Environmental Science
How Agricultural Fertilizers Disrupt the Nitrogen Cycle
Quick fact
The excess nitrogen from fertilizers has created more than 500 dead zones worldwide, covering an area larger than the United Kingdom, suffocating marine life.
Why this is interesting
You've probably seen rivers choked with green algae or heard of ocean 'dead zones.' What if a key element vital for all life—nitrogen—is being thrown dangerously out of balance by something as simple as fertilizing crops?