Pollution in the Chesapeake Bay Essay Example

on the natural beauty of the Chesapeake Bay.

Pollution is the number one enemy of the environment which causes drastic changes in the formation of natural resources. The bay is threatened by gradual environmental destruction induced by man-made pollution from a variety of ways. Causes and Effects of Pollution One of the types of pollution that is experienced by Bay is nitrogen pollution. Nutrients, especially phosphorous and nitrogen are essential for all living things in the Chesapeake Bay. However, excessive nitrogen and phosphorous is bad for water as it degrades the quality of waters (Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 2008).

Nitrogen and phosphorous are two nutrients that occur naturally in water, land and air. These nutrients are present in every organism, in animal and human waste and chemical fertilizers. Every organic material contains these nutrients (Nutrient Pollution, 2008). The watershed consists of 64,000 square miles of land surrounding the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. The streams and rivers and storms drain the huge expanse of land in the Chesapeake Bay. The activities of the 13. 6 million of human population around the Bay largely affect the quality of the water in the watershed (Nutrient Pollution, 2008).

The excess nutrients in the Bay may cause detrimental problems to the whole Chesapeake Bay. Nitrogen pollution is one of the serious problems of Chesapeake Bay for it causes algae blooms. An Algae bloom is a tiny single-celled organism known as phytoplankton; it appears larger than seaweeds and resembles a leafy slime growing on rocks (Nutrient Pollution, 2008). The Phytoplankton blooms turns the water in the shade of blue green or brown, they use up the oxygen in

the water which is detrimental for fishes and shellfishes.

The algae bloom also prevents the sunlight from entering the water, thus hindering the underwater grasses which are known as the submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), which utilize lights needed for making their own food. (Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 2008). The excess nutrients also induce algae to grow directly on the leaves of the SAV further preventing the sunlight to enter the plant, thus causing the SAV to wither. SAV is essential because many aquatic lives depend on the SAV for their habitats and food source (Nutrient Pollution, 2008).

In the early years, Chesapeake Bay is consisted of “forested buffers, wetlands and resources lands (open space and farmland) that absorbed and filtered nutrients”. The advancement of technology and development removed these buffers and pollution slowly invaded the watershed. The buffers and the natural filters are replaced by farms, factories, suburban districts and cities around and near the watershed. The drastic changes have affected the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay and made it dirty (Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 2008).

The major cause of the nitrogen pollution in the Chesapeake Bay came from natural sources such as decaying organic matter and from the wetlands surrounding the Chesapeake Bay. However, majority of the nitrogen pollution is caused by various human activities such as “sewage treatment plants, large-scale animal operations, agriculture, and air pollution (mostly vehicle exhaust) and smoke stacks from industrial sources such as power plants. ” (Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 2008).

Other sources of pollution include runoffs in the roadway, development, septic systems, air deposition from factories and fertilizers produced and utilized by both commercial and residential

units (Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 2008). The number one source of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay is the agricultural run-off which largely contributes in the pollution for about 40 percent and 50 percent of nitrogen and phosphorous input in the Chesapeake Bay, respectively. Poultry is another major source of pollution in the Bay in the parts of Maryland.

Poultry farms are prevalent in Maryland and chickens outnumber its human population. The manure and waste from the chicken production contributes largely to nitrogen input in the Bay (Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 2008). Polluted run-offs severely damaged the waters of the Bay, making it eutrophic which means that too much nitrogen and phosphorous are entering the watershed. The excessive nitrogen present in the watershed fuels the rapid growth of the algae that blocks the sunlight in entering the Bay waters that is needed and relevant to the production of food of the underwater producers (Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 2008).

When large population of algae dies, they decompose and consume oxygen causing some parts of the Bay to have low levels of oxygen and can no longer support the marine life. This is also known as the “dead zone” (Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 2008). In the 1970s, the Chesapeake Bay is the first watershed that is discovered with “marine dead zones” where some parts of the Bay were so depleted with oxygen that it is unable to sustain marine life resulting to massive fish kills (Shellfish Pathology Laboratory, 2007).

The decrease of the SAV related to the presence of excessive nutrients in the Bay causes the depletion of many habitat and food source for the fishes, shellfish and other

aquatic life that depends on the SAV. Many lives were affected in the lost of the SAV. It also reduced the number of waterfowls visiting the Bay during winter season. The low levels of oxygen due to the excessive amounts of nutrients in the Bay severely created an impact in the life in the Bay (Nutrient Pollution, 2008). One of the harmful and threatening algae is the Pfiesteria piscicida, a microscopic organism that most likely existed in the Bay for thousands of years.

This type of harmful algae can affect both fish and humans. In 1998, the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University proved that people that are heavily exposed to Pfiesteria piscicida can develop severe difficulties in learning and concentrating (Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 2008). Some scientists also found out that people who are highly exposed to Pfiesteria piscicida complain some neuropsychological symptoms which include “new or increased forgetfulness, headaches and skin lesions or burning sensation when their skin comes in contact with water” (Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 2008, n. . ). Solutions to the Pollution Various measures are being done in restoring the beauty and efficiency of the Chesapeake Bay. Efforts are being made by the federal, states and local government units working hand in hand with Chesapeake Bay Foundation and other non-government environmental groups through the Chesapeake Bay Program. The program aims to restore or maintain the current water quality of the Bay. But restoring an overly damaged Chesapeake Bay is not an easy job.

One of the difficulties faced by the group is that the polluting substance arises far upstream on the tributaries of the Bay which means another job

for them, cleaning up the main source of pollution. There are various possible solutions in resolving the problem which include “upgrading sewage treatment plants, proper operation of septic systems, using nitrogen removal technologies on septic systems, and decreasing fertilizer applications to lawns” (Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 2008, n. . ). The group can decrease the input of nutrients in the Bay by conserving energy and lowering the demand on power plants that emit nitrogen and drive less frequently to reduce the vehicle emissions that also largely contribute on the nitrogen loads. Furthermore, the natural filters such as forests, wetlands and buffers should be protected and restored to prevent further damage (Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 2008). Conclusion Water is an essential part of man’s life.

Without adequate water, humans will not survive. One of the treasured waterways of the United States that once housed beauty and history is the Chesapeake Bay which encompasses a wide expanse of land. The Bay is currently under the threat of pollution, the number one causes of environmental destruction. The Bay is currently experiencing nutrient pollution due to the excessive amounts of nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorous, that is reaching the watershed.

This is caused by a wide array of sources. The effects on human and marine life is detrimental, especially the emergence of marine dead zones. Many measures in attempt to protect and restore the Bay for further destruction were carried out by the government together with the non-government organizations. The Chesapeake Bay Program aims to restore the quality of water in the Bay. This is important also in the preservation of the marine and human life who are benefiting

on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.