Nutrient Pollution, Essay Example

Ecological nature of the problem

The meaning of nutrient pollution is a process that involves addition of nitrogen based minerals including phosphorus in to water bodies where they act as fertilizers that result to excessive proliferation of algae. Nutrient pollution is therefore a challenging environmental hazard due to its cost and widespread nature. Nitrogen and phosphorus forms an important segment in the aquatic system thus supporting the growth of the aquatic plants such as algae (Baruah, et al. (2011). The aquatic plants are the source of food as well as habitat to the animals that live in water such as fish, shell fish as well as other small organisms that live in water. Nitrogen also occurs in abundance amounts in the air that human being breath. However, in the case of nutrient pollution, excess amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen finds their way in to the environment which is commonly motivated by human activities and this is a potential cause of water and air pollution. This form of pollution has significant implications to the lakes, water streams, rivers, coastal waters as well as bays. They have been associated with serious issues that affect human health, the environment and consequently the economy (Grabowski, et al, 2007).

Excessive amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen in the water bodies promote faster development of algae at a rate that the ecosystem is unable to accommodate. The proliferated algae are harmful to the quality of water, resources such as food for aquatic animals as well as their habitats. Nutrient pollution also causes a reduction in the amount of oxygen that is available to the aquatic animals to facilitate breathing. Oxygen is highly demanded for the life and survival of aquatic animals. The rapid proliferation of the algae creates a situation that s commonly referred to as algal blooms which has the potential of severe reduction or even total elimination of oxygen in water. Such a situation can thence lead to illnesses of aquatic animals such as fish and in severe cases, many deaths of fish have been reported. Some of the algal blooms also affect human beings. They are linked with excessive production of toxins as well as rapid bacterial proliferation which a   potential cause of sickness among people in situations that man gets in to direct contact with the contaminated water by drinking or otherwise and feeds on tainted shellfish or fish (Grabowski, et al, 2007).

A lot of people depend on ground water for drinking purposes among other domestic uses. The effect of nutrient pollution on such water bodies can therefore be dangerous to millions of people who depend exclusively on such sources of water for their livelihoods. Extremely low levels of nutrient pollution in the water bodies are sufficient to cause significant harm to human beings. The high vulnerability of infants to the nitrogen-based compounds such as nitrates in the drinking water makes this situation to be even more serious. Additionally, nutrient pollution can lead to excessive accumulation of nitrogen in to the atmosphere thus leading to the production of pollutants like the ozone layer as well as ammonia (Baruah, et al. (2011). This form of pollution causes impairments in breathing abilities, limitation of visibility as well as alteration in the growth of plants. The nitrogen may at times come to the surface of the earth thus causing severe harm to soils, forests as well as waterways.

Sources of nutrient pollution

Waste products from animals are a source of excessive amounts of nitrogen in the waterways that commonly arises from improperly managed manure. Homes, streets as well as yards is another significant contributor to the pollution attributed to nitrogen. Most of the human activities leads to excessive production of phosphorus and nitrogen which are then washed away to join the water bodies and then released in to the environment. Nitrogen pollution can be attributed to a number of human activities.

Agriculture practices play a crucial role in enhancing excessive production of nitrogen hence causing nutrient pollution. Most farmers apply excessive amounts of fertilizers and animal manure to crops leading to leaching of excess nutrients. Agriculture is one of the most serious contributors to nutrient pollution. Storm water can also lead to nutrient pollution. Precipitation that commonly falls on hard surfaces such as the roads, rooftops and sidewalks in major towns and cities are potential carriers of the pollutants mainly phosphorus and nitrogen in to the water ways. Wastewater such as the septic systems and sewers can also be a source of nutrient pollution when their treatment is not done correctly. Fossil fuels are yet other potential nutrient pollution promoters which can be attributed to the generation of electric power, transportation, industrial activities as well as agriculture.

Natural causes of nutrient pollution also exist such as rocks weathering and mixing of the water currents in the oceans. However, the human related issues have a greater impact than the natural issues.

Nutrient pollution solutions

Action is paramount in the prevention of nutrient pollution. This entails taking the right actions with regard to the human activities that contribute to the increase in nutrient pollution. Proper agricultural practices, good choice of means of transportation, lawn maintenance and caring for pets can mean a lot in the reduction of nutrient pollution.

It is also prudent to consider innovative solutions that can address the issue of nutrient pollution. This entails dealing with the problem of nutrient pollution in the aquatic systems through enhancement or alteration of the natural process that can be able to divert the effects of nitrogen from the ecological impacts that are detrimental to human animals in the water as well as humans (Grabowski, et al, 2007). Environmental remediation such as nutrient remediation can be implemented in form of biologically active components including phosphorus and nitrogen. This basically entails extracting the contaminants so that protection of human health can be achieved. The applicable approaches of removal of nutrients in environmental remediation involve biofiltration through the use of living materials that can trap the nutrients and then degrade them. In this regard, riparian areas, treatment ponds, natural as well as manmade watersheds and green belts have commonly been applied as successful approaches in environmental remediation approaches (Baruah, et al. (2011).

Biofiltration can also be applicable as a successful environmental remediation approach. This involves the use of biological assimilation procedures that facilitate for capturing, absorption and incorporation of pollutants in to a living tissue. Nutrient removal can also be achieved by bioremediation that involves the use of microorganisms for the removal of pollutants. This is commonly a naturally occurring process and it is sometimes encouraged trough fertilizer addition which then can be referred to as biostimulation (Rose, Tedesco, Wikfors & Yarish, 2010). The serious implications that are associated with nutrient pollution demand that action be taken with keen interest.

Works cited

Baruah, Debojit et al. (2011). ‘A Simple Diagnostic Tool For Measuring River Health – Example From A Tropical Snow Fed River’. Annals of Biological Research 2.5, 432-443.

Grabowski,J.H., Petersen, C.H. Cuddington, K., Byers, J.E., Wilson, W.G., Hastings, A, (2007). Restoring oyster reefs to recover ecosystem services (Ecosystem Engineers: Concepts, Theory and Applications ed.). Amsterdam: Elsevier-Academic Press. pp. 281–298.

Rose JM, Tedesco M, Wikfors GH, Yarish C. (2010). “International Workshop on Bioextractive Technologies for Nutrient Remediation Summary Report”. US Dept Commerce, Northeast Fish Sci Cent Ref Doc. 10-19; 12 p. Available from: National Marine Fisheries Service, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026.