Control of diffuse pollutants

The ever-increasing population causes an uncontrolled increase in agricultural activities in order to meet basic nutritional needs; The growth of technology and the demand for better living conditions lead to unconscious consumption of energy and water resources. These situations disrupt the natural balance and cause environmental pollution. Disruption of this balance worldwide also contributes to climate change. As a result of climate change, agricultural production decreases in some regions due to water scarcity; On the other hand, irregular and heavy rainfall causes soil erosion and removes vital substances from the soil surface. This situation causes harmful pollutants to reach aquatic environments, disrupting the biological balance and creating toxic effects, decreasing aquatic products and threatening human health. Environmental pollution resulting from human activities can be divided into two main categories: controllable (point source) and difficult to control, that is, diffuse pollution. The spread of pollutants from different sources into water, air and soil systems is an important problem that threatens environmental sustainability. This thesis examines various implementation strategies aimed at effectively controlling diffuse pollution. Within the scope of the study, the definition of diffuse pollution, its effects and its importance on a global scale were examined in detail and "Best Management Practices" used to prevent diffuse pollution were investigated from the literature. Agricultural activities are one of the most important sources of diffuse pollutants and effective control of this pollution is of great importance. In particular, agricultural nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loads reaching water resources can damage ecosystems and human health by deteriorating water quality. In this context, "Best Management Practices" (BMP) play a critical role. As a result, in order to reduce pollutants from diffuse sources, it is necessary to implement and ensure the sustainability of EBP. Effective implementation of these practices is of great importance in terms of agricultural pollution control and environmental sustainability. Controlling emitted pollutants from agricultural sources is essential for protecting water resources and improving ecosystem health.