Poor infrastructure is responsible for tens of thousands of pharmaceutical doses that flow through Baltimore’s streams each year.
water pollution
New Contamination Concern for Colorado Streams
Abandoned hardrock mines and climate change cause metals and other elements to leach into streams. They also put rare earth elements into the water, a new study finds.
Researchers Trace Threats to Groundwater in India
A handful of new studies analyze the depletion and contamination of groundwater, as well as the effects of climate change—and how communities are responding.
When Rivers Are Contaminated, Floods Are Only the First Problem
As floods increase in frequency and intensity, chemicals buried in river sediments become “ticking time bombs” waiting to activate.
Lake Erie Sediments: All Dredged Up with Nowhere to Grow
Agriculture is a key contributor to the algae mats that plague Lake Erie. With so many fertilizers entering the lake, could sediment from the lake floor be used to grow crops instead?
Below Aging U.S. Dams, a Potential Toxic Calamity
Documents suggest that in more than 80 U.S. locations, the failure of an aging dam could flood a major toxic waste site.
Pharmaceuticals Pollute the Ganges
Scientists report a cocktail of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and personal care products found near two pilgrimage cities along the river.
Sinking Fish May Fast-Track Mercury Pollution to the Deep Sea
Isotopic analysis indicates that mercury found in deep-sea organisms may have an origin in carrion from near the surface.
Urbanization, Agriculture, and Mining Threaten Brazilian Rivers
Harder to analyze and quantify, diffuse pollution is often overlooked when it comes to water quality assessments.
Tracking Trace Elements in the Ganga River
Levels of dissolved trace and heavy metals, which can be toxic, are highly variable across the river basin, concentrating in urban areas with high pollution but diluted by inflow from tributaries.