Study Highlights Environmental and Health Risks of Agricultural Chemicals

A life-cycle assessment study reveals that agricultural chemicals escaping greenhouses persist in the environment rather than disappearing. Nitrogen compounds, with calcium nitrate identified as a primary contributor, dominate metrics related to global-warming potential, resource depletion, and human toxicity. Reports indicate that chemical runoff raises biochemical oxygen demand, as well as phosphate and nitrate levels, far beyond established national and international regulatory limits. In aquatic ecosystems, these elevated nutrient levels trigger harmful algal blooms that deplete dissolved oxygen and significantly reduce fish populations. On land, the accumulation of heavy salts and acids accelerates soil salinisation and degrades long-term soil productivity. The findings underscore the broader environmental and horticultural impacts of intensive farming practices.