Alabama Water Quality Information System

— Choose a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) —


	1.-		Are agricultural pesticides considered a potential source of copper pollution for water?


	2.-		Are America's forests which help protect our land and water resources in danger of disappearing?


	3.-		Are the incidences of the protozoan parasites, giardia and cryptosporidium, in streams and surface waters always linked to the presence of livestock?


	4.-		Chromate copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood has been widely used for outdoor play structures. Do toxic levels of chemicals leach from these products?


	5.-		Does forest fertilization in the U.S. impact water quality?


	6.-		Does genetic engineering in agriculture provide environmental benefits?


	7.-		Does harvesting trees worsen the "greenhouse effect" which can impact water quality and the water cycle?


	8.-		Does sediment loading due to expansion of agriculture or other development near coastal areas have detrimental impacts on coral reefs?


	9.-		Does the 2002 Farm Bill (Farm Security and Rural Investment Act) adequately address water resources management concerns?


	10.-		Does treated lumber need to be painted, stained, or waterproofed to prevent weather damage?


	11.-		Food is essential for life and therefore agriculture is also essential, but there are environmental issues associated with agriculture. What are these environmental issues?


	12.-		Has lowering the arsenic standard in drinking water from 50 to 10 parts per billion caused some water utilities to shift from ground water use to surface water sources?


	13.-		Has the development of herbicide tolerant agricultural crops, also called genetically modified (GM) or transgenic crops, been beneficial to the environment, especially for pollution prevention and water quality improvement?


	14.-		How can overirrigating agricultural lands cause water quality problems?


	15.-		How can the development of transgenic (genetically modified, GM) agricultural plants benefit water quality and pollution prevention?


	16.-		How do average nitrogen and phosphorus levels in streams draining forested watersheds compare to levels in streams draining agricultural watersheds?


	17.-		How do the three primary global human water use sectors (agriculture, industry and municipal supply) compare in terms of withdrawal and actual water consumption?


	18.-		How do toxic chemicals like cadmium, lead and arsenic get in products being marketed and applied to land as fertilizers in the United States?


	19.-		How does irrigation affect water quality?


	20.-		How does toxic heavy metals get in �ag lime� that is commonly added to agricultural soils to raise pH?


	21.-		How is E. coli O157:H7 spread?


	22.-		How is population growth in western states impacting water needs for agriculture irrigation?


	23.-		How much freshwater withdrawal goes to agricultural uses in the U.S., and what does this include?


	24.-		How much monetary damage can hail cause to property and annual agricultural crop production in the United States?


	25.-		How much monetary damage can intensive rainfall cause to property and annual agricultural crop production in the United States?


	26.-		How much water can a square foot of grass consume on an annual basis?


	27.-		How much water does it take to make a gallon of ethanol from corn grain?


	28.-		How much would it cost to set up a major offshore seawater fish farming operation in the Gulf of Mexico?


	29.-		I am concerned about the impacts that treated wood may have on water quality and other parts of the environment. Where can I find answers to my questions about pressure treated wood?


	30.-		If forestry is so good for protecting water resources why do logging companies sometimes take all the trees out of an area?

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This website was developed by the ACES Water Quality Team, under the leadership of Dr. James E. Hairston. It is funded, in part, by USDA-CSREES water quality grant support under Section 406 of the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998.