Bosman, A. (2022, October 5). Water quality threatened by nutrient pollution in 40 U.S. states. Earth.com. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.earth.com/news/water-quality-threatened-by-nutrient-pollution-in-40-u-s-states/ 

Alison Bosman introduces the article by talking about climate change and how people usually associate it with heat waves, ocean temperatures rising, etc. However, it’s important to look at winter for statistics show it is the season that is warming the fastest in the U.S. Scientists from various states have come together and discovered a new threat to the water quality in the U.S. that is related to the rising temperature in climate change. Normally, nutrients from farming activities stay frozen throughout winter and thaw in the spring. When these nutrients thaw, they have been spread out into rivers and lakes for plants to utilize. Due to climate change and warmer winters, the nutrients thaw much quicker but the plants aren’t able to use them because it is technically still winter. This results in what is known as nutrient pollution. Winter nutrient pollution is seen as a newer form of pollution for its impacts have only been more significant due to the temperature rise. Some effects of this pollution are algal blooms, dead zones, harming aquatic life, etc. Researchers and scientists have also focused on “rain-on-snow” which is when rain causes snow to melt, leading to extreme floods and more nutrient pollution in waterways. Studies have been made to learn more about this effect, nutrient pollution, and water quality. One study discovered that nutrient pollution has the potential to put water quality at risk. Another study was done on the Mississippi River floods in 2019 and discovered a large number of nutrients and sediments in the river and the Gulf of Mexico. The article ends up talking more about the large-scale effects that this form of pollution has on the quality and safety of our water, hoping that the evidence discovered will inspire the government to take action.

 

Though the topic is water pollution, this article highlights a key component of the topic. When people think of water pollution, they’re most likely to think of oil spills, dumping harmful chemicals into water, etc. However, there are different ways to pollute water and this article proves that nutrient pollution is one of them. One could argue that this form of pollution contributes to worsening the quality of the country’s water. Just like in oil refineries, harmful substances and compounds are being released into bodies of water, affecting aquatic life, affecting human life, and affecting the quality of water. Another thing that this form of pollution has in common is that the government isn’t putting enough effort into reducing it which has been a common trend throughout many articles. It’s interesting to learn about the many contributors to the poor quality of our water.