Description:
The graphic shows the development of organic matter, phosphorus and nitrate in EU 15 rivers. Water resources in Europe have been profoundly influenced over the past century by human activities, including the construction of dams and canals, large irrigation and drainage systems, changes of land cover in most watersheds, high inputs of chemicals from industry and agriculture into surface and groundwater, and depletion of aquifers. Some of the most important freshwater pollutants are nitrate, phosphorus and organic matter, together with various pesticides and heavy metals. The graph shows a dramatic decrease of phosphorus and organic matter from 1980 to 1995, however the amount of nitrate has greatly increased.