Implementation of Polyacrylamide in the Agricultural Environment and its Recent Review

Nonpoint sources of pollution (NPS) is defined as diffuse discharges of pollutants (e.g., nutrient, pesticide, sediment, and enteric microorganism) throughout the natural environment and they are associated with a variety of farming practices. Previous studies found that water soluble anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) is one of the highly effective measures for enhancing infiltration, reducing runoff, preventing erosion, controlling nonpoint source of pollutants, and eventually protecting soil and water environment. Potential benefits of PAM treatment in agricultural soil and water environments have been revealed by many research and they include low cost, easy and quick application, and suitability for use with other Best Management Practices (BMPs) for NPS control. This study reviews the various applications of PAM and discusses its further potentials in agricultural environment.