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Pollution
Pollution
Now that you have the basics of the eutrophication process, let’s detail the
causes and examples of eutrophication in lakes.
“In Greek, eutrophication means “well-nourished”.
But eutrophication in the sense of water science, it’s
more like an “over-nourished” water body.”
1. Over-fertilization
As algae begin to form, it blocks sunlight from entering the bottom of ponds,
lakes, and rivers. As more nutrients drain into the water, eutrophication
repeats in a vicious algal bloom cycle and releases more nutrients in the
water.
When algae die, bacteria begin to decompose the remains, using up oxygen
for respiration. Eventually, the decomposition causes the water to become
depleted of oxygen. Over time, this causes the water to carry less
oxygen than before.
The northern Gulf of Mexico adjacent to the Mississippi River is the largest
hypoxic zone in the United States (and the second-largest worldwide).
What the map shows below are dead zones worldwide. You can see areas like
the Caspian Sea completely filled with algal blooms.
We rely on clean, healthy water for aquatic life and animals that count on it in
the food chain.
In fact, blue-green algae in itself are harmful to pets and for water
consumption. As we reshape the land, a clean water supply becomes a serious
threat to people.
How can we fix dead zones? It’s costly to reduce. The best answer is
preventative techniques to reduce fertilizer or completely retire cultivation
near eutrophic risk zones.