Liebig’s Law and Haber’s Tragedy

Dead Zones ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 89-105
Author(s):  
David L. Kirchman
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Chesapeake Bay ◽  
19Th Century ◽  
Algal Growth ◽  
Oxygen Depletion ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Limiting Nutrient ◽  
Von Liebig ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Fritz Haber

The fertilizers commonly used by gardeners have many ingredients, but the biggest two are nitrogen and phosphorus, either of which can limit plant and algal growth. The idea that only one nutrient limits growth is encapsulated by Liebig’s Law of the Minimum, named after Justus von Liebig, a 19th-century German chemist. Liebig is also called the “father of fertilizer” because of his work on formulating and promulgating commercial fertilizers. However, he wasn’t the first to discover the Law, and he was wrong about the most important ingredient of fertilizers. This chapter outlines the arguments among limnologists, oceanographers, and geochemists about whether nitrogen or phosphorus sets the rate of algal growth and thus production of the organic material that drives oxygen depletion. The chapter discusses that the limiting nutrient varies with the type of aquatic habitat. In dead zones like the Gulf of Mexico, parts of the Baltic Sea, and Chesapeake Bay, bioassay experiments have shown that nitrogen is usually limiting. The nitrogen necessary for fertilizer and ammunitions comes from the Haber-Bosch process. The chapter reviews the life of one of the two German inventors, Fritz Haber, and how it was full of contradictions if not tragedy.

scholarly journals Effects of Environmental Factors on Nutrients Release at Sediment-Water Interface and Assessment of Trophic Status for a Typical Shallow Lake, Northwest China

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dekun Hou ◽  
Jiang He ◽  
Changwei Lü ◽  
Ying Sun ◽  
Fujin Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trophic State ◽  
Algal Growth ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Trophic State Index ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Daihai Lake ◽  
Terrestrial Source ◽  
Limiting Nutrient ◽  
State Index

Surface sediment and water samples were collected from Daihai Lake to study the biogeochemical characteristics of nitrogen and phosphorus, to estimate the loads of these nutrients, and to assess their effects on water quality. The contents and spatial distributions of total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and different nitrogen forms in sediments were analyzed. The results showed that concentrations of TN and TP in surface sediments ranged from 0.27 to 1.78 g/kg and from 558.31 to 891.29 mg/kg, respectively. Ratios of C : N ranged between 8.2 and 12.1, which indicated that nitrogen accumulated came mainly from terrestrial source. Ratios of N : P in all sampling sites were below 10, which indicated that N was the limiting nutrient for algal growth in this lake. Effects of environment factors on the release of nitrogen and phosphorus in lake sediments were also determined; high pH values could encourage the release of nitrogen and phosphorus. Modified Carlson’s trophic state index (TSIM) and comprehensive trophic state index (TSIC) were applied to ascertain the trophic classification of the studied lake, and the values ofTSIMandTSICranged from 53.72 to 70.61 and from 47.73 to 53.67, respectively, which indicated that the Daihai Lake was in the stage of hypereutropher.

Dead Zones Discovered in Coastal Waters

Dead Zones ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 21-35
Author(s):  
David L. Kirchman
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Chesapeake Bay ◽  
Dead Zone ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Low Oxygen ◽  
Coastal Regions ◽  
Dead Zones ◽  
The World ◽  
The Baltic

This chapter describes the discovery of coastal dead zones, such as the Gulf of Mexico and Chesapeake Bay in North America and the Baltic and Black Seas in Europe. Gene Turner sailed out of Pascagoula, Mississippi, in the spring of 1975, on the first of seven cruises that led to the discovery of the Gulf of Mexico dead zone. In the Chesapeake Bay, an unlikely environmentalist, Charles Officer, sounded the alarm in 1984. The biggest dead zone, however, is the Baltic Sea. Even as early as 1969, ecologists feared hypoxia was turning the Baltic into a “biological desert.” The northwest shelf of the Black Sea turned hypoxic in the 1970s, which killed bottom-dwelling fish like goby and flounder. Many coastal regions around the world have low oxygen waters that devastate marine life and habitats. The early studies emphasized one or two of three ingredients—sewage, fresh water, and plant nutrients—thought to be essential in creating a dead zone. This chapter and Chapter 3 discuss these ingredients before revealing which is most important.

