Eutrophication Flashcards
What is it?
“Excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to run-off from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life.”
What are the problems with it?
A major problem with the use of fertilisers occurs when they’re washed off the land by rainwater into rivers and lakes. The resulting increase of nitrate or phosphate in the water encourages algae growth, which forms a bloom over the water surface. This prevents sunlight reaching other water plants, which then die. Bacteria break down the dead plants and use up the oxygen in the water so the lake may be left completely lifeless.
It causes the water to because anoxic (depleted of oxygen) or hypoxic (low in oxygen). Eutrophication results in the death of many fish and other aerobic aquatic species.
How can it be avoided/reduced?
Eutrophication can be avoided by using mimimal required amounts of chemical fertilizers or better still do away with them and use natural ones instead.
Be sure not to have the fields close to the water bodies.
Take extra care while using fertilizers during monsoons as due to run-off, they get transmitted to the water bodies.
