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M. Naeem et al.
surface of water bodies. This layer inhibits light and oxygen
movement into the water. Plants below the surface of water
may die owing to lack of light, which result in the decay and
decomposition of these plants, turning the water foul-smelling and turbid. The loss of oxygen from the water causes
aerobic organisms to suffer, while anaerobic organisms are
flourished. Moreover, fishes die from the loss of oxygen, and
the total water quality of the water is lowered as the balance of life is disturbed. Eutrophic water is often scummy,
cloudy, soupy-green in color, and overgrown with algae and
other aquatic plants. Algal blooms, resulting from phosphate
and nitrate addition in water bodies may end owing to harsh
environmental factors; the resulting decay of the algae often
leads to the growth of disease-causing bacteria.
Increased levels of phosphates and nitrates often indirectly harm the environment by causing bacterial growth
and huge algal blooms (Khan and Ansari 2005; Yanamadala
2005). The study based on water bodies in Municipal Golf
Course, located in Austin (USA) revealed that the runoff of
chemicals used to treat the turf grass included significant
amounts of phosphates and nitrates. The data showed that the
nitrates were in much higher concentration during the winter
months owing to increased rainfall, turf grass dormancy, and
decreased microbial and bacterial activity. Phosphate levels
were not as affected as those of nitrates by the seasons. However, the phosphate levels coming from the drainage system
were significantly higher than those of most agricultural
runoff sources. This could potentially cause great harm to
nearby surface water systems and the many diverse organisms that inhabit those (Balogh et al. 2006).
Another study is based on Harbor Lake Machado, which
is located near Los Angeles (USA). Many unique biological
species have their home in the lake, and hundreds of migratory birds visit it annually. While organizations do their best
to clean the water of Lake Machado, pollutants (large levels
of phosphates and nitrates) continue to pour in from storm
drains and agricultural runoff, which most likely account
for the rise in bacterial and algal growth in the lake. The
phosphate and nitrate levels are well beyond standard safety
limits set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Pollution of water bodies is almost entirely the fault of humans
and industrialization. Hence, Lake Machado is becoming increasingly dangerous for animals and plants inhabited there.
If high-mineral content runoff continues to pour into the
water body, the quality of water-dwelling organisms and that
of the water itself will continue to decline (Engel et al. 2006).
At present, the techniques such as resin-based system, adopted by Storm-water Management of Portland (USA), are
being developed to reduce the pollution that goes into important water bodies. This technique removes the dissolved
phosphorus from storm-water runoff (Kreuzer 2000).
16.6 Conclusions
Generally, nitrogen and/or phosphorus are less abundant in
water than other elements needed, relative to their composition in plants. About eight times more nitrogen is required
than phosphorus in algal bloom formation. Phosphorus, thus,
limits eutrophication if nitrogen is more than eight times as
abundant as phosphorus, while nitrogen limits eutrophication if its concentration is less than eight times as abundant
as phosphorus. Untreated wastewater and wastewater treated
by mechanical/biological methods contain about 32 mg L
−1
of nitrogen and about 8 mg L
−1
of phosphorus, on an average. In a lake, heavily loaded with wastewater, eutrophication is limited by nitrogen, as the nitrogen concentration in
the discharged wastewater is only four times the phosphorus
concentration. Such lakes often display extensive blooms of
blue-green algae as unsightly surface scum. Some species
of blue-green algae use nitrogen directly from the air and
grow, although dissolved nitrogen is limiting. Lakes that receive natural tributaries and drainage water from agriculture,
however, have high nitrogen concentrations and are therefore
usually limited by phosphorus. The central question is not to
determine which nutrient is limiting but to determine which
nutrient can most easily be made limiting. As phosphorus is
more easily and less expensively removed from wastewater
than nitrogen, in many cases (but not all) the best environmental management strategy for lakes and reservoirs is to
remove as much phosphorus as possible from wastewater.
It has been established that detergents, domestic sewage,
and fertilizers are the three major human made sources of
nutrient enrichment in the eutrophication of natural water
bodies. Water bodies located near large cities are likely to
receive more phosphorus from domestic effluents containing
detergents. It is worth cautious, and in most cases essential,
to implement a dual-nutrient reduction strategy while developing measures to control eutrophication. A focus on only P
or N reduction should not be considered unless there is clear
evidence or strong reasoning that a focus on only one nutrient
is justified in that ecosystem and will not harm downstream
ecosystems. The technologies for wastewater treatment to reduce P versus N differ markedly, and reducing atmospheric
N deposition does not affect P inputs to aquatic ecosystems.
Alleviation of eutrophication in aquatic ecosystems along
the land–ocean continuum requires a balanced and strategic
approach to control both nutrients appropriately. It is very
necessary that some effective control measuring and useful steps, including consciousness programs pertaining to
the present threat to water resources on the blue planet need
to be employed. Many countries also try to remove nutrient
pollution from their waters, and they may use other measures
to create eutrophication buffer zones, preventing the spread
of the problem.
