Nitrogen
is essential for animal and plant development, but
too much can accelerate plant growth and cause algal
blooms. Algal blooms decrease the amount of oxygen available
for other aquatic life and can choke out other aquatic plants by blocking
light penetration.
:
;Oxygen
;Turbidity
;
Water Quality
Nitrogen:
Nitrogen is required by all organisms for the basic processes of life. It is very common and found in many forms in the environment.
Nitrogen exists in water in many forms, including inorganic, organic, dissolved and particulate. Total nitrogen is a measure of all forms of dissolved and particulate nitrogen present in a water sample.
Dissolved inorganic nitrogen is found both as nitrate (NO3-), nitrite (NO2-), ammonium (NH4+), ammonia (NH3+), and nitrogen gas (N2).
Dissolved organic nitrogen is found in a wide range of chemical forms such as amino acids, proteins, urea and humic acids.
Total dissolved nitrogen consists of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and dissolved organic nitrogen and is readily avilable for plant uptake. Ammonium is the most readily available form of Nitrogen available to phytoplankton.
The particulate nitrogen pool consists of plants and animals, their remains, and any ammonia stuck to mineral particles. Particulate nitrogen can be found in suspension or in the sediment and is biologically available. Total nitrogen (abbreviated TN) is a measure of all forms of dissolved and particulate nitrogen present in a water sample.
Kjeldal Nitrogen:
The total concentration of ammonia and organic nitrogen present, not including nitrates or nitrites.