Fertilizers are substances that improve plant growth. They contain chemical elements like nitrates or natural substances like manure.
Fertilizers help plants grow by providing nutrients, they make plants healthier, produce more fruit, and grow faster.
Fertilizers can also help protect plants from pests and diseases.
Modern fertilizers often contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
These are important elements that plants need to grow.
An environmental hazard can harm the natural environment or people's health, examples include pollution and natural disasters.
Farmers use fertilizer to help their crops grow better, but fertilizers can also pollute water and soil.
This pollution can hurt plants, animals, and people who use the water or soil.
It is important to be careful when using fertilizers to protect the environment and people's health. Environmental hazards related to chemical fertilizers are mentioned below:
Soil nutrient holding capacity: The massive quantities of inorganic fertilizers affect the soil nutrient holding capacity.
Eutrophication: This is a process where the increased chemical nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, from the fertilizers, lead to the overgrowth of algae and other aquatic plants. Eutrophication can have a significant negative impact on the ecosystem and the organisms living in it.
Emission of greenhouse gas: Storage and application of some nitrogen fertilizers may cause the emission of greenhouse gas, e.g. nitrous oxide.
Soil acidity: Ammonia gas is produced by some fertilizers. This gas can escape into the air and cause air pollution. Ammonia gas can also make the soil more acidic when it dissolves in water.
Pest problems: Excessive nitrogen fertilizers can lead to pest problems by increasing their reproduction rate.
Nutrient balance: It is important to balance the amount of fertilizer used with what the crop needs and what the soil can provide. Using too much fertilizer can cause pollution and harm the environment. Farmers should be careful to use only the amount of fertilizer that is necessary to avoid these problems.
