Load from many fountains

Behind the problems of the Archipelago usually hides a human being. All the harmful emissions released to water, earth and atmosphere load the environment.

Sources for the loading in the Archipelago Sea are the activity around the catchment area and the sea, as well as the diffuse loading from all around the Baltic Sea.

Load is a combination of many factors

The significance of the source of load is defined by the territorial factors, the date and the weather conditions.  Waste and river water make a big difference in the flow area, that is, near the coastline. Damages can be local like in the case of fish farming or they can spread in a wide area like the load coming form the atmosphere. During the season of heavy rains and snow melting, the significance of the diffuse loading comes forward.

Cause of eutrophication

The most important nutrients causing the eutrophication are phosphorus and nitrogen, which comes form the agriculture and animal farming, forestry, fish farming, atmosphere and the industry wastewater, municipality and sparsely populated areas. Other important factor is the sewage water originated organic material, which consumes oxygen while decomposing. 

Harmful substances

Certain chemicals like dioxins, oil and heavy metals are harmful to both environment and health. The sources of these hazardous substances are different phases of marine transportation, production and waste management as well as the by-products of industrial and combustion processes. Spills and accidents have their parts to play in a total load, but the most significant sources are the ones causing constant loading.

Characteristics to the hazardous substances are slow decomposition and bioaccumulation. Chemicals released to the environment may react with other substances and they as well as their decomposition products may also be harmful.

Also read: What kind of choices do you make?

ASSIGNMENT 12

Define

• Natural leaching
• Diffuse loading
• Point loading
• Internal loading