EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -What is eutrophication? Eutrophication is the process in which the water body becomes overly enriched with nutrients, leading to an increase in the production of algae and macrophytes. It deteriorates the water quality and depletes the dissolved oxygen of water bodies.

Detailed explanation-2: -Eutrophication is an increase in the amount of nutrients, such as nitrates, in an aquatic ecosystem. As the amount of plants and algae grow, the number of bacteria feeding on the decaying organisms also grows. These bacteria use the oxygen dissolved in the lake’s waters.

Detailed explanation-3: -Artificial sources of nutrients include discharges of sewage, animal waste, and agricultural fertilizers. Direct discharge of wastewater or runoff can lead to elevated concentrations of nutrients in aquatic ecosystems.

Detailed explanation-4: -Harmful algal blooms, dead zones, and fish kills are the results of a process called eutrophication-which occurs when the environment becomes enriched with nutrients, increasing the amount of plant and algae growth to estuaries and coastal waters.

Detailed explanation-5: -Eutrophication leads to an increased algal growth (because the level of nutrients increases). It can lead to a shift in species composition to fast growing algae species (including toxic species) and a shift from long lived macroalgae to more nuisance species.