Eutrophication
Menkov, Peter
Stamatova, Zhanet
Tantcheva, Christina
Section 10/1
http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/images/mangroves/florida_eutrophication_7536.jpg
What is eutrophication?
 A process
whereby water bodies receive
excessive amounts of nutrients, which
results in excessive plant growth (aka
algal bloom) (1)
 Anthropogenic eutrophication – the
pollution that humans cause with the
release of sewage effluent and fertilizers
into natural waters. (2)
What does eutrophication cause?
 Reduced
oxygen concentration (hypoxic
water) by the decomposition of dead plant
materials (1)
 This can result in the death of other
organisms (1)
http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/01590/pollution/culturaleutroph.jpg
Algal Bloom (3)
• Algal/marine/water bloom=“rapid increase
in the population of algae in an aquatic
system” –green, yellowish-brown or red
• In fresh water and marine environment
• Caused by excessive nutrients (P and N
mainly)
…So what? (3)
 The
more algae grow, the more other
organisms die.
 Bacteria feed on the dead organic matter.
 Thus, bacteria increase in number.
 More oxygen dissolved in water used
 Fish and aquatic insects die
And then…? (3)
 Neurotoxins
 Biological
impact on
wildlife
 HABs –Harmful Algal
Blooms (toxins produced
by phytoplankton)
 Accumulations of foams,
scums, and discoloration
of the water (4)
http://www.macalester.edu/environmentalstudies/thr
eerivers/studentprojects/ENVI_133_Spr_08/Phosph
orus/eutrophication.gif
http://www.seos-project.eu/modules/oceancolour/images/algal-bloom-warning-sign.jpg
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Problems…
Species diversity
decreases
Dominant biota changes
Competition for resources,
predator pressure
Turbidity increases – less
transparency
Rate of sedimentation
increases
High chemical or physical
stress
Algal blooms
 (9, 10)
http://www.jamstec.go.jp/jamstece/tech/tech_3g/rtdeadfish.jpg
http://sevenhillslake.com/CulturalEutrophication.jpg
 Water
- injurious to health, decline in value
 Disturbance in water flow and navigation
 Commercially important species of fish
may disappear
 Problems with drinking water, bad taste or
odor after treatment (10)
 Blue baby syndrome
(methemoglobinemia) - nitrate levels
above 10 mg/l in drinking water, may be
life-threatening (8)
http://www3.aims.gov.au/ibm/pages/news/images/figure1-bc.jpg
http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=171951
http://medicalimages.allrefer.com/large/shaken-baby-symptoms.jpg
Prevention (5, 6)
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Reduce the input of nutrients into the water
basins (for example, Baltic Sea)
Fertilization balance
Reduction in P and N load
Monitoring to predict eutrophication
Hydrodynamics of the water body – especially
information about nutrients
Precision agriculture – accurate irrigation
Sewage treatment – removal of nutrients
Prevention of erosion of soil
Unfertilized buffer zones near water bodies
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How to deal with the effects (5)
 Algaecides
- copper sulphate, chlorine,
citrate copper; kill algal and cyanobacterial
cells
 Filtration – micro-, ultra-, nano Coagulation-clarification
 Activated carbon adsorption
 Oxidation
 Disinfection with chlorine
Examples of Eutrophication (7)
The Baltic Sea
 In the Baltic Sea, all the areas
are affected by eutrophication
 Number of phytoplankton
increases (especially
cyanobacteria)
 This bacterium has increased,
because of the increase in
nutrient concentrations and
due to the changes in the
seasonal availability and large
nutrient proportions
 Cyanobacteria bloom
(Nodularia spumigena) in the
western Baltic
http://www.eutro.org/documents/EEA%20Top
ic_Report_7_2001.pdf
The Baltic Sea (6)
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Since harmful and toxic species are parts of the
phytoplankton, the blooms of harmful algae have also
increased
 Blooms - caused losses to fish farming, deaths of fish, sea
birds, dogs and cattle, and some damage to human health
 Source of eutrophication in this area – increase in
phytoplankton, consisting of many harmful bacteria causing
damage to the environment
 Impacts include:
 reductions in biodiversity
 reductions in the natural resources of dermersal fish and
shellfish
 reduced income from maricultures of fish and shellfish
 reduced recreational value and income from tourism
 increased risk of poisoning of animals including humans by
algal toxins
http://www.rahulbasu.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/baltic_sea_map.png
Solutions (6)
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The Baltic Sea states and the North Sea states decided to aim at a 50 % reduction of the N and
P load from land compared to the level in the
middle of the 1980s.
 It is expected that the directives and especially
the recently decided water framework Directive
(the urban wastewater treatment directive,
2000/60/EC) will reduce the nutrient loads to the
European coastal areas and the eutrophication
impacts to an acceptable level.
Mediterranean Sea (7)
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Mediterranean surface
waters in the open sea are
classified among the poorest
in nutrients (oligotrophic) of
the world oceans
Mediterranean coastal zone important for human
activities like habitation,
industry, agriculture,
fisheries, military facilities,
and tourist resorts
Most of these activities
contribute to coastal
eutrophication in the Eastern
Mediterranean
http://www.iasonnet.gr/abstracts/fig_kar1.jpeg
Works Cited
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"Algal bloom." Science Daily. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2010.
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/a/algal_bloom.htm>. (3)
"Algal Blooms in Fresh Water." Water Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2010.
<http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/A-Bi/Algal-Blooms-in-FreshWater.html#ixzz0qB5cw2ci>. (4)
"Eutrophicatio and Health." European Commission. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 June 2010.
<http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-nitrates/pdf/eutrophication.pdf>. (5)
"Eutrophication." Guide to Water Pollution. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 June 2010. <http://www.waterpollution.org.uk/eutrophication.html>. (7)
"Eutrophication." USGS. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2010. <
http://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/eutrophication.html>. (1)
"Eutrophication." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2010.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutrophication>. (2)
"Eutrophication in Europe’s coastal waters." ASSETS. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 June 2010.
<http://www.eutro.org/documents/EEA%20Topic_Report_7_2001.pdf>. (6)
"General effects of eutrophication." Water Treatment and Purification - Lenntech. N.p., n.d.
Web. 6 June 2010. <http://www.lenntech.com/eutrophication-waterbodies/eutrophication-effects.htm>. (10)
"Problem: Eutrophication ." Wingolog. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 June 2010.
<http://wingolog.org/writings/water/html/node27.html>. (9)
"Why Is Eutrophication Such a Serious Pollution Problem?" IETC. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June
2010. <http://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/publications/ short_series/lakereservoirs-3/1.asp>.
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