Phosphates
What is it? Phosphates are the most common form of phosphorus.
Why is it important? Phosphate plays a very important role as a nutrient in aquatic ecosystems. However, it is difficult to monitor due to its low concentration and the fact that it can appear in both organic and inorganic forms. Often, water quality monitoring focuses on measuring total phosphorus rather than phosphate concentrations.
What does it mean? While phosphorus is critical to all life, too much nutrients in the water can lead to water quality issues. High levels of phosphates can contribute to the formation of harmful algal blooms (HABS) and nuisance algae, like cladophora. Phosphorus makes its way into our waterways from sources such as stormwater, urban and agricultural runoff, sewage and wastewater discharges, and erosion. Many fresh and marine waterbodies are monitored for phosphorus.