It is known that the natural resources are important elements from Earth that provide all of the conditions to support humanity, animals in general and plant growth. These elements are related and must be used consciously in order to keep turning life healthy and even possible. Agriculture is one of the sectors that use water the most. Water is necessary to all of the processes to produce food and some crops cannot grow without large amounts of water, rice is an example of that.
It is possible to see the direct use of water in agriculture for instance in irrigation, as components of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides and in more specialized processes. For examples, the US and Europe require that mangoes exported by Brazil have to be free from a specie of larvae that commonly attacks this fruit. The treatment to prevent the appearance of larvae in mangoes consists of immersing the fruit in hot water at a very precise temperature. The point is that a large amount of water is used. Furthermore, water is used indirectly in agriculture. For example, it is used in plastic production on packing.
Water is extremely related to soil and its usage can also affect soil behavior. It the soil is not well structured it can hinder water penetration and movement, causing a barrier to plant uptake of nutrients, as nutrients are available to plants in water solution. Also, when water is contaminated, contaminants will infiltrate in the soil. In soils of mangrove ecosystems, Oliveira et al (2007) states that soils are pollutants accumulators several orders of magnitude higher than the water in the same area.
The Atlantic website explains a case of contamination of water by lead that happened in Flint, Michigan. The salty water corroded the pipes that was being used to supply the city, making available notorious amounts of lead in water, which means contamination in high levels that can cause several problems in the human biological system. The treatment of this contaminated area must be directed not just to the water, but also to soil. This because, as we can see, soils retain the contamination and it can be available in water again later and, in consequence, it can affect human healthy.
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