Nonpoint rural sources of water pollution

A literature survey was made to gather information for defining the quantity and characteristics of nonpoint water pollution sources from rural areas.Major constituents of such pollution include fertilizers, pesticides, erosion and sediment, and animal wastes.Studies showed that nitrogen and phosphorus from surface runoff and subsurface drainage are often greater in concentration than that from sewage effluents.Pesticides are only slightly soluble in water, and about 5 percent of that applied may enter waterways through surface runoff and erosion.Soil erosion and nutrient losses can be minimized by conservation measures and proper fertilizer application.With the exception of sediment transport, farm animal wastes can be the most serious sources of pollution from farm lands.The effluent quality of current animal waste treatment processes is substantially less than that achievable for domestic sewage.Conventional sewage treatment processes cannot be directly applied to animal wastes.Research on the handling, treatment, and disposal of animal wastes is woefully lacking.