Phosphorous Fed Algae Bloom Threatened Toledo's Tap Water

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Host: Linda Wertheimer and David Greene
Interviewee: Steve Davis
Date: August 05, 2014
Link: http://www.npr.org/2014/08/05/337973447/phosphorous-fed-algae-bloom-that-threatened-toledo-s-tap-water

Summary:
Fertilizer runoff in Lake Erie causes the ban of tap water usage in the nearby town of Toledo, Ohio. Toledo is located near the shallow western basin of Lake Erie, so its water supply comes directly from the lake. The Lake faces a serious threat in its amount of toxic algae which are fed by phosphorous in fertilizer. Steve Davis, a USDA worker and watershed expert, states that the cause of this is not necessarily only due to farmer's excessive usage of fertilizer. Weather has a part in fertilizer runoff because if fertilizer is broadcast before rain or on frozen ground, there is a more likely chance it will move. In order to reduce the amount of fertilizer lost on the fields, farmers can help by spreading it efficiently as well as the obvious, reducing their usage. An example of a method of spreading the fertilizer in an efficient way is the precision nutrient management that helps target fertilizer to where it is most needed in the amount it is needed in with the use of a GPS.

Relevance:
This news source has to do with our current curriculum because it relates to our study of chemical cycles and the nitrogen cycle specifically. The phosphorus from fertilizer feeding the growth of toxic algae in Lake Erie is similar to our study of eutrophication, a negative impact of the nitrogen cycle. This is a condition where high levels of nitrogen along with phosphates feed the growth of algae in bodies of water. In eutrophication, when the algae dies, bacteria decomposing them use up all the oxygen, causing a lack of oxygen in the ecosystem. Pollution in Lake Erie was a big reason why the Clean Air Act was put in place. The Farmers in Toledo's help of reducing the amount of fertilizer runoff not only helps with the reducing toxic algae but also helps conserve the lake which can slow the loss of biodiversity and pollution.