Fondriest releases phosphorus parameter guide, available online

The latest edition in Fondriest’s Measurement Parameter Series of guides is now available online.

This volume takes a comprehensive look at phosphorus in water, its environmental impacts, how it is measured, and more.

Phosphorus is an important component for all living organisms; it is responsible for many biological properties and functions, including the double helix shape of DNA as well as cellular respiration and metabolism.

It is an important nutrient for the growth and metabolism of photosynthetic organisms. However, an increasing number of freshwater systems have too much phosphorus. Excessive amounts lead to a phenomenon called eutrophication, a condition in which algae overrun the system.

In fact, phosphorus has been the leading nutrient creating widespread blue-green algae problems in the Midwest this summer, especially in Lake Erie.

Runoff from farms is commonly the leading source of this phosphorus pollution. Excess phosphorus-based fertilizer is often applied to farmland, and rain washes it into nearby waterways.

Due to the use of phosphorus in agriculture and its effects on life in ecosystems, it is the subject of important regulations, management practices, and research programs. It is the most extensively studied element in freshwater.

The guide, “What is Phosphorus?,” is available for download in PDF format from the following link: http://www.fondriest.com/guides.htm