question_answer 43)

  During an educational trip, a student of botany saw a beautiful lake in a village. She collected many plants from the area. She noticed that villagers were washing clothes around the lake and at some places waste material from houses was destroying its beauty. After few years, she visited the same lake again. She was surprised to find the lake was covered with algae, stinking smell was coming out and its water had become unusable. Can you explain the reason for this condition of the lake?

Answer:

  The process of eutrophication is responsible for this. The domestic waste and organic compounds such as detergents can provide plant nutrients which can enhance the growth of algae and aquatic plants. These are decomposed by the bacterial population giving disagreeable odour and spoiling the beauty of the lake.