Eutrophication

Name:
Eutrophication
Detailed information:
The unintentional enrichment or “fertilization” of either fresh or saltwater by chemical elements or compounds present in various types of industrial wastes. Phosphates and nitrogenous compounds in detergent and chemical-processing wastes are particularly effective eutrophying agents. They supply nutrients to algae, which proliferate so abundantly that a large proportion die for lack of light; their decomposition products deplete the water of its dissolved oxygen and thus cause the death of fish and other marine life. One process for removing phosphates involves addition of a metal-ion source to waste effluents so as to insolubilize dissolved phosphates, after which the particles are agglomerated by anionic polymers.See Algae; Nitrilotriacetic Acid.