Eutrophication

• What is Eutrophication?

  Eutrophication occurs when water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients which induces excessive algae growth.

  This process may result in an oxygen depletion of the water body
• Eutrophication Process:

  1. Nutrient Load Up: Excessive nutrients from fertilisers are flushed from the land into the rivers or lakes by rainwater
  2. Plants Flourish: pollutants cause aquatic plant growth of algae, duckweed and other plants
  3. Algae Blooms: algae blooming prevents sunlight reaching other plants at the bottom. These plants can't respire. They die and the oxygen in the water depletes
  4. Decomposition: dead plants are broken down by bacteria decomposers. This uses up even more oxygen from the water
  5. Death of the Ecosystem: conditions become anoxic (without oxygen). Fish and other organisms die