Increasing population sizes lead to increasing demand for food. Farmers use synthetic fertilizers to add necessary nutrients to the soil so crops can grow. What is the ultimate consequence of this fertilizer use? A. deoxygenated water bodies. B. algal blooms grow rapidly. C. death of aquatic organisms. D. fertilizer runs off with rainwater.

Answer 1

The ultimate consequence of fertilizer use can lead to multiple interconnected outcomes, but if we are looking for a direct result of the application of synthetic fertilizers that contributes to a more complex issue, the best answer would be B. algal blooms grow rapidly.

When fertilizers are used in agriculture, they can run off into waterways, introducing excess nutrients (particularly nitrogen and phosphorus) into these water bodies. This nutrient influx can cause algal blooms, which are rapid increases in algae populations. The other options, such as deoxygenated water bodies (A), the death of aquatic organisms (C), and fertilizer runoff (D), are results or consequences of the algal blooms and their impact on aquatic ecosystems.