M. Naeem et al.
surface of water bodies. This layer inhibits light and oxygen
movement into the water. Plants below the surface of water
may die owing to lack of light, which result in the decay and
decomposition of these plants, turning the water foul-smelling and turbid. The loss of oxygen from the water causes
aerobic organisms to suffer, while anaerobic organisms are
flourished. Moreover, fishes die from the loss of oxygen, and
the total water quality of the water is lowered as the balance of life is disturbed. Eutrophic water is often scummy,
cloudy, soupy-green in color, and overgrown with algae and
other aquatic plants. Algal blooms, resulting from phosphate
and nitrate addition in water bodies may end owing to harsh
environmental factors; the resulting decay of the algae often
leads to the growth of disease-causing bacteria.
Increased levels of phosphates and nitrates often indirectly harm the environment by causing bacterial growth
and huge algal blooms (Khan and Ansari 2005; Yanamadala
2005). The study based on water bodies in Municipal Golf
Course, located in Austin (USA) revealed that the runoff of
chemicals used to treat the turf grass included significant
amounts of phosphates and nitrates. The data showed that the
nitrates were in much higher concentration during the winter
months owing to increased rainfall, turf grass dormancy, and
decreased microbial and bacterial activity. Phosphate levels
were not as affected as those of nitrates by the seasons. However, the phosphate levels coming from the drainage system
were significantly higher than those of most agricultural
runoff sources. This could potentially cause great harm to
nearby surface water systems and the many diverse organisms that inhabit those (Balogh et al. 2006).
Another study is based on Harbor Lake Machado, which
is located near Los Angeles (USA). Many unique biological
species have their home in the lake, and hundreds of migratory birds visit it annually. While organizations do their best
to clean the water of Lake Machado, pollutants (large levels
of phosphates and nitrates) continue to pour in from storm
drains and agricultural runoff, which most likely account
for the rise in bacterial and algal growth in the lake. The
phosphate and nitrate levels are well beyond standard safety
limits set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Pollution of water bodies is almost entirely the fault of humans
and industrialization. Hence, Lake Machado is becoming increasingly dangerous for animals and plants inhabited there.
If high-mineral content runoff continues to pour into the
water body, the quality of water-dwelling organisms and that
of the water itself will continue to decline (Engel et al. 2006).
At present, the techniques such as resin-based system, adopted by Storm-water Management of Portland (USA), are
being developed to reduce the pollution that goes into important water bodies. This technique removes the dissolved
phosphorus from storm-water runoff (Kreuzer 2000).
16.6 Conclusions
Generally, nitrogen and/or phosphorus are less abundant in
water than other elements needed, relative to their composition in plants. About eight times more nitrogen is required
than phosphorus in algal bloom formation. Phosphorus, thus,
limits eutrophication if nitrogen is more than eight times as
abundant as phosphorus, while nitrogen limits eutrophication if its concentration is less than eight times as abundant
as phosphorus. Untreated wastewater and wastewater treated
by mechanical/biological methods contain about 32 mg L
−1
of nitrogen and about 8 mg L
−1
of phosphorus, on an average. In a lake, heavily loaded with wastewater, eutrophication is limited by nitrogen, as the nitrogen concentration in
the discharged wastewater is only four times the phosphorus
concentration. Such lakes often display extensive blooms of
blue-green algae as unsightly surface scum. Some species
of blue-green algae use nitrogen directly from the air and
grow, although dissolved nitrogen is limiting. Lakes that receive natural tributaries and drainage water from agriculture,
however, have high nitrogen concentrations and are therefore
usually limited by phosphorus. The central question is not to
determine which nutrient is limiting but to determine which
nutrient can most easily be made limiting. As phosphorus is
more easily and less expensively removed from wastewater
than nitrogen, in many cases (but not all) the best environmental management strategy for lakes and reservoirs is to
remove as much phosphorus as possible from wastewater.
It has been established that detergents, domestic sewage,
and fertilizers are the three major human made sources of
nutrient enrichment in the eutrophication of natural water
bodies. Water bodies located near large cities are likely to
receive more phosphorus from domestic effluents containing
detergents. It is worth cautious, and in most cases essential,
to implement a dual-nutrient reduction strategy while developing measures to control eutrophication. A focus on only P
or N reduction should not be considered unless there is clear
evidence or strong reasoning that a focus on only one nutrient
is justified in that ecosystem and will not harm downstream
ecosystems. The technologies for wastewater treatment to reduce P versus N differ markedly, and reducing atmospheric
N deposition does not affect P inputs to aquatic ecosystems.
Alleviation of eutrophication in aquatic ecosystems along
the land–ocean continuum requires a balanced and strategic
approach to control both nutrients appropriately. It is very
necessary that some effective control measuring and useful steps, including consciousness programs pertaining to
the present threat to water resources on the blue planet need
to be employed. Many countries also try to remove nutrient
pollution from their waters, and they may use other measures
to create eutrophication buffer zones, preventing the spread
of the problem.