User:Nikhil Kashyap 1/Agricultural pollution

Pesticides

Contemporary agriculture relies significantly on the use of pesticides to maintain crop productivity. It has been approximated that in the absence of pest control measures, crop losses before harvesting would typically amount to 40 percent. Pesticides and herbicides are applied to agricultural land to improve productivity. Soil contamination can occur when pesticides persist. The issue of persistence in pesticides can be illustrated by the fact that this characteristic varies, ranging from moderately persistent (lasting from one to 18 months—examples include 2,4-D and atrazine) to highly persistent (with lifetimes extending up to 20 years—such as DDT, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, and toxaphene), or even permanent (as seen in substances like lead, mercury, and arsenic). The extent to which the pesticides and herbicides persist depends on the compound's unique chemistry, which affects sorption dynamics and resulting fate and transport in the soil environment. Pesticides can also accumulate in animals that eat contaminated pests and soil organisms. The primary danger associated with pesticide application lies in its impact on non-target organisms. These encompass species we typically perceive as beneficial or desirable, such as pollinators, and to natural enemies of pests (i.e. insects that prey on or parasitize pests).

Tillage and nitrous oxide emissions

Natural soil biogeochemical processes result in the emission of various greenhouse gases, including nitrous oxide. Around 52% of human-caused nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions come from agriculture, and this number keeps rising because of the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. Nitrous oxide is a potent greenhouse gas, with a warming effect 265 times stronger than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. It's mostly produced during soil processes like nitrification and denitrification. For example, Agricultural management practices such as tillage levels have also been shown to affect nitrous oxide emissions.

From Machinery

The adoption of agricultural machinery and equipment has significantly reduced the need for manual labor in farming, providing relief to farmers and labourers. However, most of these machines run on petrol or diesel, leading to release of harmful gases. These machines release several harmful gases that can endanger human health.