Nutrient Limitation in Two Arctic Lakes, Alaska

1983 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 1195-1202 ◽  
Author(s):  
George A. Mccoy
Keyword(s):  
Standing Crop ◽  
Algal Growth ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Arctic Lakes ◽  
Selenastrum Capricornutum ◽  
Physical Factors ◽  
Phosphorus Fertilizer ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Available Nitrogen ◽  
Limiting Nutrient

Batch-culture algal bioassays of Selenastrum capricornutum were used to predict the limiting nutrient in two small arctic–tundra lakes in 1979. In 1980 bioassays were performed again, and fertilizer was added to the lakes to test the predictions made from the 1979 bioassay results. In 1980, after the addition of phosphorus fertilizer, phytoplankton standing crop increased ~10-fold. After the addition of nitrogen fertilizer, another 10-fold increase in phytoplankton growth was measured. Concurrently, maximum daytime dissolved oxygen increased from 100 to 150% saturation, and pH increased from 7.0 to about 9.2. Further additions of fertilizer in late August and early September 1980 caused no significant increase in primary production. If the nitrogen content of the lake water is increased but that of phosphorus is not, no increase in algal growth occurs. Growth increases with phosphorus additions, but the magnitude of this increase is determined by the available nitrogen. When additional nitrogen is supplied to the system, further increases in algal growth occur. When nitrogen and phosphorus are supplied in excess, physical factors such as light or temperature become limiting in the lakes.

Optimization of Nutrient Removal in Stockholm

1991 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 103-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Brattberg ◽  
L.-G. Reinius ◽  
M. Tendaj
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Removal ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Chemical Precipitation ◽  
Phosphorus Load ◽  
Sewage Treatment Plants ◽  
Limiting Nutrient ◽  
Baltic Proper ◽  
Mechanical Stage ◽  
The Baltic

Stockholm was founded at the point where the waters of Lake Mälaren emerge into the Baltic Sea. Lake Mälaren is the water source of the water works of Stockholm. The Lake also receives water from one of the sewage treatment plants. The outlet from the two other sewage treatment plants are in the inner part of the archipelago. During 1968-73 the treatment was improved, after which the phosphorus load to the receiving water significantly decreased. The total P concentration in the surface water has decreased since 1970 and phosphorus has replaced nitrogen as the most limiting nutrient throughout the entire archipelago within 50 km from Stockholm. To further reduce the eutrophication a continued reduction of the phosphorus load is most effective. For the Baltic proper as a whole, where primary nitrogen limitation is present, it is important to reduce the supply of nitrogen to the greatest possible extent. The treatment plants in Stockholm are located in subsurface rock-chambers. The treatment includes mechanical, biological and chemical treatment. In the mechanical stage the sewage is treated in screens, grit chambers and primary sedimentation. The biological stage is a conventional activated sludgeprocess. For the chemical precipitation ferroussulphateis added before the screens. The sludge is stabilized in anaerobic digesters and dewatered in centrifuges before disposal on farmland. To meet more stringent requirements on nitrification and nitrogen removal several projects are going on to optimize the nutrient removal. The aim of these investigations is to improve the plants' performance within the existing plant.

scholarly journals Modelling the flow of nitrogen and phosphorus in Europe: from loads to coastal seas

1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 141-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. H. W. Beusen ◽  
O. Klepper ◽  
C. R. Meinardi
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Water Discharge ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
The North ◽  
Surface Water Flow ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Parameter Values

