Journal Article

Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution in China: Causes and Mitigation Measures

Zhang, Fusuo, Norse, David, Zhang, Linxiu, Sun, Bo, Yang, Linzhang, Zhu, Zhaoliang

2012

Overview

Non-point source (NPS) pollution has been increasingly serious in China since the 1990s. The increases of agricultural NPS pollution in China is evaluated for the period 2000−2008 by surveying the literature on water and soil pollution from fertilizers and pesticides, and assessing the surplus nitrogen balance within provinces. The main causes for NPS pollution were excessive inputs of nitrogen fertilizer and pesticides, which were partly the result of the inadequate agricultural extension services and the rapid expansion of intensive livestock production with little of waste management. The annual application of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides in China increased by 50.7 and 119.7%, respectively, during 1991−2008. The mitigation measures to reduce NPS pollution include: correct distortion in fertilizer prices; improve incentives for the recycling of organic manure; provide farmers with better information on the sound use of agro-chemicals; and tighten the regulations and national standards on organic waste disposal and pesticides use.

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag,Springer,Springer Netherlands,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Agricultural extension / Agricultural policy / Agricultural pollution / Agricultural production / Agriculture / Agrochemicals / Atmospheric Sciences / Chemicals / chemistry / China / Conservation of Natural Resources / Conservation of Natural Resources - methods / Crop production / Distortion / Earth and Environmental Science / Ecology / Environment / Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology / Environmental Management / Environmental Monitoring / extension education / Farmers / Fertilizers / Heavy metals / Livestock / Livestock production / Manures / methods / Mitigation / National standards / Nitrogen / Nitrogen balance / nitrogen fertilizers / Nonpoint source pollution / Organic farming / Organic fertilizers / Organic wastes / Pesticides / Physical Geography / Point source pollution / Pollution / Pollution control / Prices / Recycling / Regulation / REVIEW PAPER / Rivers / Soil contamination / Soil fertility / Soil Pollutants / Soil Pollutants - chemistry / Soil pollution / Sustainable agriculture / Waste disposal / Waste management / Water Pollutants, Chemical / Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry / Water pollution