“New Chip-Filled Bioreactor Helps Reduce Nitrate Pollution in Iowa Waterways”

Farmer Nick Helland said keeping the water free from nitrates is critical: “We’re north of the watershed and we want to make sure the water for the people of Des Moines is as good as it can be. So we want to use simple techniques that help with nitrates.”

The chip-filled bioreactor, about 7.5 meters wide, 30 meters long and one and a half meters deep, can be placed on the farm without reducing the area of ​​land used for agriculture. The simple underground design helps remove more than half of the dissolved nitrate from surface runoff, and the only question is whether it will be enough to improve the difficult situation.

In Iowa, the water in more than half of the rivers, streams and lakes is too polluted to support a healthy ecosystem and for safe swimming.

Too many nitrogen and phosphorus compounds provide excellent food for algae and other plants; they reduce the amount of oxygen in the water and block sunlight. The negative impact is exacerbated by the straightening of watercourses and the draining of wetlands, which limit the possibilities of self-purification.

This problem is also relevant in our country, and experts report that only about one-fifth of the surface waters have a good ecological condition.

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