Explore the causes and effects of water contamination, including microplastics, chemicals, and stormwater runoff. Learn how to protect lakes, rivers, and freshwater resources.
Chicago officials boast that the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant is one of the world’s largest sewer treatment plants, handling the waste of 2.3 million people. The Stickney Water Reclamation is the biggest single source of phosphorus in the entire region that drains into the Mississippi River. Combined with other sewage plant releases a state task
Every year marine species, from lobsters and fish to sea lions and birds, become trapped or entangled in lost, abandoned or discarded fishing gear. This “derelict gear” continues to capture fish and wildlife while at sea, even if no fishermen retrieves the catch. The Fishing for Energy partnership works to address this problem in two
An estimated 9 to 10 percent of Wisconsin wells have tested over safe limits for nitrate. Studies have estimated that 90% of nitrate in groundwater comes from spreading of synthetic fertilizers and dairy manure on farm fields, with most of the remainder from septic systems. Nitrate behaves differently. Relatively little lingers near roots where it
Despite the much-touted health benefits of fish, consumers may be getting more than just lean protein in their servings of seafood. Researchers have found that around a quarter of the fish in markets in Indonesia and California contained plastic or fibrous material in their gut. This study is one of the first to make a
There are currently dozens of large wildfires burning over 7.8 million acres across western United States. Many blame global warming for the increased wildfires, as temperatures rise and droughts continue to plague much of the U.S. Fire seasons are longer and causing more frequent, large-scale, high-severity wildfires. The risk of large wildfires is expected to
In species from alligators to humans, males are being born less frequently than they were before. Environmental experts are examining the link between man-made chemicals and their role as endocrine disruptors. Exposure to phthalates, a common class of petrochemicals, can happen through air, water or food. They are contained in cosmetics, cleaning products and consumer
In 2013 U.S. officials applied about 17 million tons of salt to roads. Salt lowers the freezing temperature of water and thus melts street-clogging snow and ice. But its public safety benefits do come with some ecological drawbacks. Salt not only damages metal and concrete, it contaminates drinking water, kills vegetation, and accumulates in streams,
Attending the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership convention is an annual event that Aquarius Systems looks forward to every year. We enjoy seeing old friends, meeting new friends; customers, DNR agents and academics. This year’s event featured a speaker that has literally made headlines, although not always in a good way. Dr. Tyrone Hayes of the University