Fertilizer and Groundwater relationship

According to Mullen (2012) of the National Groundwater Association (NGWA), water is the most available and widely used resource for all living species on the planet. Water is without a doubt important to humans due to the many uses it has, including but not limited to quenching hunger, cleaning and washing needs, growth of plants and food crops, and use by domestic animals. Because of its utility, water is an imperative necessity for every person in civilization, and the need to conserve water supplies is critical to maintaining the supply’s survival. There have been challenges in safeguarding groundwater resources from the threats of destruction, pollution, misuse and many other effects that pose a threat to the sustainability and abundance of the supply. In Hawaii, the groundwater resources are increasingly threatened by pollution caused by the extensive use of fertilizers by for growing crops in most farms in the country. The chemicals from fertilizers are responsible for the high levels of contamination of water in Hawaii that is causing some adverse effects to the living organisms dependent on water for their survival.

Fertilizers are made up of chemical components that are used to add nutrients to the soils to be used for plating of crops. Lewis Jr., Wurtsbaugh, and Paerl (2011) note that the use of fertilizers is beneficial for the growing of crops since it contains nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates, which are useful in stimulating the growth of plants used for food, landscaping, and earning a living for some of the people in Hawaii. The use of fertilizers is an approved practice since it provides nutrients to soil that has been deprived nutrients due to the continuous growing of crops and other actors such as water runoffs that may wash away some of the nutrients in the soil, which occurs in the event of excess rainfall; which is an ordinary occurrence in Hawaii. Runoffs are often channeled towards streams and other water bodies and if polluted by fertilizers, carry the effects of the fertilizers to the streams that recharge the groundwater. In addition to runoffs, fertilizers also affect the groundwater through leaching when some of the soluble constituents are absorbed by water while there is a downward movement of substances through the soil. Fertilizer components also dissolve into surface water that also leaches into the earth surface as it replenishes the groundwater.

Despite the benefits of the fertilizers in farming of crops and growing of plants, when used excessively, it results in affecting the groundwater through polluting most of the sources and subsequently affecting the living organisms dependent on water. The issue lies with the increasing use of fertilizers in large areas of land despite the individual applications of the fertilizers being associated with small amounts in small parcels of land. This method affects the environment including groundwater, surface water, and other landscape plants present in the ecosystem. Similarly, human beings are equally affected since they are reliant on clean water to serve their daily needs. The pollution of groundwater poses an environmental threat to the society since many of the living organisms require water to sustain their daily needs (Mair & El-Kadi, 2013). Plants and trees require water to maintain their moisture needs and assist in the photosynthesis process, while animals require water for drinking to quench their thirst and aid in the digestion of food, and cooling their bodies in the excess heat conditions. Pollution of water by fertilizers creates unsafe water for consumption by some living organisms since fertilizers contain harmful chemical components that hazardous if consumed directly.

Thesis statement: The increasing use of fertilizers in farms and is affecting the environment and posing a threat to groundwater required by the most living organism to fulfill their needs; thus, the need to address the issue of fertilizer pollution in the society.

Materials and Methods

To find out the effects of fertilizer pollution that affects groundwater, it is imperative to identify the affected areas in Hawaii. The identification of the polluted regions in Hawaii was easy to determine due to the effects that were evident to the environment that was attributed to the excess use of fertilizers by most landowners. The areas that used fertilizers for the growing of plants and crops provided the best areas for the study to identify the amounts of fertilizer that was being used and the quantity of fertilizer that was being dissolved in groundwater. Therefore, the collection of samples of fertilizers used in these areas and the samples of groundwater and soils was vital in determining the levels of pollution that the constituents of the fertilizers were causing in the regions. These collected samples needed to be analyzed in the laboratory to identify the components that affected the soils and those that found their way to groundwater in the focused regions. The assessment of the environment and the impacts caused by the use of the fertilizers was critical in determining the mitigation measures to realize to reduce the damage of the fertilizers to the environment and the groundwater.

Based on the collected samples, the tests and analysis of the samples will provide the researcher with the appropriate information on the significance of fertilizers pollution on the groundwater in the areas of Hawaii. It is crucial that the samples be collected every time the factors of the experiment experience any changes to account for the differences in the results of the research. According to Cohen, Manion, and Morrison (2013), the collection of data calls for a keen and standard approach that can be repeated in the event of additional data being needed for testing and providing further clarification. The analysis of data is vital in providing the information on the research and provides the platform for decision-making on the researched determining the effects of fertilizers on groundwater in Hawaii.

