Answer:
The indiscriminate application of reactive forms of N to soil and water can bring several harms to human health and the environment.
Nitrate is an inorganic compound that has one nitrogen (N) atom and three oxygen atoms (O), and is formed from the action of microorganisms on nitrogen fertilizers, plant debris, manure and other organic waste. Nitrate is usually absorbed by plants, but in some situations it can be carried by rain or irrigation water to the water table and surface water sources (eg rivers, ponds). In rural water sources it comes mainly from nitrogen fertilizers and manure storage and distribution.
Nitrogen fertilizers escaping to lakes and bays can cause water eutrophication (water nutrient enrichment process). As a result, there is a rapid increase in the algal and cyanobacterial population. The death and decomposition of these microorganisms lead to a reduction in O2 levels, which can lead to the death of fish and crustaceans. Decomposition of these species, in turn, will further reduce O2 levels, leading to more deaths.
Excess nitrogen fertilizers may also increase the amount of nitric and nitrous oxides in the atmosphere. Nitric oxide can cause acid rain and nitrous oxide participates in two very aggressive processes to the environment. The reaction of nitrous oxide with O2 contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer in the stratosphere (layer of the atmosphere that filters harmful ultraviolet rays to human health) and increases the greenhouse effect (global warming). The average life of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere is over 100 years and each molecule absorbs more than 200 times the radiation of a single CO2 molecule, which is responsible for 2-3% of global warming due to the greenhouse effect.
