Topic: “Ways to prevent eutrophication”.

National University of Sciences and Technology, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Environment Sciences and Engineering.

Shiza Aslam^1,*, Khadija Javed¹, Zahra Saeed¹, Muhammad Umar¹, Farhan Naeem¹, Yousuf Jamal¹.

Email*: dewansansi@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT

Eutrophication means ‘enhanced nourishment’ and refers to stimulation of aquatic plant growth by mineral nutrients, particularly combined forms of phosphorus or nitrogen. These excessive nutrients in a water body support a dense growth of algae and other organisms, decay of which depletes oxygen of shallow waters.

In realty eutrophication is not necessarily harmful as the word itself means "well-nourished food" but eutrophication can be speeded up artificially, suppressing the capacity of lakes to readjust due to overload of nutrients. Well there are a few benefits of eutrophication as it increases biodiversity entailing algae, fungi, bacteria, and various types of tiny invertebrates and insects. Birds particularly are attracted to lakes and wetlands affected by eutrophication. Fungi and bacteria degrade organic matter and breaks down into fertile soil. It also leads to the rise of tall forests and woodlands by deposition of nitrogen compounds from the air and atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide.

On the other hand eutrophication leads to a large list of disadvantages including Loss of habitat, Development of hypoxic and anoxic conditions, Acidification of lakes, Increase turbidity, Loss of tourism/recreation (swimming, boating).

Once a process of eutrophication has begun, it may be hard to curb. But preventions can become handy like compositing, reduction of fertilizers’ use, structuring meanders, diversion of pipes, Riparian buffers and Ultrasonic irradiation. Badly affected lakes can be restored to some extent by laboriously removing nutrients from the ecosystem through selective fishing or the removal of excess plant growth. And today reducing Eutrophication should be our key concern.