Nitrate, agriculture and the environment
This book builds on Farming, Fertilizers and the Nitrate Problem (CABI, 1991) by Addiscott, Whitmore and Powlson, but has been restructured to take account of new developments and to bring out more clearly the role of politicians and economists in the nitrate problem. The book contains 14 chapters. The first three chapters cover the basic soil chemistry, physics and biology. Chapter 4 deals with the sources and forms of nitrogen fertilizer. Losses of nitrate and nitrous oxides from arable and grassland are discussed in chapters 5 and 6. The contributions of nitrate in fresh and coastal water and of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere are discussed in the next two chapters. Chapter 9 deals with physiological contribution made by nitrate to human health and well-being. The defence of nitrate against the accusations that it was the cause of methaemoglobinaemia (blue-baby syndrome) in infants and stomach cancer in adults is presented in Chapter 10. The roles of politicians and economists are also discussed in this chapter. Two aspects of Western hegemony (political correctness and market dogma) and their implications are discussed in Chapter 11. The next chapter covers the various risks from nitrate. Chapter 13 is concerned with the increasingly important relationship of scientists with politicians and the public, and the importance of communication. The final chapter covers the changes in land use needed to restrict losses of nitrate and nitrous oxide.