Close this Advertisement Environmental Protection * Contact Us * Subscribe * Advertise Share * Twitter * Facebook * Home * Topics + Air + Climate Change + Electric Vehicles + Energy + Green/LEED Building + Recycling + Transportation + Waste + Water * News + Features + News Archive + RSS Feeds + Subscribe * Blog * Products + New Product of the Year * Industry Directory + EP Industry Directory + Water Industry Directory * Resources + Videos + Webinars + White Papers DEQ reported that its water quality crews responded on June 6, 2018, to a report of an algal bloom in Provo Bay and collected five samples at various locations at and around the Swede Sportsman Access. (Utah DEQ photo) New Method Developed for Tracking Water Pollution Sources "Isotope tools are very powerful to measure nutrients in water, but historically their use has been very difficult, hampered by cost and accessibility. The new technique allows scientists to run more samples and much more cheaply for large-scale studies. I think it is a game changer," "Isotope tools are very powerful to measure nutrients in water, but historically their use has been very difficult, hampered by cost and accessibility. The new technique allows scientists to run more samples and much more cheaply for large-scale studies. I think it is a game changer," said Leonard Wassenaar, hear of the IAEA Isotope Hydrology Section. * May 28, 2019 The International Atomic Energy Agency and the University of Massachusetts have developed a new method for tracing the origin of nitrogen pollution in lakes, seas, and rivers. Their nuclear-derived analytical tool provides a cheaper, safer, faster way to determine whether excessive nitrogen compounds in water stem from agriculture, sewage systems, or industry, which will aid prevention and remediation efforts. Nitrogen has been widely used as fertilizer since the mid-1900s. "One of the major global problems in terms of water quality is that we have been overfertilizing our landscapes for decades, either with manure or synthetic fertilizers," said Leonard Wassenaar, head of the IAEA Isotope Hydrology Section. "All of these nutrients, particularly nitrogen forms such as nitrates, are seeping into groundwater and eventually into rivers, lakes, and streams." Excessive nitrate levels increase algae growth that can lead to toxic blooms. These also sink to the bottom of lakes, feeding bacteria and creating "dead zones." Wassenaar said, scientists "now see more fish kills, where thousands of fish float to the surface because the bottom of the lake where they normally dwell is depleted of oxygen from this rain of organic material." The new method, presented at a recent IAEA International Symposium on Isotope Hydrology and published in the international journal Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, measures the amount and proportion of nitrate stable isotopes in water. Nitrogen has two stable isotopes with different weights; because the weight difference is not the same in human waste or fertilizers, for example, the isotopes can be used to identify the source. "Isotope tools are very powerful to measure nutrients in water, but historically their use has been very difficult, hampered by cost and accessibility. The new technique allows scientists to run more samples and much more cheaply for large-scale studies. I think it is a game changer," Wassenaar said. * « previous * 1 * 2 * next » * Printable Format * E-Mail this page * The World’s Largest Water Reuse Project is in its Final Stages The World’s Largest Water Reuse Project is in its Final Stages * Satellites are Exposing Methane Leaks—and It Found a Huge One That’s Raising Eyebrows Satellites are Exposing Methane Leaks—and It Found a Huge One That’s Raising Eyebrows Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. comments powered by Disqus * Most Popular Articles * Most Emailed Articles Environmental Pollution Linked to Serious Neurological Illness Tips to Keep Your Home Festive and Ecofriendly How Your City Can Tackle Food Waste, Too Three Environmental Issues and Ways to Combat Them European Union Adopts New Guidance to Reduce Light Pollution TRENDING * How Cities Are Adopting EVs to Urban Infrastructure How Cities Are Adopting EVs to Urban Infrastructure + Electric Vehicles + Energy + Green Living * Tips to Keep Your Home Festive and Ecofriendly Tips to Keep Your Home Festive and Ecofriendly + Energy + Green Living * European Union Adopts New Guidance to Reduce Light Pollution European Union Adopts New Guidance to Reduce Light Pollution + Ecosystems/Ecology + Green Living + Regulation + Research and Technology * The 2019 WMO State of the Global Climate Report: Key Takeaways from the Worrying Report The 2019 WMO State of the Global Climate Report: Key Takeaways from the Worrying Report + Environmental Health and Safety + Environmental Security + Global Climate Change + Sustainability * COP25: The ‘Point of No Return’ Climate Summit This Week COP25: The ‘Point of No Return’ Climate Summit This Week + Global Climate Change + Energy + Rules and Regulations + Sustainability * Three Environmental Issues and Ways to Combat Them Three Environmental Issues and Ways to Combat Them + Ecosystems/Ecology + Environmental Health and Safety + Global Climate Change + Green Living + Water * Occupational Health & Safety * Security Today * Campus Security & Life Safety * Spaces4Learning * HME Business * Mobility Management * TOPICS * AIR * ELECTRIC VEHICLES * GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE * GREEN BUILDING * NUCLEAR ENERGY * RECYCLING * WASTE * WATER * MORE TOPICS * QUICK LINKS * BLOG * SUBSCRIBE * WHITEPAPERS * WEBINARS * NEW PRODUCTS * ABOUT EPOnline * ABOUT US * ADVERTISING * TERMS OF USE * PRIVACY POLICY * OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY * SECURITY TODAY 14901 Quorum Drive, Suite 425 Dallas, TX 75254 (972) 687-6700 1105 Media, Inc © 2019 1105 Media, Inc. 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