1. Eutrophication The facts

2. What is Eutrophication you ask? Eutrophication is when waterways, which are naturally low in nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates, are polluted with fertiliser run-off containing these nutrients.

3. What are the effects of Eutrophication? Water plants reatly increase in biomass with the due to the increase in nutrients in the water. This causes the death of other, smaller plants which are covered by these plants, increasing the amount of dead matter in the water. Bacteria use the dead matter to respire, thereby using oxygen from the water. Lack of oxygen leads to the death of sensitive organisms unable to carry out gas exchange

4. But what can I do to prevent Eutrophication from happening? Laws regulating the discharge and treatment of sewage Riparian buffer zones: an area of sediment between water and land to prevent Eutrophication Nitrogen testing: soil is tested for nitrogen content, allowing bare minimum necessary Nitrogen to be used. Phosphorus removal measures (as used in Finland)