Agricultural significance of inorganic pollutants

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1967

OSTI ID:5618449

Barrows, H L

Inorganic pollution of the soil occurs when excessive accumulations of metals or inorganic salts in the soil become detrimental either to plant growth or to the health of the animals consuming the plants. In many cases, plants growing on polluted soils are not visibly affected by the pollutant. Yet, the concentration of the metal on or in the plant may be a potential health hazard to animals, including humans, consuming these plants. Recent concern over the quality of our environment has focused attention on this problem and the problems associated with the presence of toxic elements such as lead, mercury, cadmium, nickel, and arsenic in plants consumed by higher animals. Case examples are presented of entry into food chains of these elements as a result of agricultural practices-the use of the metals as fungicides, etc. Examples are also given of the industrial sources of some pollutants. The fact that these metals become more available under acidic conditions is discussed in relation to acid mine drainage and air pollution. 22 references, 1 table.

• OSTI ID: 5618449
• Report Number(s): CONF-670854-
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
AGRICULTURE
AIR POLLUTION
ARSENIC
AUTOMOBILES
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CADMIUM
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EXHAUST GASES
FLUIDS
FOOD CHAINS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
INDUSTRY
LAND POLLUTION
LEAD
MASS TRANSFER
MERCURY
METALS
NICKEL
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
RESPONSE MODIFYING FACTORS
SEMIMETALS
TOXICITY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VEHICLES
WASTES