How Does Factory Farming Affect Aquatic Ecosystems?
Factory farming is very harmful for aquatic ecosystems for a variety of reasons. One reason is the waste created from animal farms. These farms create an excess of animal waste, which can be full of bacteria, viruses, or other pollutants. The farms use some of this waste as fertilizer, which can be soaked into the ground and used properly, but there is too much waste for the ground to handle. Some of the waste runs off farms and goes into nearby rivers and streams, and some of the waste is simply stored in large vats, which can be the size of football fields and often overflow.
Factory farming also employs the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which are sometimes dangerous. These pesticides are sprayed onto large fields, usually by plane, and will almost immediately begin running into the water system. Often these pesticides are toxic, and will kill animals in the area, particularly fish and frogs in nearby ponds and streams. Even non-toxic fertilizers can hurt aquatic ecosystems by causing algal blooms that reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, killing the aquatic animals.
Factory farming also employs the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which are sometimes dangerous. These pesticides are sprayed onto large fields, usually by plane, and will almost immediately begin running into the water system. Often these pesticides are toxic, and will kill animals in the area, particularly fish and frogs in nearby ponds and streams. Even non-toxic fertilizers can hurt aquatic ecosystems by causing algal blooms that reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, killing the aquatic animals.