Alga blooms

Straight-chain detergents don t work in hard water. Phosphates were added to detergents to soften the water, but phosphates are excellent fertilizer for algae in rivers and oceans. The algae blooms deplete the oxygen in the water, which in turn kills fish. Phosphates were replaced with other water softeners such as sodium carbonate and EDTA. 

Why is it not possible to completely eliminate algae blooms from the water supply ... 

There were many potential sources of the problem, such as algae bloom, municipal wastewater treatment, the outboard motor company, etc. How do you decide which to examine first Do you approach these many possible avenues simultaneously ... 

Figure 5. Profiles of ion activity products (pIAP values) of FeS measured in Lake Kinneret sediments after the end of an algae bloom (May 30, 1988), during the stratification period (October 24, 1988), and after overturn (January 5, 1989). Straight lines correspond to solubility products of various FeS phases according to the reaction FeS + H+ Fe2+ + HS. (Based on data...

N.A. Mahmood, W.W. Carmichael and D. Pfahler, Anticholinesterase poisonings in dogs from a cyanobacterial (blue-green algae) bloom dominated by Anabaena flos-aguae, Am. J. Vet. Res., 49 (1988) 500-503. 

The presence of considerable amounts of P in wastewaters due to the run-off of fertilizers, and industrial and household discharges, is a major problem, because destructive blue algae blooms may develop in natural waters, where under normal conditions the Pi concentration is most often the limiting factor for algae growth (Godd and Bell, 1985). 

Lee, T.J., Nakano, K., and Matsumara, M. 2001. Ultrasonic irradiation for blue-green algae bloom control. Environmental Technology, 22(4) 383-390. 

Billings, W. H. 1981. Water-associated human illness in northeast Pennsylvania and its suspected association with blue-green algae blooms. In The Water Environment Algal Toxins and Health, ed. Carmichael, W.W. New York Plenum Press, 243-255. 

Another study is envisaged, for a better monitoring of algae bloom during the end of August, and to point out some diffuse pollution sources, downstream tributaries. 

As in the Baltic (see RELCOM), many human activities in the Mediterranean region result in environmental stresses and human health problems such as high nutrient concentrations and eutrophication, increasing incidences of algae blooms and increasing concentrations of hazardous substances. Regional multinational... 

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