Understanding Nutrient Pollution

 Nutrient pollution is becoming one of the most extensive and rigorous environment problem faced by our planet. This issue poses significant threats to water quality, human health, and also leads to unhealthy air and acid rain. Nutrient pollution occurs when nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus enters water bodies in over abundance. Even though these nutrient are essential for life but excessive quantities can create serious ecological problems like algae- chocked waterways. This increase in algae can deplete oxygen levels in the water which will result in harming fishes and other aquatic life and in many instances produce toxins that might harm humans. The usage of fertilizers in agriculture is one of the major cause of nutrient pollution. Other causes are improperly managed animal manure in agriculture, lack of operating or removing of excessive nutrients from the wastewater treatment plants, usage of fossil fuels increases the amount of nitrogen in the air and industrial discharge into water bodies.

To reduce this nutrient overuse and pollution is Brown University’s one of the sustainable goals. The objective of Brown University is to reduce its nitrogen and phosphorous usage by 25% by 2025 and 50% by 2030. To reduce the nutrient pollution, Brown was one of the first schools to join the Nitrogen Footprint Project. This is an international project developed with the objective of reducing nutrient pollution. Nitrogen Footprint Project has developed a nitrogen calculator which allows institution to track and measure their nitrogen goals. With the help of this calculator Brown University has learned that about 85% of Brown’s nitrogen footprint comes from its food purchases of which 20% comes from red meat and 15% from dairy products. Transportation and usage of fossil fuels are other small contributors of nitrogen at Brown’s.

 

To reduce its campus nitrogen footprints, Brown university is focusing on reducing its red meat consumption and promoting and introducing plant based meals on campus, which provides the same nutritional value as red meat. Red meat is one of the biggest cause of nitrogen emissions in the United States. Brown dining services offer vegetarian and vegan stations at its dining facilities.  They are also supporting agricultural practices that focus on minimizing the nutrient loses. Educating about the causes and effects of nutrient pollution to its student and community through seminars, collaborating with government agencies and environmental organizations are some other efforts take by the university to have an impact on the nitrogen footprint. It is very common for Brown University to be directly or indirectly actively present in addressing the environmental issues as their commitment to achieve sustainability.

 

Reference: -

 

Sustainability & Resiliency | Brown University. (n.d.). Reduce Nutrient Pollution. [online] Available at: https://sustainability.brown.edu/commitments/nutrients [Accessed 18 Mar. 2024].

‌

US EPA,OW (2019). Nutrient Pollution | US EPA. [online] US EPA. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution.