Denitrification of Fertilizer Can Result in Harmful Algal Blooms

Question

Denitrification of fertilizer can result in harmful algal blooms.

Accepted Answer

Denitrification is a process that converts nitrates in the soil into nitrogen gas, reducing the amount of nitrogen available for runoff into water bodies. Harmful algal blooms are more directly caused by the runoff of excess fertilizers (rich in nitrates and phosphates) into water bodies, not by the process of denitrification.