Project

Global NEWS: Nutrient Export from WaterSheds

Global NEWS: Nutrient Export from WaterSheds - A multidisciplinary team with researchers from many research institutes. In WSG several PhD students work with Global NEWS related models

Research introduction

Many rivers are polluted with nutrients. This is a worldwide problem. Excessive nutrient loads may result in eutrophication. The associated environmental problems include ground water pollution with nitrate, eutrophication and harmful algal blooms. The most important causes of nutrient pollution are human activities on land: agriculture, urban waste, and industries are important sources of nutrients in rivers.

Research challenges

Global NEWS is a Nutrient Export from WaterSheds model. The model quantifies annual river export of nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon and silica in dissolved inorganic, organic and particulate forms. The model quantifies the source attribution and the Indicator for Coastal Eutrophication Potential (ICEP). The model distinguishes between point and diffuse sources of nutrients in rivers. Point sources include sewage effluents from wastewater treatment plants. Diffuse sources include typically leaching/runoff of nutrients to rivers from fertilized and non- fertilized soils.