Wetlands Provide High-Scale Nitrate Reduction

By: Joshua Kline

Pollution is a big issue in the United States, as it is easy to cause and has
multiple negative effects. Agriculture fertilization is one of the leading causes of
pollution because of the fact that it easily spreads dangerous chemicals to humans,
animals, plants, and to our atmosphere. We find it spreading from farms all the
way to our backyard, and in our lakes and rivers, causes infected food and water. A
recent study was done by the Natural Science Foundation that concluded that
wetlands can actually be a source of nitrogen reduction if restored in local
watersheds. The researchers from the Natural Science Foundation explained in this
article that wetlands receive a high amount of nitrogen pollution, which poisons the
water for aquatic animals, and bad for drinking water, although they discovered
that because of the runoff of wetlands, approximately 50% of that nitrogen exports
from the water, leaving it a little less toxic than before. This struck the interest of
the National Science Foundation because if they could increase the amount in
nitrogen removal from wetlands they could contribute helping to fix a serious
environmental issue. After a four year long experiment examining many wetland
samples, they discovered that by restoring the wetlands it is able to wash out a
higher percentage of that nitrogen, preventing it from reaching other places like the
Gulf of Mexico. Researchers view this as a strong breakthrough because it does not
require a high amount of cost to retain the wetlands and it produces a large amount
positive environmental results. Scientists view it that if they can spread this idea
and make this result more common in watersheds, the Earth will display an overall
improvement in pollution levels. This will greatly better our environment and
atmosphere, leaving better health for humans, plants, and animals.
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I decided on this article because instead of looking at all negative,

environmental issues, there is a positive change that will help our environment. I
picked it in relation to my interdisciplinary thinking about pollution because this
article is a way to eliminate nitrogen pollution. I now understand how water is
polluted just as much as air and has many of the same impact on plants, animals
and humans. It was interesting to find out that researchers have discovered a way
to almost wash out the nitrogen and is very effective in many areas. Hopefully this
idea spreads and our Earth will see some positive environmental changes in
pollution over upcoming time.
This article has taught me more about scientific thinking and to look at every
aspect of the situation. Most of the time when I hear about pollution it deals with
the air and atmosphere around us, and that toxins are released into the air. It is not
often that I think about water pollution and how much of an impact it has too.
Also, after reading about the experiment performed by the scientist and that it took
them four years to discover this, I now have a better understanding that science
takes time and if you don’t see result or changes immediately to keep pursuing a
hypothesis until an answer is revealed.
 Work Cited
https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=244250&org=NSF&from=ne
ws
“National Science Foundation - Where Discoveries Begin.” Study Shows Wetlands

Provide Landscape-Scale Reduction in Nitrogen Pollution | NSF - National

Science Foundation, 29 Jan. 2018,

www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=244250&org=NSF&from=ne

ws.