The algae Toxic plants are a problem that hits various sectors of the world hard, which see entire ecosystems affected by the growth of these plants in bodies of water. And these can be toxic to animals and plants that live nearby. Although these situations are more related to the sea and deltas where water from various river systems accumulate, in recent years, several lakes and rivers around the world have been affected by this inconvenience.
Originally, this growth of algae It comes after water rich in nutrients, especially those related to nitrogen and phosphorus in the fields, ends up disseminated to various places due to the rain cycle. One of the most well-known cases of expansion of this toxic plant occurred on the west coast of the United States, when they began to notice that the population of sea lions suffered from intoxication problems, which caused the death of 200 of these animals and almost 2,000 kilos. of clams in a single day.
It is more common for these situations to occur in the deltas, because it is the point where the water, which is full of nutrients that comes from inland farms, drains the sea in an accumulated manner. However, the information given by scientists is that the bodies of water are increasingly bogged down by the growth of algae on their grounds.
The worst of these growths in a territory far from the sea was in the US Lake Erie, where a colony of plants of this style it grew rapidly until it covered the equivalent in territory to the city of New York. Due to this, drinking water from this reservoir was prohibited, which affected the supply of almost half a million people who could not even brush their teeth.
The solution
Despite the outlook, and despite the fact that it seems bleak, some different practices could apply. The main one is to rebuild floodplain territories and plant more trees so that they can trap nutrients and phosphorus before they reach the river system.
In addition, some organizations are calling for states to fund farmers who rotate their plantings, apply compost correctly, and use better fertilizer practices, such as testing the condition of the soil and using fewer chemicals.
