What effects does water pollution caused by fertilizer runoff have on fish?

Question

Websites would be helpful. I need to get notes for a school paper.

Answer 1

Well typically the effects are not on the fish diredtly, but on their habitats. fertilizers will produce lots of nitrogen and phosphorus, this usually leads to explosions in the nuber and density of algae. Algal blooms as they are called can choke an aquatic ecosystem. Some of these blooms have been seen in aerial photographs of the waterways surrounding agricultural lands. The algae will deplete the water of oxygen and many valuable minerals, this makes being a fish very difficult. Most die and cannot re-coup easily. These algal blooms are not easily controlled either, and they can cost lots of money to eliminate. I hope that helps, you can always look up algal blooms on the internet in yahoo and find lots of info on the subject. Good Luck with your paper! Cheers!

Answer 2

I like the previous response about algal blooms, that is right on. The suffocation of the stream is called eutrophication (sp?) and basically embodies oxygen deprivation in a system flooded with nutrients. The long term effects of this is the eventual disappearance of the water from the stream bed due to the high nutrient content and dying off of fish, and eventually, like a dried up pond, become a meadow with grasses and such, that could even in longer terms become a forest.
That did deviate from fish a little, but I hope that helped. You might try the home page of the World Water Council at www.worldwatercouncil.org.

Answer 3

Natural watercourses are full of life, from single celled organisms upwards. Fertilizer added to water, encourages the growth of plant life, this plant life needs oxygen which it takes out of the water, so that is no longer available for other plant and animal life. If it's bad enough, it reduces the dissolved oxygen level of the water below that which is viable for fish.

Have a look at the website of the UK Environment Agency www.environment-agency.gov.uk and put "eutrophication" into the search box.

Answer 4

Definately look up eutrophication (or read someone else's def). In short, the fish can't get enough oxygen due to the eutrophication process that was caused by fertilizers. Then the fish die (and there are massive fish kills that you read about in the paper).

Long Def of Eutrophication:
Fertilizer causes algae to grow. ALgae grow on surface of water and block sun. Underwater plants have no sun so they die. Bacteria decompose (eat) plants. Bacteria use lots of oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. Oxygen is not as available in water. Fish don't have oxygen. Fish die.

Answer 5

pcb's - Polychlorinated biphenyls, enter the water due to polution The pcb levels in the water are levels in the water greatly exceed the level the pcb's are safe for humans dangerous level for human = around 50 ppm (parts per million) water level at least 280+ ppm ( in the areas that dolphins were dying) pcb's build up in animals and we eventually eat them

Answer 6

one specific but shocking example of one theorized scenario is the pfiesteria situation in the southern atlantic seaboard of the US. google Pfiesteria piscicida for more info. i wrote a report on it for undegrad awhile ago, but it's probably changed a lot in state of knowledge since then.