Agricultural Pollution Environmental Problems and Practical Solutions

About this book

Well illustrated and fully-referenced introduction to contemporary agricultural pollution issues in the UK. It provides a concise, yet comprehensive, overview of the environmental pollution caused by agriculture, offering a unique combination of clear scientific and technical understanding of the most important sources of agricultural pollution, with an understanding of: the general nature of agricultural production systems and their different relationships with the environment; the principles and practice of pollution control on farms, new technologies; statutory control and regulation; financial incentives within agri-environmental policy; and the emergence of `alternative' agricultural systems.

Contents

List of Figures. List of Tables. Acknowledgements. 1. Agriculture and Pollution. 1.1. Setting the Scene. 1.2. Solving the Problem. 2. Nitrates and Nitrogen Loss. 2.1. Introduction. 2.2. The Nitrogen Cycle. 2.3 Nitrogen Transformation. 2.4 Nitrogen Fertiliser Use in Agriculture. 2.5. The Causes of Nitrate Pollution. 2.6. Problems Caused by Nitrate Pollution. 2.7. Reducing Nitrate Losses from Agriculture. 3. Phosphorus. 3.1. Introduction. 3.2 The Phosphorus Cycle. 3.3. Phosphorus losses. 3.4. Environmental Implications of Phosphorus Pollution. 3.5. Environmental Problems Caused by Phosphorus Pollution. 3.6. Practical Solutions. 4. Soil Erosion. 4.1. Introduction. 4.2. Vulnerability of Soil to Erosion and Degradation. 4.3. Environmental Impacts of Soil Erosion. 4.4. Practical Solutions to Soil Erosion. 5. Organic Wastes. 5.1. Introduction. 5.2. Farm Wastes. 5.3. Non-Agricultural Organic Soil Amendments. 5.4. Practical Solutions. 5.5. Non-Agricultural Organic Wastes. 5.6. Alternative Technologies for Farm Waste Treatment. 6. Gaseous Emissions. 6.1. Introduction. 6.2. Ammonia Emissions. 6.3. Methane Emissions. 6.4. Nitrous Oxide Emissions. 6.5. Carbon Dioxide Emissions. 6.6. Farm Odours. 7. Pesticides. 7.1. Introduction. 7.2. Pesticides and their Application. 7.3. Mode of Action. 7.4. Insecticides. 7.5. Herbicides. 7.6. Fungicides. 7.7. The Causes of Pesticide Pollution. 7.8. Behaviour and Fate of Pesticides in the Environment. 7.9. Environmental Problems caused by Pesticides Residues. 7.10. Practical Solutions. 7.11. New Technology. 7.12. Alternatives to Synthetic Pesticides. 8. Genetic Modification. 8.1. Introduction. 8.2. Risks and Benefits. 8.3. Assessing Environmental Risk. 8.4. The Future for GMO's. 9. Policy Strategies for Reducing Pollution. 9.1. Introduction. 9.2. Emergence of Contemporary Agri-Environmental Policy. 9.3. Policy Instruments, Strategies and Implementation. 9.4. Learning from Experience. 9.5. Future Directions. Author Index. Subject Index.

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