Question

4. Based on the kinetic model, what would happen to the global mean oceanic concentration of phosphate if its concentration in rivers were suddenly to double? And what if instead the river flow were suddenly to double? Assume that phosphate removal is proportional to phosphate concentration

Answer 1

Oceans have almost unlimited capacity of buffering somewhat harmless phosphorus species and some ocean animals, in fact most of them are going to benefit from this scenario.However,it is almost certain that there will be excessive plant growth in the coastal areas as a combined fertiliser effect of phosphate and Nitrate species. A doubling of phosphate concentration in rivers is good for counties like Pakistan which has the largest irrigation network of canals in the world.T Chemical elements in sea water do not exist on their own but are attracted to preferential ions of opposite charge: sulphur will occur mainly as sulphate, sodium as sodium chloride, and so on. The average salinity of oceans is 3.5% of which phosphates is only 0.088 ppm.