eutrophication

American  

[yoo-trah-fi-kay-shuhn] / juˌtrɑ fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. Ecology. the act or process of becoming eutrophic, as from sources such as sewage and leached fertilizers; the pollution of a body of water or wetland.

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eutrophication British  

/ juːˌtrɒfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. a process by which pollution from such sources as sewage effluent or leachate from fertilized fields causes a lake, pond, or fen to become overrich in organic and mineral nutrients, so that algae and cyanobacteria grow rapidly and deplete the oxygen supply

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eutrophication Scientific  

/ yo̅o̅-trŏf′ĭ-kā′shən /

1. The process by which a lake, pond, or stream becomes eutrophic, typically as a result of mineral and organic runoff from the surrounding land. The increased growth of plants and algae that accompanies eutrophication depletes the dissolved oxygen content of the water and often causes a die-off of other organisms.

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Other Word Forms

• eutrophicated
  adjective
• eutrophied
  adjective

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Explanation

When too many nutrients enter a body of water and cause unnatural growth of algae or other plants, that's eutrophication. This overgrowth eventually depletes oxygen in the water, killing off fish and other animal life. Most eutrophication is caused by stormwater runoff. When water runs off the soil into lakes and rivers, it carries chemicals and other substances from the ground's surface with it. This can cause water pollution, and it also causes eutrophication. If you've ever seen the surface of a pond covered with bright green algae, you know what eutrophication looks like. This "algae bloom" is caused by the phosphates in detergents, fertilizers, and sewage. The Greek root is eutrophia, "nourish well."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

eutrophication

The researchers examined 16 different sites along the British coast which were affected to varying degrees by eutrophication - the enrichment of water by nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus.

From BBC ● May 2, 2026

Agricultural runoff from nearby farms deposits fertilizer in the lake, causing algae to bloom rapidly in a process called eutrophication.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2024

Nor could an excess supply of nitrogen promote phytoplankton growth -- and therefore could not ultimately give rise to eutrophication.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 29, 2024

The second was a process called eutrophication, in which nutrient-rich fertilizers fed explosive algae blooms.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2023

A major effect from fertilizer runoff is saltwater and freshwater eutrophication, a process whereby nutrient runoff causes the overgrowth of algae and a number of consequential problems.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 25, 2013

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