Across the Mississippi River Basin, farms dominate the landscape. They produce food for millions, but not without consequences. When it rains, fertilizers from those fields wash into nearby streams and rivers, carrying pollution downstream.
That runoff carries nitrogen and other nutrients that disrupt water ecosystems, fueling algae blooms, harming fish, and contaminating drinking water, according to the study.
However, wetlands take in nitrogen and other nutrients, filtering water naturally and cutting pollution in the process, which is not just vital for the environment but also for people, wildlife, and everyone who depends on clean water.
Instead of only trying to stop pollution at the source, the researchers focused on what happens after nitrogen has already made its…more
Source www.theweather.com
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