What is nutrient pollution primarily associated with?

Nutrient pollution is primarily associated with the contamination of water by excess nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. When these nutrients enter water bodies, often through runoff from agricultural lands, they can lead to a range of environmental issues, including algal blooms, which deplete oxygen in the water and harm aquatic life. This process disrupts ecosystems, causes water quality deterioration, and can lead to the creation of dead zones where aquatic life cannot survive.

The understanding of nutrient pollution is critical, especially in agricultural practices where fertilizers are used. Proper management and application of fertilizers are essential to prevent nutrients from leaching into water systems, thus safeguarding both the water quality and the surrounding ecosystems. Other options, while related to environmental and agricultural issues, do not directly capture the essence of nutrient pollution in the same way.