Nutrient Trading is a cost effective method to control water pollution in the environment. It aims to improve the quality of water with the help of market mechanisms. It is, indeed, a watershed-based nutrient trading.
Nutrient Trading is, in fact, a voluntary approach towards reducing water pollution at low costs. It is necessary to eliminate nitrogen and phosphorus from sources to reduce water pollution. Indeed, it is an easier way to reduce the problem of pollution. Point sources refer to the discharge of wastes through direct pipes in rivers, lakes and ponds. However, non point sources are the major contributors of pollutants into rivers and its tributaries. Thereby, non point sources should be regulated and in order to reduce nutrient levels in water.
Nutrient fertilizer such as nitrogen fertilizer is one of the pollutants, which are drained into the waterways. Besides, excess of phosphorus and nitrogen from plants also make their way into rivers. Also, toxic substances and combustion emissions from factories, vehicles and power generators are also suspended in water making it polluted, which highly affects the aquatic ecosystem. This causes marine dead zones near large rivers. Due to low levels of oxygen in water, aquatic life is impossible. The process of creating marine dead zones is known as eutrophication. Hence, this should be completely avoided.
Nutrient trading allows companies, organizations or others sources with high cost solutions to obtain credits from another party or organizations, who would comparatively reduce their discharge of pollutants into the water at low costs. The process primarily aims at minimizing the causes of pollution, which are of great concern to economists and general public at large.
|