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Excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers: an unawareness causing serious threats to environment and human health

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Abstract

Farmers occasionally need to add nitrogen fertilizer to their farms and gardens to make available just the precise nutrients for their plants’ growth. The applications of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers to various crops have been continuously increasing since last many decades globally. Although nitrogen fertilizer contributes substantially to yield enhancement, but excessive use of this manure has posed serious threats to environment and human health. Rate of nitrogen fertilizers application has a close relationship with nitrate accumulation in surrounding environment, groundwater, as well as leafy and root vegetables. Consumption of diets having high nitrate contents has contributed to endogenous nitrosation, which could lead to thyroid condition, various kinds of human cancers, neural tube defects (during fetus development), and diabetes. In this short review, the authors have tried to create awareness among general public, farming community, health practitioners, and agricultural scientists for the risk involved with excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers to human health. Carcinogenic activity and other adverse effects of N-nitroso compounds might be prevented by consuming vitamin C and antioxidants containing fruits and vegetables.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agricultural Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), P.O. Box No. 577, Jhang Road, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Moddassir Ahmed, Muhammad Rauf, Zahid Mukhtar & Nasir Ahmad Saeed

  2. Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nilore, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Moddassir Ahmed, Zahid Mukhtar & Nasir Ahmad Saeed

  3. Rural Development Administration, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Jeonju, South Korea

    Muhammad Rauf

Authors
  1. Moddassir Ahmed
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  2. Muhammad Rauf
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  3. Zahid Mukhtar
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  4. Nasir Ahmad Saeed
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Correspondence to Moddassir Ahmed.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Ahmed, M., Rauf, M., Mukhtar, Z. et al. Excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers: an unawareness causing serious threats to environment and human health. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 26983–26987 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0589-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0589-7

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