September 25th, 2008

By John DeFore

Nitrates, substances which when consumed by humans can be toxic, especially for infants (whose blood can be made less able to carry enough oxygen), are commonly used in fertilizers. While efforts have been made in recent years to reduce fertilizer use, it’s hard to know — since it takes time for substances to migrate from topsoil into aquifers — how quickly changes to agricultural practices affect water supplies.

Now a study published in the Journal of Environmental Quality finds that nitrate levels in ground water are on the rise in many parts of the U.S., leading researchers to call for increased monitoring.

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June 23rd, 2008

By Barbara Kessler Flooding along the Mississippi River and its tributaries is creating a secondary environmental problem that’s not so secondary. As record-breaking runoff carrying sewage and fertilizers heads to the Gulf of Mexico, researchers and federal officials fear it will cause the largest algal bloom ever in the coastal waters.

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