Nitrate Pollution in Rivers Linked to Dry Climates, Not Just Human Activity

Far from farms and cities, dry climates are boosting river nitrate pollution

Typically, when people hear about nitrates, it involves runoff from farm fields, sewage systems and cities that can fuel harmful algae blooms and raise the risk of a serious illness in infants known as “blue baby syndrome.” But a river can also run through a sparsely populated landscape with little farming and still contain surprisingly high levels of this form of nitrogen that can harm aquatic life, drinking water and human health. In a new stu…

Nitrate pollution in rivers linked to dry climates, not just human activity

Nitrate, a chemical compound of oxygen and nitrogen often used in farm fertilizers, can rise to toxic levels in surrounding water under very dry conditions. This relationship has traditionally been attributed to agricultural runoff or human waste in the environment, but new research led by scientists at Penn State shows that a hot and dry climate elevates concentrations of nitrate in rivers and streams, even in areas without urban or agricultura…

Far from farms and cities, dry climates are boosting river nitrate pollution — Li Li (李黎) (TheConversation.com)

Typically, when people hear about nitrates, it involves runoff from farm fields, sewage systems and cities that can fuel harmful algae blooms and raise the risk of a serious illness in infants known as “blue baby syndrome.” But a river can also run through a sparsely populated landscape with little farming and still contain surprisingly … Continue reading Far from farms and cities, dry climates are boosting river nitrate pollution — Li Li (李黎) (…

Half A Billion People Live Near Rivers With Potentially Harmful Nitrate Levels, Global Study Finds

For decades, the rule for nitrate pollution seemed simple. Find the farms and the cities, and you have found the problem. A new global study published in Science on November 12 shows that this rule breaks down across huge parts of the planet. Some of the highest predicted nitrate levels in the world’s rivers sit […]