A Review on Characterization of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Aquatic Flora and Fauna

Abstract

Sources of water surface water, ground water and rainwater. Drying of water sources is majorly due to climatechange, the extreme hot summers, insufficient rainwater and the improper use of freshwater. Rivers has been polluting very rapidly in this era, mostly due to domestic and industrial waste direct discharge into water, even now seas are also getting polluted due to mainly domestic, variousscientific practices and some economic reasons. Shortage of ground water is mainly due to over extraction of it and insufficient rainwater infiltration process. Theambition of this review is to aware the future aspectstowards the pollution of aquatic ecosystem. There are mainly anthropogenic sources, whichdisturbed the whole aquatic environment at the global level. The use of chemical fertilizers in agricultural practices, industrial growth and many more causes.

Introduction

1. Importance of Water and Freshwater Ecosystems

• Water is essential for all life, composed of hydrogen and oxygen.

• Freshwater ecosystems (rivers, lakes, aquifers) are under threat from pollution, urbanization, and resource extraction.

• Restoration and management of freshwater ecosystems are now a global concern.

2. Nutrient Pollution and Eutrophication

• Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) are essential nutrients but become pollutants when concentrations exceed recommended limits.

• Excess N and P lead to eutrophication, characterized by:

  • Overgrowth of algae and aquatic plants

  • Algal blooms and water hyacinth covering water surfaces

  • Blocked sunlight, reduced oxygen (hypoxia), and aquatic life death

  • Growth of anaerobic microbes and production of toxins

3. Types of Eutrophication

• Cultural Eutrophication: Caused by human activities (agriculture, wastewater, detergents); leads to rapid degradation of aquatic systems.

• Natural Eutrophication: Occurs naturally over time via weathering, organic matter accumulation, and sedimentation.

4. Physicochemical Changes in Water Bodies

• Temperature & DO (Dissolved Oxygen): Higher temperatures lower DO, harming aquatic life.

• Transparency & Light: Affects photosynthesis and aquatic food webs.

• pH Levels: Affects nutrient solubility and microbial activity; most aquatic life prefers pH 6.5–9.0.

• Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD): Increases with eutrophication due to decomposition of organic matter, leading to oxygen depletion.

5. Nitrogen: Role and Sources

• Nitrogen is vital but harmful in excess. Sources include:

  • Atmospheric deposition

  • Fertilizer runoff

  • Wastewater discharge

  • Soil erosion

• High nitrogen levels encourage harmful algal blooms and toxicity (e.g., methemoglobinemia in infants).

• Asia is the largest consumer of nitrogen fertilizers, with projected increases.

6. Phosphorus: Role and Sources

• Exists as organic and inorganic phosphate; plants prefer inorganic forms.

• Essential for DNA, RNA, ATP in organisms.

• Sources:

  • Soil erosion

  • Wastewater

  • Agricultural runoff

  • Sediment accumulation (acts as a phosphorus sink and source)

• Overuse from anthropogenic sources rapidly increases P levels in water bodies.

7. Key Impacts of Eutrophication

• Degradation of water quality

• Loss of biodiversity

• Reduced oxygen levels

• Public health risks

• Harm to fisheries and recreation areas

Conclusion

Due to excessive nutrient inputs and climate warming ,cyanibacteria dominated harmful algal bloom frequently occur in lakes and spread globally with increased levels of native algae derived dissolve organic matter(Hao et al.,2025).the fifth global environment outlook (GEO-5) alarmingly reports that over 40% of global water bodies are eutrophic ,which poses a series and escalating threat to their ecosystem (UNEP,2012).This situation has raised specific concern on europhication ,highlighting the urgent need for effective mitigation measures to protect lakes,which contain 87%of the earth\'s liquid surface freshwater (Mozafariet al.,2025).

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Anju Kumari, Dr. Nivedita Moon Moon. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.