WATER POLLUTION IN AGRI‑FOOD PRODUCTION SYSTEMS: A REVIEW

4th International Symposium On Biotechnology (2026),  [pp. 953-962]
 
AUTHOR(S) / AUTOR(I): Predrag Putnik, Daniela Šojić Merkulov
 
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.46793/SBT26.953P

ABSTRACT / SAŽETAK:

Agricultural production accounts for about 70 % of global freshwater withdrawals and it is a major contributor to water pollution. This review synthesizes evidence on pollution pathways associated with agri-food production with fruit and vegetable cultivation, cereal and grain production, livestock rearing, aquaculture and food processing. Fertilizer use of more than 12 million tons of nitrogen and 4 million tons of phosphorus, together with 0.5 million tons of pesticides, drives nutrient and chemical runoff. In agricultural watersheds, 60 % of streams have nitrate concentrations ≥ 2 mg L⁻¹ and 13 % exceed 10 mg L⁻¹, while 85 % exceed 0.1 mg L⁻¹ of total phosphorus. Slaughterhouse effluents show chemical oxygen demand of 3 000–4 800 mg L⁻¹ and biochemical oxygen demand of 750–1 890 mg L⁻¹, whereas aquaculture pond effluents contain 2.9–4.5 mg L⁻¹ total nitrogen and 0.11–0.16 mg L⁻¹ total phosphorus. Wastewater treatment plants discharge 50 000–15 000 000 microplastic particles per day and pharmaceutical effluents contain ciprofloxacin up to 31 mg L⁻¹, while 70–80 % of antibiotics administered to fish are excreted into surrounding waters. This paper assesses sources of contamination, their transport mechanisms, ecotoxicological and health implications, regulatory frameworks and mitigation strategies. The review indicated a wide range of pollutants, and implicated the need for precision fertilization, integrated pest management, advanced wastewater treatment with circular water use in order to comply with EU Water Framework Directive.

KEYWORDS / KLJUČNE REČI:

water contamination; agriculture; nutrient runoff; microplastics; antimicrobial resistance

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT / PROJEKAT:

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