Nitrogen growing threat to LI waters

Published on October 7, 2013 22:22 by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Government

Aging sewage treatment plants, antiquated septic systems, storm runoff and fertilizer use are loading Long Island's waters with nitrogen, a pollutant that can threaten public health and the environment.

Nitrogen levels have been rising in Long Island's aquifers for three decades, said Stony Brook University marine scientist Christopher Gobler, citing a Suffolk County study. Nitrogen in the aquifer that supplies most of Long Island's drinking water increased by as much as 200 percent between 1987 and 2005, the study of the most recent data available found.The amounts remain well below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency limit for safety. But environmentalists and elected officials worry about the continued increase and its effect on the Island's groundwater and surface water.

Millions of pounds of nitrogen are generated on Long Island each year "and unfortunately most of that, as we all know, is not going to sewage treatment plants, but is going to septic tanks" and eventually seeping into groundwater and surface water, Gobler said. "We do expect these numbers to rise."

Nitrogen forms when microorganisms break down in sewage, manures, decaying plants or fertilizers.The element occurs naturally and is necessary for human health and plant growth. But when ingested in high levels, it can deprive bodies of oxygen in blood. In infants, excess nitrogen in water used for formula preparation can lead to "blue baby syndrome," where the lack of oxygen turns the skin blue. In adults, high nitrogen levels, in severe cases, can lead to brain damage.Nitrogen pollution is one of the most widespread and challenging environmental problems in the country, according to the EPA. It affects 15,000 waterways, including 2.5 million acres of lakes and reservoirs, and 80,000 miles of rivers and streams, agency officials said."Addressing nutrient pollution is a top priority for EPA," said the agency's acting Assistant Administrator Nancy Stoner in Washington, D.C. The contamination "threatens waters used for drinking, fishing, swimming and other recreational purposes," she said.

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