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water pollution

Aerial photo of a single boat making its way on Brazil’s São Francisco River
Posted inNews

Urbanization, Agriculture, and Mining Threaten Brazilian Rivers

by Meghie Rodrigues 27 October 20206 December 2021

Harder to analyze and quantify, diffuse pollution is often overlooked when it comes to water quality assessments.

The Alaknanda River, seen from stream level, flows among mountains in northern India.
Posted inResearch Spotlights

Tracking Trace Elements in the Ganga River

by David Shultz 16 October 202016 February 2022

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.

A drone hovers over a spring in Fitchburg, Wis.
Posted inNews

Taking an Aerial View Underground

by Jady Carmichael 6 October 20208 September 2022

Wisconsin geologists are testing using drones equipped with thermal cameras to measure shallow soil depths in areas prone to groundwater contamination.

Charts showing how groundwater pumping in a deeper aquifer reduces its pressure and induces flow of arsenic rich groundwater from the overlying aquifer
Posted inEditors' Highlights

Arsenic Pollution in Bangladesh is Catching Up with Deeper Wells

by Marc F. P. Bierkens 3 August 20206 February 2023

Inhabitants of Bangladesh have deepened drinking water wells to avoid extracting arsenic-rich groundwater from shallow aquifers, but these may not be free from pollution either.

Aerial photo of a ship in an oil slick
Posted inNews

Leveraging Satellite Sensors for Oil Spill Detection

Sarah Derouin, Science Writer by Sarah Derouin 26 March 202018 May 2022

By using multiple remote sensors, scientists can quickly estimate the nature and thickness of oil spills—important factors for containment efforts.

The Sun sets over Lake Shinji in western Japan
Posted inResearch Spotlights

How Land Use Affects Nutrient Pollution in a Changing Climate

Elizabeth Thompson by Elizabeth Thompson 4 September 201916 February 2022

As heavy rain falls more frequently, the land alongside a river has a greater effect on the waterway’s nutrient levels—for better or worse.

Photo of a deep stepwell in India, with a green pool at the bottom
Posted inNews

Widespread Contamination Found in Northwest India’s Groundwater

Mary Caperton Morton, Science Writer by Mary Caperton Morton 5 August 201913 September 2025

Naturally occurring contaminants and human-made pollution in drinking water supply may be harmful to human health.

A small rowboat sits on the edge of Lake Sinclair, one of five lakes in north central New Brunswick surveyed for the new study on DDT contamination.
Posted inNews

The Toxic Legacy of DDT Lives On in Remote Canadian Lakes

Mary Caperton Morton, Science Writer by Mary Caperton Morton 23 July 20199 May 2022

DDT and its breakdown products permeate lake sediments decades after the pesticide was banned.

An aerial view of Waquoit Bay, a shallow estuary on Cape Cod, Mass.
Posted inResearch Spotlights

When the River Meets the Sea: Estuary Sediments and Hypoxia

Elizabeth Thompson by Elizabeth Thompson 20 March 201921 March 2022

Scientists know that low-oxygen dead zones are growing worldwide. New research sheds light on what that will mean for estuary systems if trends continue.

The amphitheater of the ancient Roman city of Aventicum, in the Swiss town of Avenches
Posted inNews

Ancient Romans Polluted Their Lakes Just Like We Do Today

Lucas Joel by L. Joel 28 November 20182 November 2021

Sediments from a lake in Switzerland reveal that ancient Romans triggered dead zones caused by the runoff of nutrients. Sound familiar?

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Features from AGU Publications

Research Spotlights

What Australian Lakes Showed Us About Martian Hydrology

27 July 202627 July 2026
Editors' Highlights

The Role of Tidal Wetlands in the Global Nitrogen Cycle Under Global Change

27 July 202627 July 2026
Editors' Vox

The Hidden Costs of Mining River Sand

27 July 202627 July 2026
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