Fertilisers can Leach into Water and Cause Eutrophication Flashcards
When does fertiliser cause big problems?
When it ends up in lakes and rivers
What are put onto fields as mineral fertilisers?
Nitrates and phosphates
What happens if too much fertiliser is applied and it rains afterwards?
Nitrates are easily leached into rivers and lakes
What does this result in?
Eutrophication, which can cause serious damage to lakes and rivers
1) fertilisers
Fertilisers enter the water, adding extra nutrients
2) extra
Extra nutrients cause algae to grow fast and block out light
3) plants
Plants can’t photosynthesis due to lack of light and start to die
4) with
With more food available, microorganisms that feed on dead plants increase in number and deplete all the oxygen in the water
5) organsims
Organisms that need oxygen (e.g fish) did
What is another cause of eutrophication?
Pollution by sewage
What does sewage contain?
Lots of phosphates from detergents
Nitrates from urine and faeces
In what way do these extra nutrients cause eutrophication?
In the same way that fertilisers do
