{"id":112139,"date":"2020-07-24T00:58:30","date_gmt":"2020-07-24T04:58:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/savethewater.org\/?p=112139"},"modified":"2021-01-22T08:32:29","modified_gmt":"2021-01-22T13:32:29","slug":"how-high-chemical-concentrations-are-affecting-the-everglades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/how-high-chemical-concentrations-are-affecting-the-everglades\/","title":{"rendered":"How High Chemical Concentrations are Affecting the Everglades"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By Jamera Bradley, Staff Writer and Researcher for Save The Water\u2122| July 23, 2020<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div>\n<p>The Everglades is a vast wetland ecosystem located in southern Florida, commonly known as the <a href=\"http:\/\/evergladessafaripark.com\/blog\/everglades-national-park\/why-should-i-care-about-the-everglades\/#.XxWm7_hKjvw\">&#8220;River of Grass&#8221;<\/a>. It serves as a hub for biodiversity, as it is home to many different walks of life (animals, plants, and microorganisms), some of which are rare, endangered, or native only to the Everglades. However, the Everglades is facing threats of extinction because of the recent high concentrations of chemical pollutants found in the ecosystem.<\/p>\n<h2><b>What chemicals are present?<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.usgs.gov\/fs\/fs177-96\/fsheet.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phosphorus<\/span><\/a>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Found in the:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The canals that drain from the Everglades Agricultural Area<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plant peat and collected in pore water (water found in the pores of rocks and soil)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Microorganisms found in the peat<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roots of aquatic plants<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.usgs.gov\/fs\/fs177-96\/fsheet.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nitrogen<\/span><\/a>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Found in the:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plant peat and pore water<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Microorganisms found in the peat<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roots of aquatic plants<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.usgs.gov\/fs\/fs177-96\/fsheet.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mercury<\/span><\/a>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Found in the:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plant peat and pore water<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Areas with sulfur<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Air<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.usgs.gov\/fs\/fs177-96\/fsheet.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sulfur<\/span><\/a>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Found in the:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Surface water of the wetlands<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Soil<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canal discharge<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ground water<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure style=\"width: 596px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.earthmagazine.org\/sites\/earthmagazine.org\/files\/1324689373\/i-158-7d9-2-14.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.earthmagazine.org\/sites\/earthmagazine.org\/files\/1324689373\/i-158-7d9-2-14.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"596\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aerial view of The Everglades, No endorsement<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.earthmagazine.org\/sites\/earthmagazine.org\/files\/1324689373\/i-158-7d9-2-14.jpg\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>Why are these chemicals harmful?<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phosphorus<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Normally advantageous in natural environments, the abnormally <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/BF03160706\">high concentration of phosphorus<\/a> found in the wetlands are thought to have caused the change in the vegetation. This alters the plant species typically found in the Everglades and introduces higher quantities of sawgrass and cattail.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30200259\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nitrogen<\/span><\/a>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nitrogen in the form of ammonium is identified in the wetlands of the Everglades. High concentrations of nitrogen can lead to changes in vegetation and has led to the decline of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/BF03160706\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Utricularia-periphyton <\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mat (free-floating plant found in the Everglades). This higher quantity nitrogen cycle creates an environment where non-native plant species have the opportunity to thrive, while rare species are lost.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mercury<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mercury was identified as an <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/BF03160706\">air pollutant in the Everglades<\/a>. The presence of mercury in the atmosphere may cause harm to the wildlife if ingested or inhaled in large amounts. If the wildlife consume mercury, they can face a population decline, as the mercury affects reproduction, growth, and development.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sulfur<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sulfur is essential in the <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/BF03160706\">up-cycling of Mercury<\/a>, causing the high levels of mercury currently found in the Everglades. Furthermore, acid rain can form if the sulfur mixes with water and air, which will further aid in the destruction of the environment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure style=\"width: 577px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.circleofblue.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/8288490880_8366dce4b7_k.jpg?resize=1500%2C969\" alt=\"\" width=\"577\" height=\"373\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">No endorsement<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.circleofblue.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/8288490880_8366dce4b7_k.jpg?resize=1500%2C969\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>What does this mean for the Everglades?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Everglades is classified as a subtropical wetland, occupying much of southern Florida. In other words, the <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30200259\/\">increase in chemicals polluting<\/a> the landscape can be attributed to the increase in rainfall observed over the last three decades. As a result, this increase in rainfall creates an increase in runoff and water flow, causing the large amount of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/articles\/airprofiles-ever.htm#:~:text=Air%20quality%20at%20Everglades%20National%20Park,-Most%20visitors%20expect&amp;text=The%20park%20is%20affected%20by,birds%2C%20fish%2C%20and%20visibility.\">nitrogen and phosphorus found in the Everglades<\/a>. Pollution of this magnitude can ultimately harm the park and its natural resources. However, researchers suggest that the introduction of submerged macrophytes (plants that grow in water) could absorb the phosphorus and nitrogen contents in the water. The macrophytes, combined with increased cycling of the water, can improve the Everglades\u2019 water quality and reduce pollution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Jamera Bradley, Staff Writer and Researcher for Save The Water\u2122| July 23, 2020 The Everglades is&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12812,"featured_media":112842,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[2649,696,2594,2637,2642,2647,2648,2638,2646,2641,2650,2643,2640,2636,2651,2644,2645,2639,2655,612],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112139"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12812"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112139"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112139\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":112322,"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112139\/revisions\/112322"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112139"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=112139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}