An Overview of Air, Water & Soil in Agriculture

1. An Overview of Air, Water & Soil in Agriculture Barbara McCarthy, Ph.D. Environmental Health Department Colorado State University

2. Agriculture & Environmental Health • Agriculture is not part of “classical” Environmental Health (EH) • EH as an aspect of public health • air, water, food, shelter important as related to: • communicable disease transmission • toxic chemical exposure • physical agent interaction

3. Agriculture & EH • Agriculture’s importance relegated to • diseases associated with agricultural chemicals • production of an ample and proper diet

4. EH Definition • Protection against environmental factors that may adversely impact human healthor the ecological balances essential to long-term human health and environmental quality. (NEHA, 1996)

5. Ecological Balances • Odum’s proposed Life-Support System • Life-Support environment • Organisms • Processes • Resources • Providing human physiological necessities

6. Ecological Balances • Life-Support Environment • Cultivated landscapes • Domesticated landscapes • Natural landscapes • Provide food, mineral nutrients, air, water

7. Ecological Balances • Urban & Industrial landscapes are NOT included in life-support environment. • energy demanding • pollution generating

8. Ecological Balances • The larger the urbanized area, the greater is the need for natural and domesticated landscapes. • supporting host role

9. Domesticated Landscapes • Include agricultural lands • Dominated by cultured plants and domestic animals • Produce food and fiber

10. Domesticated Landscapes • Crucial in helping to provide: • healthy soil • clean water • diverse habitats that promote the necessary ecological balances

11. US Land Use • About 50% of US land is privately owned and classified as: -cropland -pastureland -rangeland USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2001

12. US Land Use -- Cropland USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2001 Each green dot represents 25,000 acres

13. US Land Use -- Grazing Land USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2001 Each dot represents 25,000 acres

14. US Land Use -- Farmland Loss • On the average approximately 645,000 acres of prime farmland is estimated as lost to development per year from 1992 - 1997

15. Water Demand & Precipitation Greater than 150% 100% to 150% 75% to 100% Less than 75% Legend: Percentage of Local Average Annual Precipitation USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Services, 2001

16. Excessive Cropland Erosion Legend: Each red dot represents 5000 acres of highly erodible land and each yellow dot represents 5000 acres of non-highly erodible land with excess erosion above the tolerable soil erosion rate. USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2001

17. Water Quality -- WQ Inventory • National Water Quality Inventory • completed every TWO years • required by the Clean Water Act • evaluates a subset of US • rivers & streams (23%) • lake, reservoir, pond acres (42%) • Great Lakes shoreline miles (90%)

18. Water Quality -- WQ Inventory • Agricultural use fully supported by: • 97% of river & stream miles • 89% of lake, reservoir, pond acres • 100% of Great Lakes shoreline miles • All uses supported by: • 65% of river & stream miles • 55% of lake, reservoir, pond acres • 4% of Great Lakes shoreline miles

19. Water Quality -- WQ Inventory • Ag activities were reported as the most widespread pollution source • silt • nutrients

20. Water Quality -- NAWQA USGS program using consistent, standardized methods to assess water quality.

21. Water Quality -- NAWQA • Water quality information used in understanding impacts of human activity and natural factors. • Synthesis with climate, soils, geographic, geologic, hydrologic information. • Nutrients and pesticides evaluated.

22. Analysis 1992 - 1996 76 pesticides 8200 samples Most extensive data to date Results 58 pesticides detected >95% surface water positive <50% ground water positive >50% ag and urban streams exceeded guideline Water Quality -- Pesticides

23. Nitrogen elevated levels in ag and urban areas highest concentrations in agricultural areas 15% groundwater samples > EPA nitrate standard Phosphorus elevated levels in ag and urban areas highest concentrations in urban areas tends to attach to soil and not contaminate groundwater Water Quality -- Nutrients

24. Water Quality -- NAWQA Results of the USGS program support the stated general agricultural impacts as reported in the Water Quality Inventory.

25. Ecological Balances Domesticated landscapes are crucial in helping to provide healthy soil clean water diverse habitats that promote the necessary ecological balances.

26. Ecological Balances • As exemplified by the familiar problems of water quality degradation due to • erosion • pesticide runoff • nutrient inputs agricultural lands are an additional burden on remaining landscapes.

27. Ecological Balances • Key to change lies in viewing agricultural lands as parts of larger regional systems that provide life-support.

28. Ecological Balances Challenge • to capture the NRCS vision • to translate into local action …farmers and ranchers produce much more than food and fiber. Through their care and stewardship of the land, farmers and ranchers produce safe drinking water, clear-flowing streams, lakes full of fish, skies full of ducks and geese, and scenic landscapes.

29. Life-Support Vision • Life-support vision for agriculture is fundamental to providing the ecological balances essential to long-term human health. • EH professionals are clearly called to an expanded involvement in agriculture issues.

30. EH Professional’s Role • US does not have an EH system but a “web of organizations”. • Trend toward decreasing environmental responsibilities of state health agencies. • Environmental protection to state regulatory agencies

31. EH Professional’s Role • Regulatory focus does not encourage an improved understanding of the important, life-supporting relationship between the environment and human health. • Funding is focused on regulatory activities not EH activities.

32. EH Professional’s Role • EH programs include: • epidemiology • risk assessment • environmental sanitation • EH activities include: • education • surveillance

33. EH and Agriculture • EH & Agriculture Connection • fundamental • Provision and maintenance of a life-supporting environment.