Agricultural operations can contribute to water quality deterioration through the release of several materials into water: sediments, pesticides, animal manures, fertilizers and other sources of inorganic and organic matter. This ''guidelines'' document on control and management of agricultural water pollution has the objectives of delineating the nature and consequences of agricultural impacts on water quality, and of providing a framework for practical measures to be undertaken by relevant professionals and decision-makers to control water pollution.

Agricultural operations can contribute to water quality deterioration through the release of several materials into water: sediments, pesticides, animal manure, fertilizers and other sources of inorganic and organic matter. This guidelines document on control and management of agricultural water pollution aims to delineate the nature and consequences of agricultural impacts on water quality, and to provide a framework for practical measures to be undertaken by relevant professionals and decision-makers to control water pollution. Contents Chapter 1: Introduction to Agricultural Water Pollution; Water quality as a global issue, Non-point source pollution defined, Classes of non-point sources, Scope of the problem, Agricultural impacts on water quality, Types of impacts, Irrigation impacts on surface water quality, Public health impacts, Data on agricultural water pollution in developing countries, Types of decisions in agriculture for non-point source pollution control, The data problem; Chapter 2: Pollution by Sediments; Sediment as a physical pollutant, Sediment as a chemical pollutant, Key processes: precipitation and runoff, Key concepts, Sediment delivery ratio, Sediment enrichment ratio, Measurement and prediction of sediment loss, Prediction models, Sediment yield, Scale problems, Recommendations; Chapter 3: Fertilizers as Water Pollutants; Eutrophication of surface water, Role of agriculture in eutrophication, Organic fertilizers, Environmental chemistry, The point versus non-point source dilemma, Management of water quality impacts from fertilizers, Mineral fertilizers, Organic fertilizers, Sludge management, Economics of control of fertilizer runoff, Aquaculture, Problems of restoration of eutrophic lakes; Chapter 4: Pesticides as Water pollutants; Historical development of pesticides, North-south dilemma over pesticide economics, Fate and effects of pesticides, Factors affecting pesticide toxicity in aquatic systems, Human health effects of pesticides, Ecological effects of pesticides, Natural factors that degrade pesticides, Pesticide monitoring in surface water, Pesticide management and control, The european experience, Pesticide registration, The danish example, Pesticides and water quality in the developing countries; Chapter 5: Summary and Recommendations; Necessity to internalize costs at the farm level, Integrated national water quality management, Assessment methodology, Environmental capacity, The data problem in water quality, Water quality indices for application to agricultural water quality issues, Economic analysis of cost of water pollution attributed to agriculture, Information technology and decision making, Use of water quality objectives, FAO and the POPs agenda, Pesticides in developing countries.

Eutrophication continues to be a major global challenge and the problem of eutrophication and availability of freshwater for human consumption is an essential ecological issue. The global demand for water resources due to increasing population, economic developments, and emerging energy development schemes has created new environmental challenges for global sustainability. Accordingly, the area of research on eutrophication has expanded considerably in recent years. Eutrophication, acidification and contamination by toxic substances are likely to pose increasing threats to freshwater resources and ecosystems. The consequences of anthropogenic-induced eutrophication of freshwaters are severe deterioration of surface waters and growing public concern, as well as new interest among the scientific community. “Eutrophication: causes, consequences & control” provides the latest information on many important aspects of the processes of natural and accelerated eutrophication in major aquatic ecosystems around the world. This book offers a cutting-edge resource for researchers and students alike who are studying eutrophication in various ecosystems. It presents the latest trends and developments in the field, including: global scenarios and local threats to the dynamics of aquatic ecosystems, economics of eutrophication, eutrophication in the great lakes of the Chinese pacific drainage basin, photoautotrophic productivity in eutrophic ecosystems, eutrophication’s impacts on natural metal remediation in salt marshes, phytoplankton assemblages as an indicator of water quality in seven temperate estuarine lakes in southeast Australia, biogeochemical indicators of nutrient enrichments in wetlands – the microbial response as a sensitive indicator of wetland eutrophication, and ultraviolet radiation and bromide as limiting factors in eutrophication processes in semi-arid climate zones. Written by respected experts and featuring helpful illustrations and photographs, “Eutrophication: causes, consequences & control” provides a concise and practical update on the latest developments in eutrophication.