Oxygen and nutrients in surface water

Sufficient dissolved oxygen (O2) in the water is an important condition for a diverse ecosystem. Phosphorus occurs in water as organically bound phosphorus and as the plant-absorbable phosphate. The organic phosphorus can be converted to phosphate by mineralization. Together, the two components are called ‘total phosphorus’. Too much nitrate (NO3) and/or phosphate (PO4) in surface water can lead to excessive algal blooms, which, for example, greatly reduces visibility.