Le Moal et al, 2019, Science of the Total Environment "Eutrophication: A new wine in an old bottle?"

Question 1

What is eutrophication?

Answer 1

Eutrophication is a common cause of water quality impairment in inland and marine waters, leading to disruptions in aquatic ecosystems, impacting human health and economic activities.

Question 2

What are the main drivers of eutrophication today?

Answer 2

Diffuse nitrogen and phosphorus pollution are the primary drivers of contemporary eutrophication, contrasting with historical point source pollution.

Question 3

Why is eutrophication considered a complex problem?

Answer 3

Eutrophication presents a “new wine in an old bottle” scenario, where diffuse pollution exacerbates traditional eutrophication issues, posing complex challenges due to cumulative anthropogenic impacts and the difficulty of disentangling past and present causes.

Question 4

What interdisciplinary approach is needed to address eutrophication?

Answer 4

Addressing eutrophication requires an interdisciplinary approach, involving fields such as agronomy, engineering, biogeochemistry, ecology, hydrology, economics, political sciences, and sociology to develop effective remediation strategies.