Topics | Umweltbundesamt

Human activities like agriculture and industrial processes result in large quantities of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus ending up in the sea. Excessive nutrient concentrations lead to eutrophication, the exponential growth of plants and algae which impairs marine ecosystems. As a consequence, algal blooms cloud water bodies, blocking sunlight; oxygen becomes scarce as algae consume most of... read more

Pharmaceuticals when entering the environment can have a significant impact and can harm plants and animals. Active biological ingredients in medicines are highly active and often very stable, giving them long-lasting properties. For example, hormone preparations can impair the reproduction of fish, psychotherapeutic agents can lead to behavioural changes in fish and antibiotics can inhibit the na... read more