Nitrate
Net
Nitrogen
from agricultural runoff is a longstanding problem in the Chesapeake
Bay, the estuary bordered by Maryland and Virginia. Now there is speculation
that a rise in airborne nitrogen, possibly due to the proliferation
of animal farms along the watershed, may be further compromising water
quality. Unfortunately, data quantifying atmospheric deposition is
sparse.
The goal is for
students to secure valid data from testing for low-range nitrate and
ammonia levels and measuring phosphate and pH in the airshed as well
as in the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay. Data is downloaded from
remote sites by way of AT&T wireless phones to a computer database.
From there the data is automatically sent to a website, where information
on the Nitrate Net is shared by all of the participating schools.
