A new study maps the potential of wetlands – an ecosystem flooded with water and supporting a vegetation of aquatic plants – to improve water quality. Through the study, the researchers claim that regrowing wetlands can act as a key strategy for improving water that is laden with contaminants like nitrate.
Nitrates reach groundwater, rivers, and coastal areas through runoff from fertilizer and manure application in agricultural regions. High nitrate levels can ultimately threaten the supply of drinking water and also lead to “problems with algal blooms and degradation of aquatic ecosystems.
The scientists now imagine wetlands as a solution. This is because when nitrate-laden water enters the boundaries of wetlands, a chemical reaction takes place that has a purifying effect on the water. The reaction releases harmless nitrogen gas into the atmosphere and thus results in cleaner water to flow downstream.