Impact of chemical fertilizers on water quality in selected agricultural areas of Mysore district, Karnataka, India

Chemical fertilizers are used extensively in modem agriculture, in order to improve crop yield. However, nutrient leaching from agricultural soil into ground water and surface water cause a major environmental and public health concern. During present investigation, 24 water samples were collected from selected agricultural lands of Mysore District. The water samples were analyzed for fertilizer residues and physico-chemical characteristics. From the study it is concluded that, application of chemical fertilizers has severe impact on water quality. The pH of the ground water was found to be alkaline in some of the water samples. Nitrate and phosphate concentrations were found to be higher than the permissible limits of WHO standards, due to leaching and surface run off of chemical fertilizers from agricultural lands. In order to overcome water pollution problems, effective management of chemical fertilizers has to be implemented.