How Household Chemical Cleaners Contribute to Harmful Algal Bloom

Have you ever seen blood-red water or heard about red tide near the coastal areas? What about the green stuff that covers lakes and rivers?

It happens when algae, a microscopic living organism, grows rapidly and dominates the aquatic ecosystem. This environmental phenomenon is known as an algal bloom.

Generally, algae play a major role in the aquatic ecosystem by providing food to aquatic living beings.

However, algal blooms or extensive growth of algae can be harmful and sometimes catastrophic. It depletes the oxygen supply in the aquatic ecosystem, leading to fish kills and the death of animal life.

Impact of Algal Blooms on the Environment

Toxic Aquatic Environment – Oxygen is essential for the aquatic living organism and their respiration process. Fishes and other aquatic life depend on the dissolved oxygen in the water for survival.

However, an algal colony uses a lot of oxygen during its cycle of growth, death, and decomposition. This leads to oxygen imbalance and the death of aquatic life.

The death of aquatic beings serves as food for algae, which leads to faster propagation and further devastation of the aquatic ecosystem.

• Dead Zones – Dead zones are caused due to nutrient pollution where no or little oxygen is available in a water space. Thus, it becomes difficult for aquatic life to survive in such zones. Plants and animal life will die, and algal blooms after consuming oxygen as well.
• Food Chain – Harmful algal blooms like the red tide often release toxins that contaminate the water and lead to fish kills and animal death. These dead animals, if consumed by larger animals, make the toxin reach high levels of the food chain. It directly impacts dolphins, turtles, and manatees.
• Health Hazard – Algal blooms release toxins in the water, which, if consumed by humans, can lead to irritation, itching, and skin diseases. Thus, algal blooms pose a health risk to humans.

Root Cause of Algal Blooms

Algae thrive in the presence of nutrients like phosphates and nitrates, which contaminate water. And when algal blooms occur beyond control, they can become a serious public health hazard.

Nutrient pollution is one of the major causes of harmful algal blooms.

Household Chemical Cleaners and Algal Blooms

As mentioned before, nutrient pollution is the primary cause of algal blooms. If you see this phenomenon in lakes, ponds, or rivers near your home, chances are that the greatest contributors to this environmental degradation are the chemical cleaning products we use in our homes.

Want to know why? Read on.

You may be wondering how chemical cleaning products used in the confines of your home can harm the environment.

The chemical cleaners you use must be doing their job of keeping indoors clean.

However, many products contain chemicals like phosphates and ammonia that are grouped under volatile organic compounds or VOCs.

These chemicals are washed down the drain and reach nearby water bodies. Gradually, these chemicals accumulate in the water and the quantity increases over a period of time.

It leads to accelerated growth of algae and, further, algal blooms or eutrophication.

It is time we seriously rethink our lifestyle choices and value the impact we have on our environment.

We can help prevent algal blooms simply by making a simple switch in the cleaning products we choose.

Using sustainable and natural cleaning products at home can reduce your impact on the environment and help you make the switch to a sustainable lifestyle.

Organica Biotech’s ThinkSafe range of natural and organic household cleaning products is sustainable and has zero impact on the environment.

Not just this, they are highly effective and economical and have an array of delicious fragrances derived from aromatherapeutic essential oils.

They are entirely made of plant-derived ingredients, making them both safe and sustainable. Prevention is always better than a cure!

There is an urgent need for innovative solutions that can solve the problem of algal blooms that already exist in water bodies.

While there are mechanical and chemical treatments available, they are not sustainable or cost effective. Biological treatment has emerged as an eco-friendly method to control algal blooms.

Thinking about adopting eco-friendly methods? Read the given resource below.

• How to be eco-friendly in 2021?

Bioremediation strategies that include the use of beneficial bacteria are an effective method to clean water resources.

Bacteria feed on the excess nutrients present in water bodies and utilize nitrates and phosphates for their growth. Thus, it prevents eutrophication as nutrients are unavailable for algae and plant life.

Organica Biotech’s Bioclean Pond Clarifier is one such microbial solution that aggressively acts on pollutants and reduces the excess nutrients present in the water.

It is also capable of minimizing sludge volumes and thereby preventing algal growth. Use Bioclean Pond Clarifier to prevent harmful algal blooms in water bodies.

• Also read: Impact Of Algal Blooms On Aquaculture And Effective Solution
• Also read: What Are The Best Ways To Control Algae in Your Fish Tanks
• Also read: Using Biotech To Ensure Golf Courses Are Green, Blue, and Fun