A review of water quality concerns in livestock farming areas

Post-war changes in farming systems and especially the move from mixed arab le-livestock farming towards greater specialisation, together with the gene ral intensification of food production have had adverse affects on the envi ronment. Livestock systems have largely become separated into pasture-based (cattle and sheep) and indoor systems (pigs and poultry). This paper revie ws water quality issues in livestock farming areas of the UK. The increased losses of nutrients, farm effluents (particularly livestock wastes), pesti cides such as sheep-dipping chemicals, bacterial and protozoan contaminatio n of soil and water are some of the main concerns regarding water quality d egradation. There has been a general uncoupling of nutrient cycles, and pro blems relating to nutrient loss are either short-term direct losses or long -term, related to accumulated nutrient surpluses. Results from several fiel d studies indicate that a rational use of manure and mineral fertilisers ca n help reduce the pollution problems arising from livestock farming practic es. Several best management practices are suggested for the control of nutr ient loss and minimising release of pathogen and sheep-dip chemicals into a gricultural runoff. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.