Open AccessAssessing nonpoint source pollution in the vadose zone
Author(s) -
Corwin Dennis,
Loague Keith,
Ellsworth Tim
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/98eo00162
Subject(s) - pollutant , nonpoint source pollution , agriculture , environmental science , pesticide , pollution , sustainable agriculture , population , water pollution , environmental protection , water resource management , environmental engineering , natural resource economics , environmental chemistry , ecology , environmental health , chemistry , medicine , economics , biology
Sustainable agriculture is viewed as the only viable means of meeting the food demands of the world's projected population of 11 billion by the year 2050. Sustainable agriculture is predicated on a delicate balance of maximizing crop productivity and maintaining economic stability while minimizing the use of finite natural resources and avoiding the detrimental environmental impacts of associated nonpoint source (NPS) pollutants. NPS pollutants include pesticides, fertilizers, trace elements, salts, sediments, etc., and are known to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic. NPS pollutants threaten sustainable agriculture and are recognized as the single greatest threat to surface and subsurface drinking water resources.