The Research Progress of the Influence of Agricultural Activities on Atmospheric Environment in Recent Ten Years: A Review

Abstract

In recent years, the industrial emission of air pollution has been reduced via a series of measures. However, with the rapid development of modern agriculture, air pollution caused by agricultural activities is becoming more and more serious. Agricultural activities can generate a large amount of air pollutants, such as ammonia, methane, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and persistent organic pollutants, the sources of which mainly include farmland fertilization, livestock breeding, pesticide use, agricultural residue burning, agricultural machinery, and agricultural irrigation. Greenhouse gases emitted by agricultural activities can affect regional climate change, while atmospheric particulates and persistent organic pollutants can even seriously harm the health of surrounding residents. With the increasing threat of agricultural air pollution, more and more relevant studies have been carried out, as well as some recommendations for reducing emissions. The emissions of ammonia and greenhouse gases can be significantly reduced by adopting reasonable fertilization methods, scientific soil management, and advanced manure treatment systems. Regarding pesticide use and agricultural residues burning, emission reduction are more dependent on the restriction and support of government regulations, such as banning certain pesticides, prohibiting open burning of straw, and supporting the recycling and reuse of residues. This review, summarizing the relevant research in the past decade, discusses the current situation, health effects, and emission reduction measures of agricultural air pollutants from different sources, in order to provide some help for follow-up research.