United States
Environmental Protection
k Agency
The Facts about Nutrient Pollution
Nutrient pollution is one of America's most widespread, costly and
challenging environmental problems. It is caused by too much nitrogen
and phosphorus in the air and water. Nutrients are chemical elements
that all living organisms—plants and animals—need to grow. When
too much nitrogen and phosphorus enter the environment—usually
from a wide range of human activities—the air and water can become
polluted.
Sources of Nutrient Pollution
The primary sources of nutrient pollution are runoff of fertilizers,
animal manure, sewage treatment plant discharges, stormwater
runoff, car and power plant emissions, and failing septic tanks. In the
Mississippi River Basin, which spans 31 states and ultimately drains
into the Gulf of Mexico, nutrients from row crops and concentrated
animal feeding operations contribute the most nutrient pollution.
Effects of Nutrient Pollution
Excessive nitrogen and phosphorus in water and the air can cause
health problems, damage our land and water, and take a heavy toll
on the economy.
Human Health
Nutrients can lead to a massive overgrowth of algae, known as an
algae bloom. Certain types of algae emit toxins. Coming into contact
with these toxins can cause stomach aches, rashes and more serious
problems for humans. Excess nitrogen is a common drinking water
contaminant in agricultural areas and can pose particular risk to
infants younger than six months old. Chemicals used to treat nutrient-
polluted drinking water pose additional risks to human health. These
chemicals, including chlorine, can react with the algae in the water
to form disinfection by-products that have been associated with
reproductive and developmental health problems. Nitrogen pollutants
in the air from burning fossil fuels contribute to a variety of respiratory
problems for children, the elderly and those with lung ailments.
The Environment
Nutrient pollution damages the environment and harms water quality.
Algal blooms consume large amounts of oxygen that fish, shellfish
and other aquatic organisms need to survive. They make water cloudy,
reduce the ability of aquatic life to find food, and clog fish gills. Toxins
in some algal blooms can sicken or kill pets, marine mammals, fish and
shellfish.
NOTICE
An algae bloom has made
this area potentially
unsafe for water contact.
Avoid directcontact with
visible surface scum.
Avoid direct contact with water having visible surface scurn and
keep pets out of the water.
Nutrient Pollution by the Numbers
¦	EPA's 2010 National Lakes Assessment found that
almost 20 percent of the nation's lakes have high
levels of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. The
report also showed that poor lake conditions
related to nitrogen or phosphorus pollution
doubled the likelihood of poor ecosystem health*
¦	According to EPA's 2006 Wadeable Stream
Assessment, 30 percent of streams across
the country have high levels of nitrogen or
phosphorus*
¦	States have identified about 15,000 water bodies
in the United States as having one or more
nutrient-related impairments and there are
likely many more since not all waters have been
monitored.
¦	Reported drinking water violations for nitrates
have doubled in the last eight years. **
^National Aquatic Resource Surveys
(www.epa.gov/aquaticsurveys)
**An Urgent Call to Action: Report of the State-EPA Nutrient
Innovations Task Group, Aug. 2009
The impacts of nutrient pollution are found in all types of water bodies.
Pollutants often enter upstream waters like creeks and streams, and

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then flow into larger water bodies like lakes, rivers and bays. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus can also travel thousands
of miles to coastal areas where the effects of the pollution are felt in the form of massive dead zones, such as those in the
Gulf of Mexico and Chesapeake Bay.
Airborne nitrogen also poses environmental risks. Nitrogen compounds released into the air by burning fossil fuels
causes acid rain, which damages streams, estuaries, forests and grasslands.
The Economy
Nutrient pollution has diverse and far-reaching effects on the U.S. economy, impacting many sectors that depend on clean
water. The U.S. tourism industry loses close to $1 billion each year, mostly from losses in fishing and recreational activities
because of nutrient-polluted water bodies. In Mississippi alone,
tourism in the three counties that border the Gulf Coast accounts
for about $1.6 billion in visitor expenditures, 32 percent of state
travel and tourism tax revenues, and 24,000 direct jobs.
Nutrient pollution causes annual losses to the commercial fishing
and shellfish industry in the tens of millions of dollars. When
oxygen levels are low, fishery yields are reduced. During harmful
algal blooms, consumers become wary that seafood could be tainted
by toxins. Algal blooms can also negatively impact waterfront
property values. Algal blooms in drinking water sources can
drastically increase treatment costs and subsequently increase
consumer utility bills. Costs to clean up polluted water bodies,
such as the Chesapeake Bay, can cost billions of dollars. Airborne
nutrient pollution can also affect visibility at outdoor tourist
destinations, such as national parks and even damage structures,
especially ones made of marble and limestone.
Nutrient pollution causes green slime that affects drinking water,
recreation, businesses and property values.
How Are We Addressing Nutrient Pollution?
EPA is working with its many partners to address nutrient pollution across the country. EPA
~	Awards grants to states, watershed groups, and wastewater facilities to address nutrient-driven water quality
problems
~	Works with state and federal partners on the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Taskforce to
reduce the "dead zone" in the Gulf
~	Works to support states in their development of state nitrogen and phosphorus pollution reduction strategies (see
Nutrients Framework Document and Memorandum, March 2011, at www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution)
~	Works to support states in their identification of waters that are impaired by nutrients and to develop nutrient
budgets for those waters,
~	Provides technical guidance and resources to help states develop water quality criteria for nutrients
~	Oversees permits that restrict nu trient discharges from industries
~	Conducts research
State environmental agencies are working to develop water quality criteria for nutrients. Some states have already
developed statewide nutrient criteria for certain types of water bodies. Other states have developed site-specific nutrient
criteria. Still others are just beginning to develop criteria and have identified important milestones toward proposing and
approving nutrient criteria.
What Can
We can a!! take action to reduce nutrient pollution through the choices
we make on our farms, around our homes, with our pets, in lawn care and
in transportation. Find out more about the health of your local waterway
and to learn how to join community efforts to restore and protect it for the
benefit of people and wildlife. Visit: www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution.
For A/lore Information, Visit:
EPA Nutrient Pollution website:
vmw.epa.gov/nutrientpollution
Natural Resources Conservation Service website:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/
national/water
U.S. Geological Survey website:
http://wa ter.usgs.go v/nawqa/n u trien ts/
EPA-840-F12-003 May 2012

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