Practice question

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus stimulate eutrophication by removing nutrient limitation on algae and cyanobacteria. Dense blooms reduce light penetration, and their eventual decomposition raises microbial oxygen demand, producing hypoxia or anoxia that can kill fish and benthic animals. Some cyanobacteria also release toxins. Mercury, lead, and cadmium are hazardous metals, but they do not drive the nutrient-enrichment process that defines eutrophication. Aquatic effects depend on chemical form, persistence, solubility, dose, and the capacity of organisms to metabolise or excrete the substance. Catchment processes connect land use with rivers, lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters, so prevention at the source is usually more effective than downstream treatment. Ecological assessment distinguishes hazard from risk: a substance may be intrinsically harmful, but realised impact also requires sufficient environmental exposure. Sensitive developmental stages may respond at concentrations that cause little immediate adult mortality, making reproduction and recruitment essential endpoints. Monitoring should include appropriate controls, spatial replication, temporal variation, and validated analytical methods before broad conclusions are drawn.