Our modern society currently faces threats to water security. Although water availability is influenced by climate change, urbanization and agricultural activities increase water demand and pollution.
Drinking Water at Risk
In a study entitled "A triple increase in global river basins with water scarcity due to future pollution," experts discovered that one-third of the world's drinking water could be polluted with nitrogen by 2025. It also revealed that water would not just be polluted, but there would also be a severe lack of snow, affecting up to 3 billion people.
According to Wageningen University & Research assistant professor Mengru Wang, water pollution caused by nitrogen worsens water scarcity in over one-fifth (2,000) of global sub-basins. The number of sub-basins with water scarcity triples due to future worldwide nitrogen pollution. This means that authorities should be concerned not only about water quantity but also about water quality.
In 2010, 984 sub-basins were classified as water scarce when only quantity-induced scarcity is considered. Wang and colleagues reached this finding by taking a closer look at river basins around the world. They found that when nitrogen pollution is considered, it severely increases the number of basins that can be regarded as water-scarce.
This is because the overall water quality is poor. Sub-basins are drinking water sources for most communities as the smaller units of larger river basins. The problem is that these sub-basins are also present in areas where urban activities are present, which means they are at risk of pollution.
In the same study, the experts discovered that 2,517 sub-basins did not only lack water but also had poor water quality. It is estimated that by 2050, about 3,061 sub-basins will face water scarcity in quantity and quality.
Because of this, the researchers are urging policymakers to consider water quality as a matter of urgency when implementing water-management policies. Areas of theUS., Central Europe, Africa, and South China can become hotspots of water scarcity because of an excess of nitrogen in the area.
In North America, water pollution has been a particular concern. For instance, the Southwest region faces a water crisis as the Colorado River sees some of the lowest flows in a century. As a result, important reservoirs such as Lake Mead, which supplies water for 25 million people, have also seen low water levels.
How Does Nitrogen Cause Pollution?
Nitrogen is the most abundant gas in the Earth's atmosphere. It is also present in the soil, the food we eat, and our DNA. Without nitrogen, there will be no life on Earth. It helps make cropland fertile and build protein, which is needed for all living organisms to grow.
Although 78% of our atmosphere is made up of nitrogen, this gas exists in a form that is unusable by most organisms. Atmospheric nitrogen can be made usable through natural processes, like nitrogen fixation, or artificially through industrial processes.
Too much of this reactive nitrogen can be harmful since it forms ammonia and ozone, both harmful pollutants. This can drastically affect the health of forests, soils, and waterways. It can also bring negative consequences like harmful algae bloom, fish kills, and hypoxia.
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