미국 지질연구소(USGS)에서 시행한 새 연구결과에 따르면 중서부의 집중 관리 농경지역 내 큰 강에서의 질산염 수치가 1945년에서 1980년까지 최대 5배 증가한 것으로 나타났다. 최근 10년간 질산염 변화 수준은 더 적어졌으며, 수치는 대부분의 강에서 높게 유지됐다.

강 내 질산염 수치는 가축 및 농업용 비료로부터 나온 질산염 유입이 증가되며 35년 중 가장 빠르게 최대 폭으로 증가했다. 중부 및 서부 연안을 따라 몇몇 도시화 지역은 같은 기간동안 강 내 질산염 수치가 두 배로 뛰었다.

 

 

 

According to a new study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), nitrate levels in large U.S. rivers increased up to fivefold from 1945 to 1980 in intensively managed agricultural areas of the Midwest. In recent decades, nitrate changes have been smaller and levels have remained high in most of the rivers studied.

 

The greatest increases in river nitrate levels coincided with increased nitrogen inputs from livestock and agricultural fertilizer, which grew rapidly during the 35-year timeframe. In some urbanized areas along the East and West coasts during the same period, river nitrate levels doubled. Since 1980, nitrate changes have been smaller as the increase in fertilizer use has slowed in the Midwest and large amounts of farmland have been converted to forest or urban land along the East coast.

 

"Long-term monitoring of 22 large U.S. rivers provides a rare glimpse into how water quality conditions have changed over the last 65 years," said Edward Stets, lead author of the study. "Although the greatest increases in nitrate concentrations occurred prior to 1980, levels have since remained high in most rivers. Unfortunately, there is no widespread evidence of improving conditions."

 

High nitrate levels can lead to the formation of zones of low oxygen in coastal waters, which harms fisheries, recreational use and ecological habitat, ultimately causing major economic impacts. High nitrate levels also pose a threat to drinking-water supplies, sometimes resulting in high water treatment costs, and can harm aquatic life.

 

Long-term monitoring of water quality is essential to track how changes in land use, climate and water-quality management actions are impacting both local streams and rivers and valuable commercial and recreational fisheries in estuaries across the nation. Further, the USGS National Water-Quality Program is working on more detailed analysis of water quality trends within the past 10 to 50 years in small and large rivers throughout the country.

 

The USGS study includes rivers flowing into the Great Lakes and coastal waters such as Long Island Sound, Delaware River estuary, Chesapeake Bay, San Francisco Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico.

 

[출처 = Water World / 2015년 10월 28일]