2014 Volume 5 Issue 2 Pages 51-56
Nitrate pollution of river water and groundwater in agricultural areas is a serious problem in many countries, and many people are unconcerned with, or ignorant of, the problem. In recent years, environmental education on the relationship between agriculture and water has been provided to the general public in many areas in Japan. In this report, the nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) concentration in river water at the normal water level was evaluated in two agricultural areas in Eastern Hokkaido. The concentration results obtained using an official analytical method were compared with those obtained using simplified methods. By focusing on the differences in the results of the measurement methods, the applicability of simplified methods for NO3-N concentration to water environmental education was examined. The investigation was carried out in two agricultural areas in Eastern Hokkaido in late August 2006. NO3-N concentration was measured using an official method and two simplified methods. The comparison between the two results showed the NO3-N concentration values measured by using the simplified methods to be 64% to 72% of those measured by using the official analytical method. The values obtained from the simplified methods were slight underestimates. However, there was a significant positive correlation between the two sets of values. Even though some consideration is necessary regarding the accuracy of the simplified methods, it can be said that the use of such methods in water environmental education is sufficiently effective. It is also expected that by actively introducing experience-based environmental education in which river water quality is measured by learners using simplified methods, it will be possible to make environmental education truly useful in the conservation of desirable watersheds in which sustainable agricultural and forestry are developed and desirable water quality is maintained.
