AFCAT Model Paper 3

● One of the causes of groundwater pollution is the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
● Only a fraction of the nitrogen-based fertilizers is converted to produce and other plant matter. The remainder accumulates in the soil or lost as run-off.
● High application rates of nitrogen-containing fertilizers combined with the high water-solubility of nitrate lead to increased runoff into surface water as well as leaching into groundwater, thereby causing groundwater pollution.
● The heavy use of nitrogenous fertilizers in cropping systems is the largest contributor to anthropogenic nitrogen in groundwater worldwide.