Negative Effects of Synthetic Fertilisers on the Environment Essay Sample

The first ‘synthetic fertilizer’ was made from crushing up bones and adding it into the soil (“History...”), but the man who created modern synthetic fertilizers was a German scientist named Fritz Haber. Synthetic fertilizers are made out of chemicals like ammonia, natural gas, atmospheric nitrogen, phosphate minerals, and sulfur to add nitrogen to the soil and extra organic matter or nutrients when plowed back into the soil (“Organic…”). Nitrogen is important in soil because of plant structure, metabolism (in humans), and it helps create chlorophyll (“Soil...”). Plants would not be able to grow without it. Synthetic fertilizer can help the mass production of plants, make food cheaper, and make crops more accessible. It is inexpensive and easy to handle: synthetic fertilizers on average cost $25-$80 and natural fertilizers cost $50-$90 (“Organic...”). It may seem like Haber made a breakthrough invention, but synthetic fertilizers are definitely not all good. 

The process where nitrogen and hydrogen turns into ammonia is called the Haber process. It is when nitrogen that is taken from air (through fractional distillation, which is separating liquids that have similar boiling points -“Purification...”) and hydrogen (from natural gas) is put into pipes and heated to 450°C, then put through a tank that has an iron catalyst and cooled. The cooled mixture liquifies ammonia so it can be extracted ( “The...”). In around 1913, Fritz Haber (December 9, 1868 - January 29, 1934 -“The...”) discovered how to take nitrogen gas from the air. His main two objectives were to make fertilizers and explosives. This allowed Germany to make many weapons and become independent from Chilean saltpetre (a crystal sodium salt -“Britannica...”) during World War 1; which later lead him to win a Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1918, but there were movements to take it away from him due to his contribution in the invention of chemical warfare (mustard gas) in 1915, again for the war, which killed around 6,000 men ( “From...”). The problem that led to the creation of synthetic fertilizers was  food shortages during World War 1 (July 28, 1914 - November 11, 1918). There was a huge lack of food and not only meat and cooking fats, but also a lot of fruits, vegetables, sugar (which comes from the leaves of sugarcane plant), coffee, and tea (“The...”).

Synthetic fertilizer can be harmful in several ways. One of them is that it can kill decomposers. It can also make groundwater unsafe (which is a form of water pollution) and increase nitrate levels in the soil. Synthetic fertilizer may release nutrition too quickly or too slowly, causing an imbalance in the growth of the crops. When plants are eaten and they grow in that type of soil, it can make toxic nitrites inside the intestines and that can cause methemoglobinemia when it reacts to hemoglobin in blood streams. When methemoglobinemia levels in blood reaches 80% or more, it can cause suffocation and sometimes death. Synthetic fertilizer can also cause a lack of nutrients in the plants that grow in it, such as iron, zinc, carotene, vitamin C, copper, and protein (“The…”). It can also be dangerous to pets and young children because sometimes, synthetic fertilizers also contain pesticides, urea, and arsenic. It has been associated with cancer and neurological issues if consumed. Synthetic fertilizers can also be linked to biomagnification because when the soil has a lack of some nutrients, it affects the quality of the plant. They are more likely to be unhealthy and attract pests so you would need pesticides to keep them away (“4…”). When pesticides are sprayed onto the plants and they each have 1 unit of pesticide, then a small animal comes and needs to eat 10 of those plants, therefore ending up with 10 units of pesticides, and it becomes worse higher up the food chain. That can cause some species to become endangered or extinct. Another way synthetic fertilizers can be harmful is when they cause algae blooms. Algae blooms happen when there is an overpopulation of algae. This can cause algae to block out most or all of the sunlight, and when it does, the plants underwater will all go extinct in that area. As a result, the fish that eat the plants will also either be forced to leave or will die. It may also cause a lack of oxygen in the water (“Investigating…”).

Though there are negative effects to synthetic fertilizers, it is still used in growing food in many places. When using synthetic fertilizers, make sure to mix it in well to prevent run-offs that can create algae blooms in nearby bodies of water. Remember that when applying synthetic fertilizers, it is easy to over use it because it is very concentrated and remember to check the recommended amount of fertilizer for the area that you are using it in. Wash all of your fruits and vegetables well if it comes from synthetic fertilizers before eating to help prevent health risks. Try switching to organic fertilizers if you can because organic fertilizers are safer to use and do not cause pollution (“The...”). Another thing that may reduce the negative effects of synthetic fertilizers is to clean up the messes or spills when it is on a hard surface such as the sidewalk or pavement. This will make sure that wind does not cause the fertilizer to erode into bodies of water. Leaving strips of unfertilized land around ponds or waterways will also help with preventing algae blooms because there would not be a flow of water to bring it into oceans (“Coastal…”).  Generally, if you have children or pets, you should keep an eye on them for around 72 hours after applying synthetic fertilizers to avoid any mishaps (“4…”). 

Fritz Haber’s invention of synthetic fertilizers has a positive side to it, mainly it being used to help with world hunger especially during World War 1; but synthetic fertilizers have negative effects on the environment, such as creating algae blooms, and it also has negative effects on personal health, such as methemoglobinemia. The Haber process helps feed around 40%-50% of the world today, and maybe, even more, when it first came out in 1913. It aids the production of around 500 million tons (or 453 billion kg) of fertilizer per year (“BYJU’S...”), but it has to be used sparingly. It may not be very efficient to completely get rid of synthetic fertilizers due to the demand of it, but without a doubt, if we collectively worked towards creating better habits in growing foods, it can minimize the damage that it does to the environment and ourselves.