Impact of sugarcane cultivation on water quality in Mauritius

Code (CO)	MSI99P2362
Author (AU)	Ng Kee Kwong, K F Umrit, G Julien, M H R
Title - English (ET)	Impact of sugarcane cultivation on water quality in Mauritius
Thesis-Parent title (TH)	Wilson, J. R.; Hogarth, D. M.; Campbell, J. A.; Garside, A. L. (eds), Sugarcane: research towards efficient and sustainable production: International Symposium on Sugar 2000, Brisbane, Australia, August 19-23, 1996
Document Type(DT)	Book chapter
Date of publication (DP)	1996
Source (SO)	p. 264-265
Publisher (PB)	East Melbourne, CSIRO
Language of text (LT)	En
Language of summaries (LS)	En
Abstract (AB)	With approximately 90 per cent of the 90000 ha of existing arable land under sugarcane, cultivation of the crop represents, in public opinion, the greatest uncontrolled threat to the surface and ground waters in Mauritius. Yet monitoring of nitrate and herbicide residues soluble in drinking water sources have shown the concentrations of nitrate and herbicide residues to be far below the maximum permissible in the 1991 Environment Protection Act of Mauritius (e.g. 50 mg nitrate/L and 3 µg atrazine/L). The data obtained however do not provide a complete assurance that sugarcane cultivation does not degrade water quality or the wider environment. Data on emission of nitrous oxide to the atmosphere and on contamination of water courses by agrochemicals carried by sediment during erosion need to be obtained and examined before such assurance can be given.
Descriptors - English (DE)	SUGARCANE WATER COMPOSITION AND QUALITY POLLUTION NITRATES HERBICIDE RESIDUES
Descriptors - Geographic (DG)	MAURITIUS
Sort Key 1(K1)	Water pollution
Date record entered (DA)	1996-11-26
Language of analysis (LA)	En
Processing status (PS)	CAT
MSIRI Staff (MS)	CHEM