Fertilizer Runoff In Streams And Rivers Can Have Cascading Effects, Analysis Shows Fertilizer pollution can have significant ripple effects in the food webs of streams and rivers, according to a new analysis of global data. The researchers also found some detection methods could miss pollution in certain types of streams. Biological Reviews, combined the results of 184 studies drawn from 885 individual experiments around the globe that investigated the effects of adding nitrogen and phosphorus, the main components of fertilizer, in streams and rivers. While the analysis only included studies ...