The Denver Department of Public Health and Environment’s decision last week to close Sloan’s Lake to recreation and fishing because of blue-green algae bloom brought into stark focus the dangers of fertilizers and other chemical pollutants endangering waterways in the United States and throughout the world. The closing of the lake comes just a week after the toxic algae forced officials in Colorado Springs to issue a similar ban for the Pikeview Reservoir and the shutdown last year of Prospect Lake, also in the Springs. The presence of the blue-green algae is exacerbated by hot weather, stagnant water, or polluted stormwater runoff. But a major cause of the problem is the overuse of agricultural and lawn fertilizers, which contribute to major fish and biological die-offs.
Fertilizers and other industrial chemicals are emerging as profitable conveniences of daily life, but they are polluting waterways, damaging the environment, and threatening public health. Public health officials are worrying about the consequences because too many end up in our rivers, lakes, and oceans. Environmental engineers are struggling to strip these chemicals — microbeads, PFASs, pharmaceuticals, and fertilizers — from our water supplies. To view the full article visit Colorado Politics.