Water Quality and Pollution

Phosphates are limiting nutrients in aquatic ecosystems. Excess phosphate runoff causes eutrophication, leading to rapid, uncontrolled growth of algae and bacteria.

Nitrification converts ammonia into nitrates, which plants can use. Denitrification is the process where bacteria convert nitrates back into nitrogen gas, releasing it into the atmosphere.

Bioremediation is a process used to treat contaminated media, including water, soil, and subsurface material, by altering environmental conditions to stimulate growth of microorganisms and degrade the target pollutants.

Excessive irrigation causes water to evaporate, leaving dissolved salts behind in the soil. This process, called salinization, reduces soil fertility and can permanently degrade farmland. Note: the option has a typo (should be 'salinization' not 'salanization').

Bacteria in manure consume dissolved oxygen in water bodies during the decomposition process, leading to hypoxia or dead zones that harm aquatic life.

Chemical pollutants introduce contaminants into water supplies, which directly degrades the water quality, making it unsafe for various uses.

Pollutants introduce harmful substances into water, which directly degrades its quality, making it unsafe for consumption or ecosystem health.

The 1970s saw the passage of major environmental legislation in the United States, including the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, commonly known as the Clean Water Act. This decade marked a significant shift in federal policy toward regulating water quality.

Fertilizer runoff introduces excess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) into water bodies, causing eutrophication, which alters the chemical balance and can lead to algal blooms.

Capillary action is the movement of water through narrow spaces, such as those found in plant stems, against the force of gravity. This is a common demonstration in elementary science.

Turbidity refers to the cloudiness or haziness of water caused by suspended particles, often from nutrient overload leading to algal growth. Excess nutrients from runoff can cause turbidity, reducing light penetration and harming aquatic ecosystems.

Plankton are the primary producers in the aquatic food chain; their removal would collapse the entire food web as they are the foundational energy source for higher trophic levels.

Nutrient runoff causes a positive feedback loop because the influx of nutrients leads to an increase in algae, which can lead to further ecological changes that promote more algal growth.

Eutrophication is a natural process of nutrient enrichment over time, whereas cultural eutrophication is the accelerated process caused by human activities like fertilizer runoff.