Results and Discussions

The large-scale use of fertilizers by most of the individuals in Hawaii is responsible for the pollution of groundwater and most of the consequent effects on the environment. Most of the fertilizers used in by most farms and landowners are of nitrogen and phosphorous compound properties that are highly recommended in the vigorous growing of crops and plants to produce high and quality yields (Lewis Jr., Wurtsbaugh, & Paerl, 2011). These fertilizers are utilized by most people in Hawaii due to the poor conditions of the soils in most areas that have been deprived nutrients by the consistent growing of crops and plants over an extended period and some of the erosion and water runoff effects that carry the rich soil downstream when there are heavy rains. These conditions provide the need for fertilizers use to give the plants and crops with the appropriate nutrients to sustain their active growth. Consequently, the excessive use of fertilizers threatens the environment of the region and groundwater is mostly affected. The effect to groundwater has its significant impacts to the living organisms in the society that is dependent on the groundwater resources to meet their water needs.

It is essential to find solutions to mitigate the effects of fertilizers on groundwater since the resource is crucial to the survival of most living organisms present in the ecosystem. Firstly, it is vital to reduce the application of fertilizers to the lands that are used for growing of crops and plants in most farms and homes in Hawaii. The use of fertilizers sparingly reduces the amounts of wasted fertilizers not fully utilized by plants and finds their ways to groundwater sources. Plants and crops do not require as much fertilizer as most users think; thus, the application of less fertilizer will also provide excellent quality and high yield that the users intend to accomplish. Secondly, it is crucial before the application of fertilizers to have the soils in the areas designed for use to be tested by qualified professionals, which will assist in determining the nutrients required and the amount needed for the expected needs. Testing of soils avoids the wastages of fertilizers that may occur if the soils already contain some of the nutrients contained in the fertilizers and will eventually find their way to groundwater sources. Also, testing of soil provides the user with the essential information on the needs of the soils to help in the purchase of the appropriate fertilizer for use (Minca, Basta, & Scheckel, 2013).

Thirdly, the use of fertilizers should be adequately managed in that fertilizer needs to be applied as instructed to avoid wastage and pollution of the environment. Most fertilizers are applied four to six inches into the soil to reduce the chances of being blown by the wind and washed away by water. Also, fertilizers should be used after it has rained or the ground is wet to reduce the chances of losses by runoffs and winds. Lastly, there is need to protect the environment especially water bodies from the effects of fertilizers. The use of fertilizers should be done with precaution to minimize the amounts that find their ways to water bodies by ensuring that spillages during application are channeled to the applied areas and not to the streets. Moreover, fertilizers should not be used to hard surfaces and frozen grounds to prevent wastage and the exposure to erosion and being swept to the streams. Finally, when watering farms and lawns, it is imperative to ensure that the water does not run into the streets or drainages that might redirect the water to the water bodies since these water bodies are the replenishing sources for groundwater.

Conclusion

The use of fertilizers is becoming a frequent practice in Hawaii and consequently affecting the groundwater resources that are dependent on by living organism to sustain life and meet most of their water needs. The implementation of efforts to address the effects of fertilizers is vital to protect the environment from the impact posed by the fertilizers on groundwater that pollute the water for consumption making it toxic and harmful for human beings and animals, and affecting marine life in the streams and other water bodies. Efforts to address the challenges posed to groundwater by the continued use of fertilizers stand to mitigate the effects of pollution on the groundwater and provide a suitable way of using fertilizers in the required land. However, the challenges are ever-changing, and there is need to formulate newer strategies to reduce the pollution of groundwater, as it is essential for the living organisms. Water is an important resource due to its several use and benefits it has to live organisms. The pollution of this water supply makes it unsafe for the utilization by living organisms and may have damaging effects if used while polluted. Groundwater in Hawaii relates to most areas of it possible utilization by living organisms and the use of fertilizers is gradually exposing the resource to harm. However, despite the focus on groundwater pollution by the excessive use of fertilizers, research of other water sources especially surface water currently concludes that surface water is more exposed to the threat of extreme usage of fertilizers. Should the use of fertilizers in the society be reconsidered due to its impact to the environment and water resources?

References

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2013). Research methods in education. Routledge.

Lewis Jr, W. M., Wurtsbaugh, W. A., & Paerl, H. W. (2011). Rationale for control of anthropogenic nitrogen and phosphorus to reduce eutrophication of inland waters. Environmental science & technology, 45(24), 10300-10305.

Mair, A., & El-Kadi, A. I. (2013). Logistic regression modeling to assess groundwater vulnerability to contamination in Hawaii, USA. Journal of contaminant hydrology, 153, 1-23.

Minca, K. K., Basta, N. T., & Scheckel, K. G. (2013). Using the mehlich-3 soil test as an inexpensive screening tool to estimate total and bioaccessible lead in urban soils. Journal of environmental quality, 42(5), 1518-1526.

Mullen, K. (2012). Information on Earth’s water - National Groundwater Association. Ngwa.org. Retrieved 7 December 2017, from http://www.ngwa.org/Fundamentals/teachers/Pages/information-on-earth-water.aspx