EXCESSIVE USE OF CHEMICAL OR SYNTHETIC FERTILISER IS ERODING THE SOIL
Chemical fertilizers can have indirect negative impacts on human health and the environment for several reasons:
Toxicity: Chemical fertilizers often contain high concentrations of synthetic chemicals such as ammonia, nitrates, and phosphates. Excessive exposure to these chemicals can be harmful to human health, causing issues like respiratory problems, skin irritation, and even more severe health conditions if ingested or absorbed in large quantities.
Water Pollution: When chemical fertilizers are applied to fields, they can leach into water bodies through runoff or percolation, leading to water pollution. High levels of nitrates and phosphates in water can cause eutrophication, where excessive nutrient levels promote the growth of algae and other aquatic plants, leading to oxygen depletion and harming aquatic ecosystems. This polluted water can also affect human drinking water sources, potentially leading to health problems.
Soil Degradation: Continuous use of chemical fertilizers can degrade soil quality over time. They can disrupt the balance of microorganisms in the soil, reduce soil fertility, and decrease soil organic matter content, ultimately leading to long-term soil degradation. Healthy soil is crucial for growing nutritious crops, and degraded soil can affect food quality and human health.
Health Risks from Food: Plants grown with excessive chemical fertilizer use may contain higher levels of nitrates, which can be harmful to human health if consumed in large amounts. Additionally, chemical residues from fertilizers may accumulate in crops, posing risks to consumers’ health if ingested over time.
Climate Change: The production and application of chemical fertilizers require significant amounts of energy, often derived from fossil fuels. This contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, which has wide-ranging impacts on human health and well-being, including extreme weather events, changes in disease patterns, and disruptions to food and water supplies.
In contrast, organic fertilizers, such as compost, manure, and organic amendments, can provide nutrients to plants while improving soil health and reducing environmental and health risks associated with chemical fertilizers.
