[deleted] t1_ja9mcqj wrote
Reply to comment by patienceisfun2018 in ELI5: Why is it that when fertilizers make their way into waterways, all the oxygen disappears, killing the fish? by Psychological-Dog994
Preventing excess fertilizer and other pollutants from entering waterways is the best way to ensure the water quality stays high. But
- using less fertilizer and pesticides on plants and crops,
- using organic and natural alternatives to chemicals when possible And
- dispose of hazardous waste properly are other ways to prevent it
sickeningly_sweet t1_jaaih6e wrote
'organic' and 'natural' are dangerous words to use, as they don't really mean anything, and often are worse for the environment than synthetic chemicals.
Mr_BriXXX t1_jaavx7x wrote
They can be. But most are lower concentration and work by supporting microbial action which aids in carbohydrate exchange instead of heavy loading of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Depends on a what they are using and how much. In poor soils in harsh growing environments organics alone aren't always sufficient or heavy applications of high urea content are required (not great for the waterways, to be sure). Ideally, you need to manage your soil carefully over a prolonged period - and even, then, it's not always possible if the environment is inhospitable. Like most things, the truth is complicated.
Naive_Composer2808 t1_jaa0cqn wrote
Don’t discount mechanical aeration, as a fast way to remediate.
Soranic t1_jaafguq wrote
Since these zones are usually dead anyway, could we detonate a nuke at the bottom of the dead zone so it mixes everything?
CBus660R t1_jaavpnb wrote
That won't do anything except make it radioactive too. The dead zones are in shallow waters, they're not out past the continental shelf where the depths are in the thousands of feet deep.
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