Manure and Groundwater   Term Paper ID:34701 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: This paper examines the extent to which manure is a threat to groundwater supplies ...... More...

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Paper Abstract: This paper examines the extent to which manure is a threat to groundwater supplies (which are a source of much of the nation’s drinking water), looking at what farm practices lead to the current levels of pollution and how those methods might be changed so that the groundwater supply can be kept safe in the future. Paper Introduction: This paper examines the extent to which manure is a threat togroundwater supplies which are a source of much of the nation\'s drinkingwater looking at what farm practices lead to the current levels ofpollution and how those methods might be changed so that the groundwatersupply can be kept safe in the future Introduction and Literature Review This paper investigates the effects that manure have on groundwaterquality While the issue is something that most of us would simply rathernot think about because our Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. When nitrate in a public water supply reaches or exceeds drinking water standards, costly measures must be taken. Open Lots . Careful construction of wells, attention to hydrological factors whendetermining where to place feedlots, reduction where possible in use ofwater to clean feedlots and careful use of artificial irrigation can allreduce the amount of pollutants from manure that reach the groundwater(http://www.earthweshare.org/prevpoll.html). htmlhttp://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/eng1739 This paper examines the extent to which manure is a threat togroundwater supplies (which are a source of much of the nation's drinkingwater), looking at what farm practices lead to the current levels ofpollution and how those methods might be changed so that the groundwatersupply can be kept safe in the future.Introduction and Literature Review This paper investigates the effects that manure have on groundwaterquality. Water in the surface water body evaporates into theatmosphere and condenses to form precipitation. Leaching . Affected children develop "blue baby" characteristics and in extreme cases could die of suffocation from oxygen deprivation (http://www.lib.niu.edu/ipo/im911111.html) While much of the groundwater pollution caused by manure results frommanure being applied directly to the ground, there are in fact five commonways that contaminants from manure enter the groundwater, according to theEnvironmental Protection Agency. This isequivalent to the waste produced by 2 -4 humans per day." (Groundwater contamination demonstration: food coloring is added tothe groundwater flow demonstration to simulate a released contaminant). The health hazard from nitrate results from its ability to combine with hemoglobin in the blood to form methemoglobin, which does not carry oxygen. . The current public health standards for safe drinking water require that maximum contaminant level (MCL) should not exceed nitrate concentrations of 1 ppm as nitrate-N or 45 ppm as nitrate (1 ppm nitrate-N is the same as 45 ppm nitrate). Much of the problem with the groundwater contaminiation by manurearises from the size of cows: "According to the EPA, a single dairy cowproduces 12 pounds of wet manure a day (that's about 14 gallons). Water that has passedthrough manure on its way to join with groundwater supplies may also carrywith it bacteria (especially coliform bacteria) as well as antibiotics thatare commonly added to cattle feed). Improperly Constructed Wells (http://www.epa.gov/seahome/yards/src/ground.htm) Methodology and Results Manure is a serious groundwater pollutant. The contaminant then disperses in the groundwater as is flows downgradient. The contaminant willdisperse in groundwater and migrate in the direction of groundwater flow. A contaminant released tosoil will migrate down to the groundwater table. There is no single solution that willprevent all of these forms of pollution - although a reduction in theoverall amount of manure that is produced would of course reduce theoverall problem(http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/eng1739). In the United States more public water supplies have been closed due to the violation of drinking water standards for nitrate than from any other contaminant. This must be a high priority because of the extentof the problem (http://www.rce.rutgers.edu/burlington/nov97ee.htm). Location of Waste Facilities . Groundwater flows in a down gradient direction through the soilmatrix. Runoff . The basic theme is that land use impacts groundwater quality Referenceshttp://factoryfarm.org/topics/cattle/http://www.caf.wvu.edu/~forage/nitratepollution/nitrate.htmhttp://www.earthweshare.org/prevpoll.htmlhttp://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/eiip/techreport/volume 9/cattle.pdfhttp://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1778B.pdfhttp://www.greenlink.org/public/hotissues/manure.htmlhttp://www.lib.niu.edu/ipo/im911111.htmlhttp://www.rce.rutgers.edu/burlington/nov97ee.htmhttp://www.saveourwatersupply.com/cafos/chino.htmlhttp://www.wesleyan.edu/ctgeology/GroundwaterPollution/GroundwaterPollution. Less dense housing of animalswill also reduce the necessity of using antibiotics on animals and soreduce the amount of antibiotics in manure. Manure is applied to the soil both by the animals that produce it(stockyards are of course a primary source of manure being produced andspread over the ground) as well as by humans who use it for fertilizer. If far morepeople were to become vegetarians, there would be less demand for meat andso fewer animals and less manure. These antibiotics lead to drug-resistant strains of diseases in both cattle and humans and the bacteriacan cause serious diseases in humans, especially in young children: Potable water with nitrate-nitrogen concentrations higher than 1 milligrams per liter (mg/l) is considered unsafe for daily consumption by infants. (Groundwater flow demonstration: glass container filled with sandand water.) #2 Contaminant migration in groundwater. A number ofsmall changes in the ways in which farms are organized, however, will addup to a healthier groundwater supply for us all. Thereis in fact no single answer to the problem primarily because of the fact(noted above) that manure-derived contaminants enter the groundwaterthrough so many different avenues. All of these must be controlled if theground water supply is to be kept safe. Land Application . Numerous studies have beenconducted that have conclusively demonstrated that a number of substancesthat are harmful to humans enter the groundwater from manure. Thecontaminant percolates into the soil until it reaches the groundwatertable. Ifthe manure stayed on the surface of the soil it would produce someolfactory unpleasantness but it would not introduce harmful substances intothe soil(http://www.wesleyan.edu/ctgeology/GroundwaterPollution/GroundwaterPollution.html). Therefore the water supply must be protected from the levels of manurethat are being produced today (and that will continue to be produced forthe foreseeable future). #3 Land uses that contribute to groundwater contamination.Agricultural; commercial; industrial; residential; waste management (i.e.landfills). This iscertainly a potential solution, but not one that can be approached from thedirection of the ways in which ranches and farms are managed(http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1778B.pdf). Groundwater eventually flows into a surface water body (wetland,lake, river, ocean). But such a revolutionary social changeseems unlikely to occur. While the issue is something that most of us would simply rathernot think about because our own drinking water may come from groundwaterreserves it is in fact a serious environmental issue. It would of course be easier if there were a simple solution to theproblem of pollution in groundwater, but this is not the case. The well may have to be deepened or closed, another water source may be acquired for blending, or expensive water treatment may be required (http://www.caf.wvu.edu/~forage/nitratepollution/nitrate.htm). However, precipitation (including dew as well as rain and snow andhuman-produced precipitation such as irrigation) percolates through thesoil and recharges the groundwater supply. This water brings with it intothe groundwater substances that are soluble in water, including salts andnitrogen compounds from manure(http://www.saveourwatersupply.com/cafos/chino.html). The questionthus arises over how the pollution caused by manure can be reduced or eveneliminated (http://www.greenlink.org/public/hotissues/manure.html). Nitrates ingested by infants up to six months of age can cause serious consequences, or even death, among susceptible children. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.