Nitrates Nitrate is essential for all living things because it is a protein necessary for life. Now, it may be essential, but, ingesting large amounts through drinking water can be hazardous to small infants and pregnant women. Nitrate is commonly used in plant foods that are mixed with water. And also used for crop …show more content…
One of the ways these phosphates can occur is through decaying plant and animal remains. Also, phosphate can be found in fossilized bone and bird droppings.These are non-point sources, being harder to track down where they are because of all the possibilities of the origin. Phosphorus is a key element in growth for plants and animals. But, if the phosphorus level is too high in the drinking water it can be toxic.Phosphorus produces algae in the water and that algae can contaminate the system. Some algae can produce harmful chemicals that will harm plants or animals that are in the water,so it would not be a good idea to swim in water with algae or high phosphorus levels.(Oram) There are simple ways to manage phosphorus like: control the runoff, use grassed waterways, maintain a healthy riparian area, reduce the number of acres in summer fallow, have a manure management plan, prevent livestock from entering water sources, and apply manure to meet crop nutrient ways. These are the best things to do to keep humans, plants, and animals safe from phosphorus.(Alberta et al.) The test result for phosphate is 0.25 …show more content…
Changing that level by even a small amount can kill the animals. The pH level determines how acidic the water is. When water with a lower pH level comes into contact with certain chemicals and metals, the poison level can go up. The factors that affect the pH level are: the composition of soil and bedrock where the water moves, how much plant growth and plant material is in the water, chemical disposal into the water, how much acid precipitation that falls into a watershed, and the coal mine drainage into that body of water. These are all non-point sources because of all the different variable there are.(Oram) If one were to swim in a body of water, the ideal pH level is 7.0-7.6. The reason behind this is the pH level in a human eye is between 7.2 and 7.4, if the pH level of the water is maintained close to that then the chances of burning red eyes are minimal.(“pH and Pool Water”) The best way to manage pH is to alter the biology of the body of water itself. Reducing photosynthesis and increasing respiration can be done to succeed in this goal. Doing this will keep the carbon dioxide uptake level close to zero. But, doing this will be difficult because biological processes have considerable “ecological momentum”.([CSL STYLE ERROR: reference with no printed form.]) The pH was