Review of the advances and development trends in agricultural non-point source pollution control in China

With further economic development in China, non-point source pollution has become a major side effect of agricultural production. There have been wide-spread reports of environment pollution, especially the water environments in China. With this, relevant control measures of agricultural non-point source pollution have gained the attention of the government and scientists in the country. This paper reviewed the current state and discussed the contributing factors and characteristics of agricultural non-point source pollution in China. It also summarized researches on pollution control technologies, including rural sewage/garbage treatment, nutrient retention in farmland runoff and reduction/reasonable use of chemical fertilizers/pesticides. Future development trends in controlling agricultural non-point source pollution in China, and especially the systematic control of rural pollution, were discussed too. Suggestions such as combination uses of systematic control and regional treatment, new techniques development and demonstration, pollution control and management, and establishment of national evaluation and early-warning systems were put forward.