Eutrophication

1
Eutrophication

• The facts

2
What is Eutrophication you ask?

• Eutrophication is when waterways, which are
  naturally low in nutrients such as phosphates and
  nitrates, are polluted with fertiliser run-off
  containing these nutrients.

3
What are the effects of Eutrophication?

• Water plants reatly increase in biomass with the
  due to the increase in nutrients in the water.
• This causes the death of other, smaller plants
  which are covered by these plants, increasing the
  amount of dead matter in the water.

• Bacteria use the dead matter to respire, thereby
  using oxygen from the water.
• Lack of oxygen leads to the death of sensitive
  organisms unable to carry out gas exchange

4
But what can I do to prevent Eutrophication from
happening?

• Laws regulating the discharge and treatment of
  sewage
• Riparian buffer zones an area of sediment
  between water and land to prevent Eutrophication
• Nitrogen testing soil is tested for nitrogen
  content, allowing bare minimum necessary Nitrogen
  to be used.
• Phosphorus removal measures (as used in Finland)