A model is described that aims at predicting surface water quality from N- and P-inputs on a European scale. The model combines a GIS-based approach to estimate loads, geohydrological data to define model structure and statistical techniques to estimate parameter values. The model starts with an inventory of sources of N and P: agriculture, wastewater and (for N) atmospheric deposition. Nitrogen flows are assumed to follow both surface- and groundwater flows, while for phosphorus only surface water flow is taken into account. A calibration of loss terms of N and P (assumed to be constants for the whole of Europe) by comparing total inputs to measured loads shows good agreement between observations and calculated river discharges. For the coastal seas of Europe concentrations are calculated by assuming conservative behaviour of N and P. Freshwater quality problems occur in western Europe with its intensive agriculture and high population density and locally in southern Europe where dilution is low due to low water discharge. In the marine environment the main problem areas are the Baltic and Black seas, with much lower impacts in the North and Adriatic Sea; in other coastal waters human impacts are essentially negligible.

scholarly journals Causes of the extensive hypoxia in the Gulf of Riga in 2018

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stella-Theresa Stoicescu ◽  
Jaan Laanemets ◽  
Taavi Liblik ◽  
Māris Skudra ◽  
Oliver Samlas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bottom Layer ◽  
Oxygen Depletion ◽  
Phosphorus Release ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Sediment Surface ◽  
Water Volume ◽  
Gulf Of Riga ◽  
Baltic Proper ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract. The Gulf of Riga is a relatively shallow bay connected to the deeper central Baltic Sea (Baltic Proper) via straits with sills. The decrease in the near-bottom oxygen levels from spring to autumn is a common feature in the gulf, but in 2018, hypoxia was exceptional. We analyzed temperature, salinity, oxygen, and nutrient data collected in 2018 and historical data available from environmental databases. Forcing data from the study year were compared with their long-term means and variability. The year 2018 was exceptional due to occasionally dominating north-easterly winds supporting the inflow of saltier waters from the Baltic Proper and meteorological conditions causing fast development of thermal stratification in spring. Existing stratification hindered vertical transport between the near-bottom layer (NBL) and the water layers above it. The estimated oxygen consumption rate at the sediment surface in spring-summer 2018 was about 1.7 mmol O2 m−2 h−1 that exceeded the oxygen input to the NBL due to advection and mixing. We suggest that the observed pronounced oxygen depletion was magnified by the prolonged stratified season and haline stratification in the deep layer that maintained a decreased water volume between the seabed and the pycnocline. The observed increase in phosphate concentrations in the NBL in summer 2018 suggests a significant sediment phosphorus release in hypoxic conditions counteracting the mitigation measures to combat eutrophication. We conclude, if similar meteorological conditions as in 2018 could occur more frequently in the future, such extensive hypoxia would be more common in the Gulf of Riga and other coastal basins with similar morphology and human-induced elevated input of nutrients.

Seaweed resources of Poland

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-84
Author(s):  
Izabela Michalak
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Food Additives ◽  
Feed Additives ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Central European Country ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Green Macroalgae ◽  
Central European ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Beach Cast

AbstractPoland, a Central European country with a Baltic Sea coastline of 634 km, has no tradition of nearshore cultivation of seaweeds or utilization of this biomass. The Baltic is known for its eutrophication. Numerous attempts are being made to combat this phenomenon as well as to find applications for the beach-cast and free-floating macroalgae, which are a nuisance in many areas. Seaweed harvesting can mitigate eutrophication by the reduction of nutrients – especially nitrogen and phosphorus – in water. Collected biomass can be utilised in agriculture as biofertilisers and used as a valuable raw material for the manufacture of high-value macroalgal products, such as biostimulants of plant growth, feed additives, components of cosmetics, food additives or biogas as a form of renewable energy. The Baltic abounds in green macroalgae (Ulva sp. and Cladophora sp.) with brown (Ectocarpus sp., Pilayella sp., Fucus vesiculosus) and red algae (Vertebrata sp., Ceramium sp., Furcellaria sp.) occurring in much smaller quantities. These seaweeds are also of great interest as bioindicators of environmental pollution. The seaweeds in the southern Baltic Sea still represent an unexploited biomass and can be a huge source of innovation. New approaches towards macroalgal utilisation are in demand.

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