AGRICULTURE »» FARM POLLUTION »» NITROGEN FERTILIZER »» Mar 08, 2021

Nitrogen fertilizer is a chemical fertilizer made primarily from petroleum. Although nitrogen is needed for plants to grow, too much of it depletes the soil. Over the years, farm fields require more and more of this fertilizer to maintain productivity. The run-off from farms using nitrogen fertilizer pollutes many waterways. Health advocates claim cancer and other health risks are associated with the use of nitrogen fertilizers, saying nitrates from this product also enter our water supplies through groundwater seepage. Recent research shows that nitrogen-based fertilizers have also spurred worldwide greenhouse gas emissions by stimulating microbes in the soil to produce more nitrous oxide, the third most potent greenhouse gas. Farmers say nitrogen fertilizers are the most effective crop supplement available and are necessary to maintain the productivity needed to feed the world