ECOLOGY
ORGANISMS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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groundwater
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streams and rivers
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oceans
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All of these choices
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Detailed explanation-1: -Most water pollution is a result of NATURAL PROCESSES. INDUSTRY washes agricultural wastes, including animal wastes, fertilizers, and pesticides, into ponds, causing algae to grow. Wastes produced by agriculture, households, industry, mining, and other human activities can end up in WATER.
Detailed explanation-2: -Runoff is a major source of water pollution. As the water runs along a surface, it picks up litter, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizers, and other toxic substances.
Detailed explanation-3: -When fertilizers run off farmland into streams and ponds, the nitrogen content of the water increases. This can lead to rapid growth of algae in a process called eutrophication.
Detailed explanation-4: -How can this process affect other organisms in the water? Oxygen is used up as algae is decomposed, reducing the amount available to other organisms. Algal blooms, often caused by high levels of nitrogen in water lead to low dissolved oxygen levels and the death of many species in these ecosystems.