1. Fertilizers and the Environment
~ Eutrophication ~
Fertilizers and the Environment
Textbook pages

2. Essential Questions: What is eutrophication?
What are the physical and biological factors that influence eutrophication?
What are the effects of eutrophication?

3. What is eutrophication?
Eutrophication – refers to the "bloom" or great increase of phytoplankton in a water body due to the addition of nitrates or phosphates from fertilizers or sewage

4. What is eutrophication?
Cultural eutrophication – the accelerated process due to human activities

5. What are the physical and biological factors that influence eutrophication?
Nutrients enter aquatic environments from both point and non point sources.
Point source example: a sewage discharge pipe draining into a river
Non point source example: runoff from an agricultural field that washes into a stream after it rains

6. What are the physical and biological factors that influence eutrophication?
Nitrogen and phosphorous are the most important nutrients responsible for eutrophication.
nitrates phosphates
nitrites
ammonia

7. Nitrogen concentration Phosphorous concentration
What are the physical and biological factors that influence eutrophication?
Human factors that influence:
Nitrogen concentration
Wastewater and septic system by-products
Fertilizer runoff
Animal waste
Industrial discharge
Fossil fuels
Phosphorous concentration
Wastewater and septic system by-products
Detergents
Fertilizer runoff
Animal waste
Development/paved surfaces
Industrial discharge
Phosphate mining
Drinking water treatment
Forest fires
Synthetic material

8. What are the effects of eutrophication?
Production of harmful algal (phytoplankton) blooms
Low dissolved oxygen concentrations
Changes in species composition and dominance

9. Write a 5-6 sentence CER summary for your Cornell notes.
HOMEWORK:
Write a 5-6 sentence CER summary for your Cornell notes.
You should include a CLAIM, and support that claim with at least 3 pieces of EVIDENCE from the notes. The final sentence can be your REASONING to link the evidence to the claim.

10. Copy these questions down.
HOMEWORK QUESTIONS:
Use the Internet or reference books to investigate responses to the following questions.
Copy these questions down.
1. Name at least 3 sources of nitrogen to aquatic environments?
2. Name at least 3 sources of phosphorus to aquatic environments?
3. Explain how dissolved oxygen becomes an issue in a highly eutrophic environment.

11. Eutrophication Unit Outline
WEEK 1:
Tuesday – notes and summary; homework questions
Wednesday – review lab procedure and materials and formulate hypothesis
Friday – initial lab set-up and baseline readings of nitrogen, phosphorus, and dissolved oxygen levels
WEEK 2:
Monday – Test and record the dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and phosphate concentrations in the 4 tanks; record observations
Tuesday – (same as Monday)
Wednesday – gathering of presentation information
Thursday – (same as Wednesday)
Friday – group presentations

12. Group Presentation Guidelines
You may choose to do either a PowerPoint presentation or a poster
Background information collected should answer the following questions:
What is eutrophication?
What are the physical factors that influence eutrophication?
What are the biological factors that influence eutrophication?
What are the effects of eutrophication?
How do federal and state agencies regulate and monitor eutrophication?
Each group should include a data analysis of results:
• Tabular representation of results
• Graphic representation of results
• Statement regarding if the hypothesis was rejected
• Conclusions