Water Pollution due to Agriculture in U.S.

Water is one of the most important requirements for the survival of both humans and animals. Without water, life would not exist on earth. If the quality of water gets deteriorated, the quality of life on earth will also get deteriorated.                                            

The U.S. government has sponsored projects to produce 15 billion gallons on Corn Ethanol by 2022 in order to reduce the dependence on foreign oil. The U.S. farm bill provides farmers with incentives for producing lots of corn. Such corn is then converted to corn ethanol. Corn Ethanol requires 8 gallons of fossil fuel to produce 10 gallons of it. As a result, this increases the use of nitrogen fertilizers by farmers. Most of the run off from agriculture in the Mid-West usually go to the Mississippi river. This river drains water from 31 states as it flows through the heart of many states, eventually going to the Gulf of Mexico.

In the end, this drainage of nitrogen polluted water has created dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico. Dead zones are usually located at water openings and have no life present in it. Sediments and nitrogen fertilizers run off into the water bodies that create algae on it. Such algae die and when bacteria decompose on it, they consume all the oxygen present in the area. The water in this area becomes undrinkable and unswimmable for both humans and animals. Since the water is not fit for survival, all the water animals in the dead zones eventually die. The biggest human-induced dead zone can be seen at the Gulf of Mexico.

Sagar Taurani

 By SEVA Press