Have you ever heard of crimson tide near the seaside or witnessed blood-red water? What about the vegetation that lines rivers and lakes?
When algae, a microscopic living organism, expands quickly and takes control of the aquatic habitat, it occurs. The term "algal bloom" refers to these natural phenomena.
Algae typically play a significant role in the aquatic ecosystem by feeding other aquatic life. However, algal blooms, or an excessive growth of algae, can be dangerous and even disastrous. It causes the aquatic ecosystems oxygen levels to drop, which kills fish and other animals.
Let’s understand how household cleaners cause algal blooms.
Effect of Algal Blooms on the Environment
· Toxic Aquatic Environment
For aquatic life to function and breathe, oxygen is required. The dissolved oxygen in the water is essential for the survival of fish and other aquatic organisms. While, going through its cycle of development, death, and decomposition, an algal colony consumes a lot of oxygen.
This causes an imbalance in oxygen levels, which kills aquatic life. Aquatic life's demise provides algae with food, accelerating its growth and further destroying the aquatic ecosystem.
· Dead Zones
Nutrient contamination results in dead zones, which are areas of water with little to no oxygen. Aquatic life finds it challenging to live in such areas.
· Food Chain
Dangerous algal blooms, such as the red tide, frequently discharge chemicals into the water that contaminate it and cause fish and animal deaths. If larger animals eat these dead animals, the toxin will go up the food chain and into higher levels of the food chain.
Main reason for algal blooms
When nutrients like phosphates and nitrates, which contaminate water, are present, algae flourish. Additionally, uncontrolled algal blooms pose a major risk to the public's health.
Chemical household cleaners and algal blooms
Algal blooms are mostly brought on by nutrient contamination, as was previously stated. The likelihood is that the chemical cleaning solutions we use in our houses are the biggest contributors, to this environmental deterioration if you notice this occurrence in lakes, ponds, or rivers close to your home.
How common household chemical cleaners affect algal bloom?
You might be wondering how using chemical cleaning supplies in your house, could harm the environment. You must be using chemical cleaners that are effective in maintaining indoor cleanliness.
VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are a class of chemicals that are present in a lot of products, and include substances like phosphates and ammonia.
These substances are flushed down the drain and end up in the neighbouring waterways. These compounds gradually build up in the water, and their concentration rises with time. Algal growth is enhanced, which further promotes eutrophication or algal blooms.
Conclusion
It's time we gave our lifestyle choices some serious thought and value the effect they have, on the environment. By making a small change to the cleaning supplies we use, we can contribute to the prevention of algal blooms. Utilizing eco-friendly and natural cleaning supplies at home will help you transition, to a sustainable lifestyle and lessen your influence on the environment.
Innovative technologies that might address the issue of algal blooms in existing water bodies are urgently needed. Algal blooms can now be controlled in environmentally-friendly ways, via biological treatment solutions.
Get your biological wastewater treatment plants designed, manufactured and installed from Netsol Water!
Cleaning water resources with bioremediation techniques that involve helpful microbes is efficient. Bacteria need nitrates and phosphates to thrive as they feed on the surplus nutrients found in water bodies. As a result, eutrophication is prevented since algae and plant life cannot access nutrients.
Netsol Water is one of the top businesses offering successful and effective solutions, for biological wastewater treatment. Our products and wastewater treatment equipment’s can speed up every procedure, and improve the efficiency of the treatment facilities.
Netsol Water is Greater Noida-based leading water & wastewater treatment plant manufacturer. We are industry's most demanding company based on client review and work quality. We are known as best commercial RO plant manufacturers, industrial RO plant manufacturer, sewage treatment plant manufacturer, Water Softener Plant Manufacturers and effluent treatment plant manufacturers. Apart from this 24x7 customer support is our USP. Call on +91-9650608473, or write us at enquiry@netsolwater.com for any support, inquiry or product-purchase related query.