{"id":4710,"date":"2023-03-02T10:42:23","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T15:42:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmforward.com\/?page_id=4710"},"modified":"2024-11-22T16:55:22","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T21:55:22","slug":"animal-agriculture-water-pollution","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.farmforward.com\/issues\/climate-and-the-environment\/animal-agriculture-water-pollution\/","title":{"rendered":"How does animal agriculture pollute water?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t
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We depend on clean water every day of our lives, to drink, cook, and wash. Yet despite our dependence on a steady supply of clean water for both our health and our convenience, we allow it to be compromised via pollution. One of the largest drivers of water pollution is agriculture, and specifically animal agriculture<\/a>, due to the overwhelming amount of waste created as a byproduct of the production of animal-derived food. This contamination has serious consequences for the health of humans, the environment, and wild animals.<\/p>\n

What is agricultural pollution?<\/h2>\n

Agricultural pollution constitutes the contamination of water, air, and other resources caused by the processes we use to produce food. Animal agriculture ranks within the top three industries causing the most severe environmental problems facing us today at every scale one considers, from local effects to global ramifications, and that includes water degradation.1<\/a> Growing crops to be fed to animals is a major contributor to water pollution due to the sheer size of the industry, the many different chemicals employed, and the enormous amount of fresh water it uses. Factory farms, in which animals are packed together on small areas of land by the thousands or tens of thousands, play a large role in polluting water, as the waste from these animals makes it into waterways, groundwater, and open ocean.<\/p>\n

Agriculture also is a major contributor to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Food production as a whole accounts for about a quarter of all human-caused GHGs. Of this total, livestock and fisheries (including production of feed and land use) account for 53 percent<\/a> of agricultural GHGs.<\/p>\n

How does animal agriculture pollute water?<\/h2>\n

Industrial animal agriculture<\/h3>\n

The primary way that industrial animal farms contribute to water pollution is through waste storage. Factory farms house thousands or tens of thousands of animals in a relatively small area. All of these animals produce waste. The waste is high in nutrients, including nitrates, which have now become the most common contaminant in the world\u2019s groundwater aquifers. In recent years, veterinary medicines have also made their way into our drinking water due to their heavy use within animal agriculture.2<\/a><\/p>\n

Industrial crop production<\/h3>\n

Of the calories from crops produced around the world only 55 percent go directly to humans for consumption. About 36 percent<\/a> of calories from crops are fed to animals raised for meat. Crop production has a massive impact on the water supply due to the heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers that is standard practice within the modern food production industry. These chemicals make their way into waterways when soil is washed off fields<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How does animal agriculture affect water?<\/h2>\n

Billions of animals are raised for food around the world. With so many individuals being born, living, and then being killed in a constant cycle that is kept as short as possible to maximize profits, it comes as no surprise that the impact of animal agriculture on water is considerable. Factory farms\u2019 contributions to water pollution stem from the animals and their waste, the operations of the farms, and the production of food for the animals. The pollution caused by these facilities has far-reaching impacts, contributing to disease outbreaks, driving algal blooms, and negatively impacting economies that depend on clean water.<\/p>\n

Algal blooms, dead zones, and acidification<\/h3>\n

Animal agriculture has a major impact on surface water by encouraging the formation of algal blooms and dead zones<\/a>. Animal agriculture produces large amounts of waste, which is rich in phosphorus and nitrogen. When these nutrients make their way into the water, they increase the likelihood and severity of algal blooms. When the algae of such a bloom eventually die, their decomposition takes with it the oxygen in the water, which results in a mass die-off of the plant and animal species in the impacted area. In addition to the loss of life associated with algal blooms, they can be devastating for local economies and individuals that depend on the water for their incomes.<\/p>\n

Heavy metal contamination<\/h3>\n

Agriculture contributes to the presence of heavy metals in water. Though there are many industrial sources of such contamination, fertilizer, pesticides, manure, and irrigation play significant roles. Heavy metal exposure has been linked<\/a> to a number of health conditions including weakened bones, liver and lung damage, and cancer.<\/p>\n

Nitrates and other contaminants in drinking water<\/h3>\n

Animal agriculture has been repeatedly recognized as one of the main sources of nitrates<\/a> in water supplies. The presence of nitrates, even in small amounts, can cause serious medical conditions such as birth defects, thyroid disease, and colorectal cancer.3<\/a> Agriculture also contaminates<\/a> drinking water with other chemicals from fertilizers and pesticides, notably phosphorus.<\/p>\n

Pathogen contamination and disease outbreaks<\/h3>\n

A variety of zoonotic diseases can be spread from animals being raised for food to humans and other animal populations via water. One of the major ways that such diseases are introduced to water is through the fecal matter of an infected animal. Diseases that can be transmitted this way include E. coli <\/em>and Cryptosporidium.<\/em>4<\/a><\/p>\n

How does water pollution affect animals?<\/h2>\n

Wild animals are seriously impacted by water pollution. Whether they spend their lives in the air, in the water, or on land, wild animals endure some of the worst impacts of polluted water systems.<\/p>\n

Birds<\/h3>\n

Many birds depend on waterways for their food supply. When the water becomes polluted, the native grasses and populations of animals on which birds prey can die off, leading to birds not having enough food to survive. Cyanobacteria that occur as part of algal blooms have also been linked to die-offs of birds around the world.5<\/a><\/p>\n

Marine life<\/h3>\n

Marine species suffer from water pollution regardless of its cause, but one particularly significant contributor to pollution is aquaculture, or fish farming. Alongside pesticides, fish feces, and antibiotics, one of the most threatening contaminants from aquaculture are the farmed fish themselves. Repeatedly, farmed fish have escaped from enclosures in which they are normally kept, despite every precaution taken, and wreaked havoc<\/a> on native populations.<\/p>\n

Land animals<\/h3>\n

Cyanobacteria poisoning can affect land animals as well as birds.6<\/a> The build-up of any toxic elements in waterways can ultimately impact on animals whose food webs include marine organisms, and the collapse of aquatic ecosystems can have unpredictable effects for land-dwelling animals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\t

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