Climate change may cause more rain, nitrogen runoff

Environmentalists warn of the extreme danger of excessive nitrogen. An intensifying water cycle will likely cause dramatic increases – nearing 20 percent by 2100 – in the amount of nitrogen runoff in the U.S., according to a new study.

According to researchers, excessive nitrogen that mixes with rivers and estuaries can profoundly affect water systems; for example, it can spur algal blooms, which have negative impacts on human health, aquatic ecosystems and the economy.