TheDay.com - Inter-State Nitrogen Busters: "If we were to turn the story of Long Island Sound into a blockbuster summertime movie, nitrogen would be the villain and Connecticut's Clean Water Fund would be cast as the hero. The plot of the movie would show that the fund has made great progress in beating the evil nitrogen gang into submission during the past few decades. Unfortunately, it is still too early to say exactly how this saga will end."
One of the major sources of nitrogen entering Long Island Sound is sewage — which is generated by all of us with the lifestyle we lead. Even when sewage is treated to secondary levels, the discharge from plants operated by many municipalities and quasi-government entities contains nitrogen.
What happens when too much nitrogen enters the Sound? Excessive plant and algae growth occurs. When this material dies and settles to the bottom of the Sound, it decomposes, depleting the levels of oxygen in the water. This is the condition known as hypoxia. When hypoxia strikes, it suffocates aquatic life in the waters of the Sound.
