Why are farm ponds a concern?
Farm ponds are small ponds created by farmers to collect water, attract wildlife, and provide recreation such as fishing, swimming, and ice skating. While these ponds improve the scenery and recreation opportunities for people living on farms, without adequate supervision, they can be the site of accidental drownings of both children and adults and can also be environmental health hazards.
Farm ponds can be contaminated by fertilizer and pesticide runoff, hazardous waste, animal waste, and other pollutants. Pond water can have a foul odor, be littered with algae, or contain contaminants that can lead to disease. Farm ponds can also contain jagged rocks, broken bottles, animal bones, and other trash.
This description is based on the information found in the Web links listed with this topic. Web Links from MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) Drinking Water Drowning Hazardous Waste Parasitic Diseases Water Pollution Water Safety (Recreational)
More Links Farm Pond Safety (Pennsylvania State University) Farm Pond Safety (Ohio State University Extension) (PDF — 184 KB) Rural Water Safety (National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety)
Chemicals in Farm Ponds Are these chemicals in MY community? Acetone Ammonia Diesel Gasoline Methanol Particulate Matter Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Pesticides Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Solvents Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Last Updated: October 17, 2012
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