Managing Groundwater Nitrate Contamination from Livestock Farms: Implication for Nitrate Management Guidelines

Abstract

Significant nitrate contamination of groundwater has been observed in various parts of the world; intensive livestock farming is one of the major causes. This paper reviews various guidelines/regulations, which have been developed in advanced countries such as USA, Canada, Australia, and Europe to combat this problem by designing effective monitoring and management programs. Monitoring programs deal mainly with selection of sites, number of monitoring wells, specific parameters, and sampling frequency, which are helpful for identifying the source and extend of the contamination. Management programs deal with selection of suitable location, site characterization, proximity of livestock facilities and drinking wells, and proper storage, maintenance of the facilities, and limits of manures application in order to minimize nitrate leaching into groundwater. The main aim of this paper is to help states/countries, which do not have any guideline, and consulting engineers/consultants/owners of livestock operation in the design of effective strategies for point source nitrate management.

Assessment of Water Quality in Indo-Gangetic Plain of South-Eastern Asia under Organic vs. Conventional Rice Farming

“…Nitrate (NO 3 ) concentrations exceeding the permissible limits in well water due to agricultural management practices (e.g., fertilizer/manure application, irrigation etc.) have been reported throughout the world including the United States [4], Europe [5], Australia [6], China [7], Germany [8] and France [9]. Other than well water nitrates, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and total dissolved solids (TDS) (i.e., factors directly related to dissolved mineral matter) are other useful indicators of well water quality for drinking purposes due to their close association with human health problems [1].…”

The Possibility of Contamination of Water-Soil Environment as a Result of the Use of Pig Slurry

“…Nitrogen compounds present in groundwater affect the quality of drinking water and their high concentration is disadvantageous to both humans and animals. In humans, ingestion of excess nitrate in drinking water can cause methemoglobinemia in infants (conversion of hemoglobin to methemoglobin, which depletes oxygen levels in the blood); gastric problems due to the formations of nitrosamines; increase in stomach cancer; hypertrophy of the thyroid gland; hypertension; problems associated with pregnancy (spontaneous abortion, fetal deaths, prematurity, intrauterine growth retardation, low birth weight, congenital malformations) [34][35][36]. In livestock, cattle are more susceptible to nitrate poisoning than other animal species (pigs or horses) due to the reduction of nitrates to nitrites in their digestive tract [37,38].…”

Seasonal and Scale Effects of Anthropogenic Pressures on Water Quality and Ecological Integrity: A Study in the Sabor River Basin (NE Portugal) Using Partial Least Squares-Path Modeling

“…When livestock production farms are installed, the site selection is a crucial aspect, in order to allocate the farms distant from wells, in areas with low soil permeability and a low slope to control the runoffs of agricultural fertilizers [107]. The site selection is a crucial aspect, in order to allocate the farms distant from wells, in areas with low soil permeability and a low slope to control the runoffs of agricultural fertilizers [108].…”