Jake Slobe | July 12, 2017
In this first episode of Nitrate in Iowa, Dr. Chris Jones, an IIHR Research Engineer and Associate Professor at the University of Iowa, explains the science behind nitrate, how it gets into our waterways, and the effects it can have on our environment.
Nitrogen is a nutrient that is natural within aquatic ecosystems, but when too much nitrogen and phosphorus enter the environment – usually from a wide range of human activities – the air and water can become polluted. Nutrient pollution has impacted many streams, rivers, lakes, bays and coastal waters for the past several decades, resulting in serious environmental and human health issues.
Too much nitrogen and phosphorus in the water causes algae to grow faster than ecosystems can handle. Significant increases in algae harm water quality, food resources and habitats, and decrease the oxygen that fish and other aquatic life need to survive. Large growths of algae are called algal blooms and they can severely reduce or eliminate oxygen in the water, leading to illnesses in fish and the death of large numbers of fish. Some algal blooms are harmful to humans because they produce elevated toxins and bacterial growth that can make people sick if they come into contact with polluted water, consume tainted fish or shellfish, or drink contaminated water.