Phosphorus

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-020900",
  "term": "Phosphorus",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. A type of nutrient contributing to the Bay's poor water quality. While phosphorus is vital to plant life, human activities--like applying fertilizers or using household cleaners--contribute more phosphorus than the Bay's waters can handle. Elevated phosphorus levels cause more algae to grow, blocking out sunlight and reducing oxygen for fish, crabs and other Bay life.\n\n2. An essential chemical food element that can contribute to the eutrophication of lakes and other water bodies. Increased phosphorus levels result from discharge of phosphorus-containing materials into surface waters.\n\n3. Type of nutrient contributing to the Bay's poor water quality. While phosphorus is vital to plant life, human activities--like applying fertilizers or using household cleaners--contribute more phosphorus than the Bay's waters can handle. Elevated phosphorus levels cause more algae to grow, blocking out sunlight and reducing oxygen for fish, crabs and other Bay life.\n\n4. An element occurring in manure and chemical fertilizer that is essential to the growth and development of plants, but which, in excess, can cause water to become polluted and threaten aquatic animals.",
  "abbreviation": "P",
  "subject": "Water",
  "references": [
    "Chesapeake Bay Glossary",
    "Terms of Environment; Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable Glossary",
    "Nonpoint Pollution Source from Agriculture Glossary"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/phosphorus/"
}