Today, chemical fertilizers are used all over the world on crops and other plants. One may ask, what is chemical fertilizer and how does it contribute to our environment? To begin with, crops need a number of nutrients to survive, such as nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus, for growth. Over time, soil nutrients decrease because crops are harvested or die. Nutrients do not return to the soil until the crop decomposes. So when you add fertilizer, the process is accelerated and the plants grow faster. The question is whether the use of chemical fertilizers is bad for crops. Our group maintains that yes. Yes, chemical fertilizers are also bad for crops and the environment around them. Our first reason is that chemical fertilizers contain many elements that are harmful to crops. Chemical fertilizers contain salt which is bad for crop soil. It consumes important soil nutrients and minerals that are normally found naturally in crop soil. Many people think that using chemical fertilizers will replenish lost nutrients, but fertilizer only replenishes nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Very often, phosphorus is drained from the soil into groundwater. Phosphorus does not dissolve in water, leading to contamination of many water resources. This could harm both crops and humans. Phosphorus can also cause soil to harden when chemical fertilizer is used for a long time. Additionally, all chemical fertilizers are very acidic, making the soil very acidic. Acid reduces beneficial organisms and slows crop growth. The second reason is that chemical fertilizers weaken crops. Although chemical fertilizers help crops grow faster, fertilizers make crops weak and unhealthy. Fertil...... middle of paper ......eps.com/effects-of-chemical-fertilizers.html http://www.ehow.com/list_7349879_effects-chemical-fertilizers-humans.htmlhttp: //www.planetnatural.com/organic-gardening-guru/fertilizers/ http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Chemical-Fertilizers-Are-Bad-For-You-and-Your-Garden Id=4166826 http:/ /www.garden-counselor-lawn-care.com/chemical-fertilizer.html http://homeguides.sfgate.com/fertilizers-pollutants-78452.html http://www.fao.org/docrep/w2598e/w2598e06 .htm http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1620.html http://www.turfprousa.com/health_effects_of_synthetic_fertilizer_3006a.html http://healthychild.org/easy-steps/avoid-nitrates-and- nitrites-in-food/ http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/100-how-chemical-fertilizers-are-destroying-your-body-the-soil-and-your-food. html http://www.tfi.org/statistics/fertilizer-use http://www.tfi.org/statistics/statistics-faqs