AGRICULTURAL ORGANIC POLLUTION AND DEGRADATION OF CONTINENTAL AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW OF ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS ON WATER QUALITY AND BIODIVERSITY

Abstract

The intensification of livestock production has substantially increased organic waste generation, intensifying environmental pressure on continental aquatic ecosystems. This integrative review aimed to synthesize scientific evidence regarding the impacts of organic pollution derived from swine, cattle, and poultry production on water quality and aquatic biodiversity. The review was conducted using studies retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and SciELO, prioritizing publications from 2015 to 2025 and complemented by relevant classical references. The findings indicate that livestock waste contains high concentrations of organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, suspended solids, and microorganisms, resulting in increased biochemical oxygen demand, reduced dissolved oxygen, greater turbidity, and alterations in biogeochemical cycles. Continuous inputs of these residues promote eutrophication and the occurrence of potentially toxic cyanobacterial blooms, compromising water quality and ecosystem stability. Phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthic macroinvertebrate, and fish communities respond to environmental degradation through reduced species richness, trophic simplification, and the dominance of pollution-tolerant organisms. The integrative synthesis demonstrates that the impacts of agricultural organic pollution extend beyond isolated physicochemical changes, constituting a complex ecosystem process that threatens biodiversity and ecosystem services. The findings highlight that inadequate livestock waste management represents a major driver of environmental degradation and reinforce the need for integrated water quality monitoring, efficient waste treatment technologies, and sustainable waste management strategies to preserve continental aquatic ecosystems.