Road salt is primarily to blame for the shift, though the water remains within safe levels for now.
pollution
Posted inNews
New Sensor Aids Rare Earth Extraction from Acid Mine Drainage
Rare earth elements appear in more than 200 consumer products. The race is on to source these elements from abundant and environmentally damaging mining waste.
Posted inENGAGE, News
Index Suggests That Half of Nitrogen Applied to Crops Is Lost
Food production is becoming less efficient at using nitrogen fertilizer, according to a review of global values. Excess nitrogen damages the environment and the climate.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Satellite Sensor EPIC Detects Aerosols in Earth’s Atmosphere
Aerosol observations from EPIC—a sensor aboard a satellite—align well with ground- and aircraft-based data, including measurements of smoke plumes produced by recent megafires.
Posted inENGAGE, Research Spotlights
Roadside Ditches Are Effective at Nitrogen Removal
Researchers compared the nitrogen removal potential by microbes in ditches that drained forested, urban, and agricultural lands and discovered that roadside ditches are important areas for removing nutrients.
Posted inOpinions
Microplastics’ Hidden Contribution to Snow Melting
Microplastic particles, present everywhere on the planet, may complicate assessments of black carbon’s role in the melting of snow and of its contributions to Earth’s radiative balance.
Posted inNews
The Legacy of Nitrogen Pollution
Researchers track decades of nitrogen inputs and uptake across the United States, highlighting the need for policy to address the legacy effects of this essential nutrient and pollutant.
Posted inScience Updates
Critical Agents of Change at Earth’s Surface
By way of agriculture and industry, humans have major influences on the critical zone. Our past and present effects on the landscape, soil, and water will echo for a long time to come.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Exploring the Widespread Impacts of Ongoing Nitrogen Pollution
The release of reactive nitrogen into the environment is having severe and ongoing ecosystem, economic, and human health impacts. How can we reduce our nitrogen footprint?