatic Plant Myriophyllum spicatum'. At the same
year she began phD program at the same university. She graduated phD
program in 2010. Her thesis title is 'investigation of the adsorption of some
veterinary and human pharmaceuticals by live activated sludge'. She is
working as an asistant prof. dr. in biosystems engineering department in
Bozok University in Turkey now. She has many articles and also
notifications. For example: Başıbüyük, M., Savcı, S., Keskinkan, O.,
Cakmak, M.E., ‘ Investigation of a Basic Dye Adsoption Characteristics of
Non-Living Submerged Aquatic Plant (Myriophyllum spicatum) Asian
Journal of Chemistry 19:3, 2007. Asistant Prof. Dr. Savcı, is a member of
Asia-Pasific Chemical, Biological&Environmental Engineering Society.
Morover She is a member of environmental engineering society in Turkey.

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