Nitrate Leaching and Groundwater Contamination

Groundwater is an important source of water supply for major cities, industries and rural towns in different parts of the world. The existence of many isolated communities and rural properties rely on the availability of good quality groundwater. However, even though it enhances agricultural productivity, increased chemical fertilizer use is imposing significant health and environmental risks. One of the major environmental concerns is groundwater nitrate contamination. Thus although reduction of anthropogenic loading of nitrate to groundwater aquifers will not reduce contamination in the short term, due to long travel times, reduction efforts are very critical components of any long term solution to the problem of high nitrate concentration in groundwater. Groundwater management practices should be used to decrease nitrate leaching from agricultural farms. This Book is mainly based on a practical oriented research conducted in the Metahara Sugarcane Farm, Ethiopia. It shows the health hazards and environmental risks of nitrate leaching from the farm. It focuses on the impact of nitrate leaching on groundwater qualities and some of the basic groundwater protection strategies.