New research shows that beavers remove lots of pollutants from creeks when building their dams. In a new study, scientists found that a single family of beavers remove high levels of sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus from water that flowed through a 2.5 hectare enclosure in the UK. The sediment contained high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, which are nutrients known to create problems for wildlife in rivers and streams and which also need to be removed from human water supplies to meet drinking-quality standards. The study suggest that beavers should be reintroduced into the wild to help clean up polluted rivers.
Study: Beaver dams reduce river pollution
More of Today's Solutions
The Great Bubble Barrier: bubble curtains are intercepting 86 percent of rive...
Rivers are how plastic gets to the ocean. Stop it there, and you stop it for good. The Great Bubble Barrier, a Dutch company, ...
Read MoreIndia connects 124 million rural homes to tap water
Six years ago, fewer than one in six rural homes in India had a tap water connection. As of mid-July, more than four in ...
Read MoreThe biodegradable, self-cleaning fabric made from living caterpillar fungus
The sustainable fashion industry has spent years trying to reduce harm: less water, fewer synthetic chemicals, more recycled material. A research team at the ...
Read More7 plants with super air-purifying powers
Houseplants are all great natural indoor air purifiers, but some are especially effective for improving indoor air quality. Here are seven houseplant varieties that ...
Read More
