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water health

10/12/2018 / By Zoey Sky

Climate and pollution: De-icing salt has increased salt concentrations in lakes and waterways as much as a hundredfold in the last 50 years

According to experts, we must come up with less-harmful options to road salt when winter comes and roads turn into dangerous “ice rinks.” Researchers believe that road salt is now harming the country’s waterways and that various organisms such as fish, frogs, and microscopic zooplankton could be in danger. For years, salt has been strewn along […]

08/21/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

Minnesotan farmers use 10-15% more fertilizer than they actually need for healthy crops

Minnesota’s farmers are using more fertilizer than needed, say the state’s agricultural officials. The state government’s response to regulate the use of nitrogen fertilizer – a bid to ensure clean drinking water at, according to detractors, the risk of impairing one of Minnesota’s biggest industries – is seemingly a question of which gets the higher […]

07/08/2018 / By Isabelle Z.

Geoscientist analyzes how contaminants, including bacteria and viruses, move through groundwater

It’s a topic that many of us don’t give much thought: How exactly do bacteria and viruses make their way through groundwater? Countless people can be sickened when this happens after flooding or heavy rains, for example, but what occurs on the microscopic level when this happens is largely a mystery. William Johnson, a geoscientist from […]

07/07/2018 / By Zoey Sky

Sunlight can affect the ocean’s surface, resulting in larger aerosol molecules being released into the air and potentially affecting the atmosphere

If you’re a regular at the beach, the words sea and sun sure sound inviting. However, scientists are worried that both these factors may be linked to the formation of aerosols that can negatively affect the atmosphere. What are aerosols? Aerosols are tiny droplets that are linked to the formations of clouds. They are either liquid or solid microscopic […]

07/02/2018 / By Ralph Flores

What’s in a pair of jeans, environmentally speaking?

Love ’em or hate ’em, denim jeans have become an indelible part of American fashion. Some people love it so much that they buy four pairs in a year on average. However, what goes behind making your favorite pair is anything but favorable – before jeans hit the shelves, they are heavily processed using toxic […]

06/01/2018 / By Michelle Simmons

Wetlands reduce nitrate pollution in rivers and streams five times more efficiently than land-based mitigation strategies

Nitrate pollution comes from the nitrate used in crop fertilizers that goes to rivers and streams through drainage systems and agricultural ditches. High concentrations of nitrate in rivers and streams can be toxic to ecosystems and human health, as they may contaminate drinking water. As a result, a team of researchers from the University of […]

05/23/2018 / By Edsel Cook

PFAS chemicals are now in the drinking water of about 16 million Americans, new study concludes

You might be one of the 16 million Americans who are drinking polluted water. A recent study found that the drinking water of numerous counties in 36 states tested positive for toxic chemicals called perfluorinated compounds (PFAS), an article in the Bucks County Courier Times stated. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) mapped out communities in […]

05/13/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Tap water in Fayetteville, North Carolina tainted with carcinogen, new analysis reveals

The good news for Fayetteville, North Carolina is that there is no GenX in their public drinking water supply despite the nearby presence of the Chemours chemical plant. The bad news is that their tap water showed high levels of another cancer-causing chemical called 1,4-dioxane, an article in The Fayetteville Observer stated. The Public Works […]

03/25/2018 / By Jessica Dolores

Swimming in the ocean off the coast of first-world countries found to increase risk of illness

You’ve finally saved enough to enjoy that long-planned vacation by the deep blue sea. You dream of long days and nights feeling the soft sand on your bare feet, the gentle wind blowing on your face. Your snorkeling gear is ready. So, too, are your swimming paraphernalia, including those goggles that make you admire the […]

02/12/2018 / By Frances Bloomfield

Wild rice is the “canary in the coal mine” for lakes and streams – Researchers use it to track water quality

Determining the health of a lake or a stream could be done by looking for the presence of wild rice. According to a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota, wild rice is to these bodies of water as a canary is to a coal mine. Their sensitivity to their surroundings is an indicator of […]

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