As many Americans plan trips to lakes and river this Labor Day Weekend, experts are sending out a warning to watch out for toxic algae blooms. Researchers identified 318 bodies away in the US that have been infected by the microscopic organism called cyanobacteria. Approximately 86 percent of the outbreaks were in recreational areas, but
Marine ecosystems suffer from nutrient pollution, as most of our waste tends to get dumped in the sea. This kind of pollution can become very deadly, as high levels of nutrients foster algal blooms which destroy water quality and deplete its oxygen — in short, they kill everything else around them. New research at the
Whether you visited Renner Reservoir for the first or 10th time this summer, you probably noticed a branchy, aquatic algae called chara covering the bottom of the reservoir. Compared to other aquatic plants, which are referred to as macrophytes, chara forms denser mats offering less habitat for fish and a less palatable meal for invertebrates.
To clean up the pollution in Jordan Lake, North Carolina lawmakers have tried arguing. They’ve tried SolarBees. They’ve even tried ignoring the problem. All those tactics have failed. Now state officials are examining a potential chemical treatment for the lake — yet another experiment on a vital drinking water source for more than 350,000 people.
Article Credit: wisconsinlakes.org Fertilizers, leaves, grass clippings, eroded soil, and animal waste are all sources of nutrients, including phosphorus. Phosphorus is main nutrient that drives eutrophication (premature aging) in most lakes. Relatively small amounts of phosphorus can cause water quality declines. A concentration of 25 parts per billion of phosphorus in water can promote excessive
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