Chapter 9

Endangered Ecosystem

Water Pollution
WHAT IS EUTROPHICATION?

NATURAL PROCESS WHEREBY AN

ECOSYSTEM BECOMES ENRICHED
WITH NUTRIENTS CAUSING AN
EXCESSIVE GROWTH OF AQUATIC
PLANTS (e.g. ALGAE)
 WHAT CAUSES
EUTROPHICATION ?
• EUTROPHICATION OCCURS WHEN INORGANIC
NUTRIENTS AND ORGANIC MATERIALS ENTER A
RIVER OR LAKE

• SOURCES OF ORGANIC/INORGANIC MATERIALS:

– FERTILISERS FROM AGRICULTURAL FIELD

– SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT DISCHARGE

– RUN OFF ANIMAL WASTE

EFFECTS OF EUTROPHICATION
• ALGAL BLOOM
– RAPID GROWTH OF ALGAE
– DUE TO INCREASING NUTRIENTS DEPOSITED
TO LAKE, RIVER, STREAMS

– EFFECTS:
• REDUCED LIGHT INTENSITY
• SUBSEQUENT DECOMPOSITION OF DEAD
ALGAE BY BACTERIA REDUCED THE
AMOUNT OF OXYGEN
* ECOSYSTEM AND FOOD CHAIN CHANGE
EFFECTS OF EUTROPHICATION
• INCREASE IN BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND
(B.O.D)

– REFERS TO AMOUNT OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN

TAKEN UP BY MICROORGANISMS THAT
DECOMPOSED ORGANIC MATTER IN WATER

– THE HIGHER THE B.O.D VALUE, THE HIGHER

THE LEVEL OF POLLUTION.
Agricultural Wastes
♥ Nitrates and phosphates from
fertilisers and faeces (manure).
♥ Increases nutrient and causes
eutrophication
♥ The use of insecticides,
pesticides and herbicides.
♥ These chemicals are harmful
and can damage the organs in
the body and can cause
cancer.
 Domestic Wastes
♥ Discharge of poorly-treated or untreated
sewage, detergents and rubbish.
♥ Cause the growth of dangerous bacterias
(ie. Cholera & typhoid)
♥ Lead to euptrophication, decrease in
oxygen content, lead to death of
organisms.
♥ Non-biodegradable rubbish reduces the
amount of sunlight reached to the plants.
 Industrial Wastes
♥ Runoff from construction sites, farms and
plantations.
♥ Acid rain caused by industrial discharge of
sulphur dioxide by factories.
♥ Industrial discharge of chemical wastes
and byproducts of factories (ie. Heavy
metals, toxic wastes, oils)
♥ Sediments from deforestation.
Oil Spills
♥ Underground storage
tank leakage, leading
to soil contamination.
♥ Rainwater leeches
these compounds out
of the soil earth and
then into the water
sources.