Dead Zones: Causes and Effects
Dead zones are areas that can no longer sustain life. Usually referring to oceanic dead zones, the term could just as well apply to agricultural dead zones. The dead zones that impact the food supplies in North America include the Gulf of Mexico’s dead zone, which is the largest ever measured (NOAA, 2017). The causes of dead zones include pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorous from industrial development, sewage, and agriculture itself. Pollutants make their way into the ocean through rivers and other aquatic feeders. The Mississippi River is primarily responsible for feeding the Gulf of Mexico as it has accumulated nitrogen and phosphorus from all points upriver (“The Floods' Lingering Effects: New Study Shows Gulf "Dead Zone,” 2017). Agricultural waste and nutrient pollution lead to the rapid growth of algae, which in turn consumes the oxygen in the water. As the algae proliferate, it consumes so much oxygen that other species cannot survive in the surrounding waters and results in the dead zone.
The Gulf of Mexico has been a reliable source of seafood products like shrimp, and the dead zone seriously threatens food safety and security. Tourism is also affected, with detrimental effects on the American economy. According to the nature Conservancy, the dead zone costs more than $82 million per year in lost revenues (“The Floods' Lingering Effects: New Study Shows Gulf...
The Gulf of Mexico provides more than 40 percent of the nation’s seafood, too, presenting clear threats to food security (“The Floods' Lingering Effects: New Study Shows Gulf "Dead Zone,” 2017). The dead zone will also drive up prices of seafood products, as fishermen need to travel farther afield (“The Floods' Lingering Effects: New Study Shows Gulf "Dead Zone,” 2017).
Health Problems Related to Diet and Dead Zone
According to Nichols (2017), 75% of all deaths in the United States can be traced to only ten different causes. The leading cause remains heart disease, followed by cancer and respiratory disease. Many causes of death in the top ten are related to lifestyle choices and dietary habits, especially heart disease, diabetes, and even some cancers. Although no deaths can yet be directly attributed to the Gulf of Mexico dead zone, the same pollutants that promote algae growth may be contaminating local drinking water supplies. In many cases, the causes of health problems like heart disease, some types of cancer, and diabetes are linked to the same root causes of the dead zone. For example, Wallinga (2009) points out that the industrialized food system practiced in the United States is a core culprit of the dead zone and other problems like water contamination. Wallinga (2009) also notes that pesticides, which run off into the Mississippi River and…
