You might think all that snow New Jersey had this winter would be good for the Barnegat Bay, but environmentalists fear it could have a negative impact on water quality due to the ice-melting substance urea. 

Barnegat Bay, Photo Credit American Littoral Society Facebook Page
Barnegat Bay, Photo Credit American Littoral Society Facebook Page
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Urea is a nitrogen-producing substance, also found in fertilizer, according to Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club. It's used as a low-salt alternative, but he said it's still harmful.

"It's a nutrient that's a major ingredient in fertilizer, and so it ends up getting into the nitrogen cycle, which then means more algae blooms, and that then drops the dissolved oxygen levels in the bay," said Tittel. He explained fish can die when eutrophication occurs. "Which is basically robbing the waters of its oxygen, and that in turn, turns it into more polluted."

Tittel noted the irony of legislation passed in New Jersey limiting the use of fertilizer in the summer for the same reason. "We end up putting all these nutrients back in the bay that end up impacting water quality," he said.

Potassium chloride is a better alternative, according to Tittel, who said most people just don't know to look for non-urea forms of ice melt.

As far as urea use by municipalities, Tittel said part of it price and part of it salt. Towns don't like to use salt because it causes more potholes, so they use urea an an alternative.

Legislation sponsored by New Jersey state Senators James W. Holzapfel (R) and Christopher "Kip" Bateman (R) would prohibit the sale, distribution and use of urea as an ice melt. The measure was introduced on January 30, 2014 and referred to the Senate Commerce Committee for consideration.

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