Environmental Science
Using Constructed Wetlands to Treat Agricultural Runoff
Quick fact
Constructed wetlands can remove up to 90% of excess nitrogen from agricultural runoff by combining plant uptake and microbial denitrification—without using a single drop of electricity.
Why this is interesting
Every time it rains, farmland releases a cocktail of fertilizers, pesticides, and soil into nearby rivers—but some farmers are turning that pollution into a natural filtration system. How can a planted ditch work like a water treatment plant?