Chicago is famous for dyeing its river green on St. Patrick’s Day, but it is rarely known for muddying waters thousands of miles away. According to a U.S. Geological Survey study, polluted water from the Windy City has helped kill marine life in the Gulf of Mexico, Chi-TownDailyNews.org reported Friday.

The study, released Thursday, ranks the city on top of a list of sites discharging nitrogen and phosphorus – an effect of the use of fertilizer and detergent. The tainted urban water has helped create a dead zone in the ocean basin, where algae is taking over marine flora and fauna, the study says.

But according to Albert Ettinger, an Environmental Law & Policy Center lawyer, Chicago’s rank can be deceptive. “You can be number one and still only be 5 percent of the issue,” he said.

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Source: United Press International

, a Bulgaria native, is a Chicago-based reporter for Circle of Blue. She co-writes The Stream, a daily digest of international water news trends.
Interests: Europe, China, Environmental Policy, International Security.