Page 38 - Occupational Health & Safety, April 2018

CHEMICALS AND TOXINS
The Hidden Dangers of Chemical Fertilizers
Because the damage caused by chemical fertilizers is often long-term and cumulative, it may be wiser to consider alternative and sustainable methods of fertilizing the soil. BY LAURA BUCKLER
EP2 Environmental Protection | APRIL 2018
www.eponline.com
Chemical fertilizers are important for the cost-effective production of commercial crops, and have been since the 1930s. With a growing population and high cost of liv-
ing, a bountiful harvest ensures enough food is avail- able for everyone at affordable prices. However, us- ing chemical fertilizers do have their hidden dangers about which most people may not know.
Some may have some vague idea of groundwater contamination and other environmental effects, but not anything in depth. Most people are not aware, for example, that an excessive amount of nitrogen in the soil can kill off fish in nearby bodies of water. To un- derstand these effects, we need to know exactly what chemical fertilizers are and how they work.
Why Use Fertilizers?
The purpose of any fertilizer is to increase the amount of nutrients in soil that make it more fertile and friendly to plant growth. Typically present in fertil- izers are one or more of the macronutrients nitro- gen, phosphorus, and potassium, or NPK. Any one of these is pretty much all a plant needs to grow, and grow fast. Other nutrients may also be present, de- pending on the source.
There are two main types of fertilizers, organic and chemical. As the name suggests, organic fertilizers come from organic sources such animal manure and plants. They tend to be hit-and-miss unless processed carefully, in which case they tend to be expensive. Chemical fertilizers come from inorganic materials,
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