Nitrogen



**Contamination of water by nutrients has been a national concern for several decades. The earliest public interest was in lake and reservoir *Eutrophication.**
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 * __Eutrophication:__ process whereby water bodies, such as lakes, or slow-moving streams receive excess nutrients that stimulate excessive plant growth
 * algae
 * periphyton
 * attached algae

This enhanced plant growth, often called an algal bloom, reduces dissolved oxygen in the water when dead plant material decomposes and can cause other organisms to die.