An economic optimal-control evaluation of achieving/maintaining ground-water quality contaminated from nonpoint agricultural sources

Miscellaneous · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5446002

Cole, G V

This study developed a methodology that may be used to dynamically examine the producer/consumer conflict related to nonpoint agricultural chemical contamination of a regional ground-water resource. Available means of obtaining acceptable ground-water quality included pollution-prevention techniques (restricting agricultural-chemical inputs or changing crop-production practices) and end-of-pipe abatement methods. Objectives were to select an agricultural chemical contaminant, estimate the regional agricultural costs associated with restricting the use of the selected chemical, estimate the economic costs associated with point-of-use ground-water contaminant removal and determine the least-cost method for obtaining water quality. The nitrate chemical derived from nitrogen fertilizer was selected as the contaminate. A three-county study area was identified in the Northwest part of Tennessee. Results indicated that agriculture was financially responsible for obtaining clean point-of-use water only when the cost of filtering increased substantially or the population in the region was much larger than currently existed.

• Research Organization: Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5446002
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
AGRICULTURE
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
GROUND WATER
WATER QUALITY
TENNESSEE
CONTAMINATION
FERTILIZERS
NITRATES
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
CONTROL
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRY
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION CONTROL
USA
WATER
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety