Scientists to Swimmers: Stop Peeing in Walden Pond
A new study found elevated levels of phosphorus from human urine in Thoreau's legendary escape.
How the times have changed: Walden Pond, made famous as the site where Henry David Thoreau escaped to the pristine wilderness, is polluted with human urine from swimmers, a new study reports. Scientists found elevated levels of phosphorus in the water, which fuels algae growth and reduces water clarity.