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Understanding Eutrophication: Causes and Impacts

Explore the process of eutrophication, where water bodies accumulate excess nutrients leading to harmful algae blooms, oxygen depletion, and impacts on aquatic life. Human activities, such as detergent use and fertilizer runoff, contribute to this environmental issue.

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Understanding Eutrophication: Causes and Impacts

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  1. Nutrient Analysis Jennifer Repa

  2. Eutrophication • The process by which a body of water acquires a high concentration of nutrients, especially phosphates and nitrates. • These typically promote excessive growth of algae. • As the algae die and decompose, high levels of organic matter and the decomposing organisms deplete the water of available oxygen, causing the death of other organisms, such as fish.

  3. Nutrient Overload • Causes Eutrophication: • Nutrients come in many times through sediments and other sources such as:

  4. Eutrophication video • http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/eutrophication.aspx • http://www.encyclopedia.com/video/UGqZsSuG7ao-eutrophication-animation.aspx

  5. Process of Eutrophication • Human activities create waste→ nitrates, phosphates • Both needed for plant growth • Human use of detergents, chemical fertilizers, etc increase nitrates and phosphates • Act like fertilizer, speed growth of algae→blooms • Blooms require more O₂

  6. Impacts of Eutrophication • Blooms and dying algae consume all oxygen: fish, mollusks, etc. suffocate • Fish kills – due to nutrient overload, among other things

  7. St. Luke’s Church site 3 2 1

  8. GK-12 Fall 2011 Nutrient Analysis

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