Impact of nitrogen and phosphorous inputs on water quality Essay

Both northward and Phosphorous argon necessary in kitchen-gardening for a farmer to achieve optimum yields in just about crops, they contribute to use fertiliser which often contains either newton or phosphoric. Despite their importance, these elements in b be can affect the environment adversely. Eutrophication is enhanced when nitrogen and phosphorous ar in overplus in issue wets and where nitrogen is in excess in ground piss. (www. soil. ncsu. edu/) Nitrogen makes up about 78 percent of the gases in the atmosphere. A major constituent of proteins it is abundant in most living things.Nitrogen gas (N2), nitrate (NO3), nitrite (NO2) and ammonia NH3 argon the common forms in which in organic nitrogen exists. Organic nitrogen exists in proteins. (http//ky piddle. org/). Compounds that contain nitrogen ar set in motion in weewee bodies such as reservoirs, streams and rivers. There are various routes by which nitrogen enters urine bodies. These include waste piss (mun icipal and industrial), animal wastes such as shucks wastes and wastes of angle, septic tanks and overspill from fields and lawns that start been fertilized.In certain move of the United States, curiously the northeast, some forms of nitrogen are deposited through battery-acid rain (Baird, 1990). Nitrites are accordingly born-again to nitrates by bacteria, a butt on that uses up oxygen. (http//ky body of water. org). Surface and subsurface drainage are some of the ways through which nitrogen from fertilizers enter streams. When there is heavy rainfall sideline surface application of nitrogen fertilizers, most of the nitrogen is lost and compensate more is lost if the area is sloppy. When the fertilizer is mixed with soil the runoff is decreased.However, the loss of nitrogen becomes substantial when heavy rainfall causes soil eroding and movement of debris. The highly soluble nature of nitrogen makes it be oblivious easily into the soil when it rains heavily. Findings from research studies show that leaching does contribute to the nominal head of nitrates in groundwater. This however does not cause much taint since the concentrations of nitrogen do not reach high enough levels. The crop uses up to 50 percent of the applied nitrogen leaving about 30 percent to 50 percent available for leaching.This, from a study through with(p) on North Carolina soils leads to leaching to a level of only deuce feet where there was 3 inches of percolated water (Baird, 1990). Eutrophication is a slow process whereby streams and lakes are enriched with natural nutrients. This process leads to the accelerated aging of lakes and reservoirs. Eutrophication generally means excess festering of algae. The ingathering and decomposition of algae causes depletion of oxygen available in water. Nitrogen has a fertilizing effect in algae and other plankton which are food to other organisms in water such as fish and invertebrates.Overproduction and decomposition of these pla nkton uses up oxygen, meaning that other oxygen-dependent animals have miserable oxygen which leads to their wipeout. (http//kywater. org/). In addition to using up oxygen excessively, the giantism of algae and other plankton can lead to clogging up of water systems such that water flow is inhibited. This is especially common at call fors of water intakes. A lot of sea seed downs also block light from reach the deeper waters (http//ga. water. usgs. gov/).This has the effect of compromising respiration for aquatic invertebrates and fish, making the death of animals and plant inevitable. High concentrations of nitrites produce a condition called brown smear disease which is fatal to fish. (http//kywater. org/). Eventually diversity of animal and plant lifetime is lost. The death of fish results in offensive odours, and affects the water such that it cannot be used for recreative purposes standardised swimming, boating and fishing. Mueller and Helsel conducted a study of 12,000 ground water samples and approximately 22,000 samples of surface water at over 300 sites.The samples were gathered within NAWQA study units. They compensate that the concentrations of nutrients in water have a close relationship to how land is used upstream or in the area that overlies a ground water aquifer. According to the analysis there were higher concentrations of nitrates in groundwater than surface water bodies. The regions with the highest concentration were the Northeast, the Great Plains and areas along the West Coast (Mueller and Helsel, 1996). Agricultural areas have a higher likelihood of having water with increased concentrations of nitrates.Research shows that public-supply surface and domestic supply substantiallys outside areas where land is used for agriculture generally have trim back concentrations of nitrates compared to wells in agricultural areas. On the other mitt, urban areas have higher concentrations of Ammonia and phosphorous in surface water (Muel ler and Helsel, 196). For water to be considered safe for domestic water supply, nitrates or nitrite level should be below 10mg/L. (United States Public Health Service). Nitrites undergo a direct response with haemoglobin in humans and warm-blooded animals leading to the formation of methemoglobin.This flux leads to decreased ability of red cells to carry oxygen. The most affected by this inability are infants less than three months because the babies develop methemoglobinaemia (blue baby disease. (http//kywater. org/ww/ wild leek/rmnox. htm). Due to this reason, when nitrates levels exceed 1. 0mg/L, the water should not be used to ply babies. In older people high nitrate levels cause disturbances in the digestion system. (http//kywater. org/). Phosphorous is a naturally occurring element that can be found in rocks and mineral deposits.Phosphate ions are soluble in water and are released when rock undergoes the weathering process. Phosphates have three forms of existence, meta i norganic phosphate, orthophosphate and organic phosphate. phosphate is mainly produced by natural processed but there are man-made sources that produce orthophosphate. These include un case-hardened sewage and partially treated sewage, use of certain fertilizers and runoff from sites where the main land use is agriculture. Metaphosphate or polyphosphate are used in treatment of detergents and boiler waters. When in water metaphosphate changes to orthophosphate and it can be used up by plants in this form.Organic phosphate occurs tied to organic bodily like plant tissue or waste solids. When decomposition occurs organic phosphate is converted to orthophosphate (www. water-research. net/phosphate. htm). Phosphorous is necessary for animal and plant growth and acts as a growth limiting nutrient in lake ecosystems. Well-oxygenated waters have low amounts of phosphates. Phosphate undergoes a complex process of pulmonary tuberculosis and mineralization to be retained in the soil, unlike the nitrogen rack which is simpler. oil-soluble phosphate is incorporated by plants and animals in their biologic systems to form composites like ATP, DNA and RNA.ATP is necessary for energy production via the Krebs cycle while DNA and RNA have genetic importance. Phosphorous is so necessary for photosynthesis to occur (www. water-research. net/) Phosphates enhance growth of aquatic plants which are the food source for other organisms. Increased production of plankton result in an initial increase in population of fish and the entire biological system of the water body. This however has an adverse effect because as the phosphate levels build-up the process by which the water ecosystem is aging is speeded up leading to an unbalance of nutrients where production begins to exceed consumption.Phosphates like nitrates also cause eutrophication resulting in more plants than can be consumed by the system. The result is anoxic waters, presence of algal blooms that are toxic and a red uction in biodiversity as well as destruction of food supply and habitat. (www. water-research. net) Eutrophication is an issue that compromises water choice and has received much attention since 1980 when there was extensive occurrence of teal algae in fresh water systems.These blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) sometimes produce toxins that cause harm to human beings and farm animals. Poor conditions resulting from eutrophication have been noted in eastern North Carolina in the Chowan, Neuse and Pamlico River systems (Baird, 1990). water system that has in truth high levels of phosphates causes digestive problems to people. The negative effect of high levels of phosphate then is more indirect to humans but has a bigger bear upon because by altering the environment and destroying habitats the destruction caused is much harder to reverse.A compound like nitrates dissolves in water and moves in water in surface streams and ground water. Most forms of phosphorous, however, are transp orted together with soil that has undergone erosion especially when runoff is high flowing precipitation and irrigation. This is because instead of dissolving they hold themselves to soil particles. As such phosphorous is more likely to bemire surface water rather than ground water (USGS, Circular1225, 2007).Findings from a USGS report indicate that phosphorous has a greater effect in do eutrophication with 0.1mg/L of phosphorous being sufficient to cause excessive growth of aquatic plants (USGS, Circular 1225, 2007). In urban areas, the most significant point sources are urban streams which have discharged from wastewater treatment plants. A report of the US Geological service indicates that the streams in the semiarid horse opera and south-western cities coupled with those in urban areas on the East had high levels of phosphorous (USGS, Circular1225). Recent research shows that phosphorous can travel with ground-water flows.The study was conducted in Cape Cod, Massachusetts wh ere there has been contamination of the groundwater with phosphorous, an unlikely thing since most scientists generally believe that phosphorous is not transferable via groundwater (McCob et al, 2003 Stollenwerk, 1996). The main factors influencing photograph to contamination are the type of soils and slope of land. These two factors determine how ready and how much runoff there will be. Areas with steep slopes, poorly numb(p) clay soils and little vegetation have higher likelihood of contamination of their surface waters.In urban centres, pavements and drains made of tile cause quickening of flow of streams. Ground water on the other hand has a high chance of contamination if the soils drain well and the subsurface material is highly permeable. Some practices of crop-management designed to decrease sediment flow whitethorn increase infiltration leading to greater contamination of groundwater (USGS, Circular, 1225). To reduce the jar of phosphorous and nitrogen in water quality , strategies need to be employ that reduce the use of chemicals and alter transportation of the hydrologic system (USGS).In readiness these strategies consideration of watersheds, patterns of land use and the differences in vulnerability to contamination in various areas should be foremost to ensure that whatever interventions are border in place are effective. References Baird J (1990) Nitrogen management and water quality retrieved from www. soil. ncsu. edu/publications/soilfacts/AG-439-02 Harvard, Olson and Cooke, 1999, Impact of soil phosphorous loading on Water Quality in Alberta, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.McCob T D, Leblanc DR, Watter DA, Hess KN Kent DB and metalworker RL 2003, Phosphorous in a Ground-water contaminant Plume Discharging to Ashumet Pond, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 1999 US Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4306, 70p Mueller D K and Helser D R, Nutrients in the Nations water-Too much of a Good Thing? field Water-Q uality Assessment Program USGS, retrieved from http//water. usgs. gov/nawqa/CIRC-1136. hypertext markup language National findings and their implications for water policies and strategies, USGS, Circular 1225, retrieved from http//pubs.usgs. gov/circ/circ1225/html/nawqafind. htm/.Nitrogen and water quality retrieved from http//kywater. org/ww/ramp/rmnox-htm Stollenwerk K-G 1996, Simulation of phosphate transport in sewage-contaminated groundwater, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Applied Geochemistry, V. 11. no 1-2 pp 317-324 The effects of urbanization and agriculture on water quality Nitrogen retrieved from http//ga. water. usgs. gov/edu/urbannitrogen. html Total phosphorous and Phosphate impact in surface waters Wilkes University, Environmental.Engineering and kingdom Science retrieved from www.water. research. net/phosphate. htm Water-quality patterns in agricultural areas, USGS, Circular 1225 retrieved from http//pubs. usgs. gov/circ/circ1225/html/wq-agri. htm/ Water-quality patterns in urban areas, United States Geological Society, retrieved from http//pubs. usgs. gov/circ/circ1225/html/wq-urban. htm/ Water-quality patterns in areas with mixed hand use and a range of hydrologic and environmental settings, USGS, Circular 1225 retrieved from http//pubs. usgs. gov/circ/circ1225/html/wq-hydro. htm/.