Eutrophication: A Visual Explainer
A single clean diagram tracing how excess nutrients turn a healthy water body into an oxygen-starved dead zone, in four stages.
📌 Revision Pointers
Nutrient input: fertiliser runoff, sewage and detergents add excess nitrates and phosphates to water bodies.
Algal bloom: the nutrient surplus triggers explosive algae/phytoplankton growth that mats the surface.
Decomposition: the mat blocks sunlight, submerged plants die, and bacteria decomposing dead matter consume dissolved oxygen (hypoxia).
Dead zone: oxygen-starved water can no longer support fish and other aquatic life, causing die-offs and biodiversity loss.
Trace the chain reaction of eutrophication — nutrient input, algal bloom, decomposition and oxygen depletion, and the resulting dead zone and fish kill.
💭 Conclusion
Eutrophication is a high-yield GS Paper III (Environment) concept on water pollution, frequently tested alongside its real-world case studies such as Kashmir's lakes.