Fertilizers Harm Freshwater Lakes More Than We Thought

Farmers' routine application of chemical fertilizers and manure to the land poses a far greater environmental problem to freshwater lakes than previously thought, potentially polluting the water for hundreds of years, according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Stephen Carpenter, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, blames the buildup largely on industrial agriculture's excessive use of fertilizer and manure since the 1940s. Carpenter and other experts previously believed reducing phosphorus that ends up in lakes would be enough to protect their water quality, but the new research said phosphorus must be removed from the soil altogether to have an impact. The study concludes that major changes in soil management are needed to reverse the trend. http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=7949