Contact Find a distributor

Request a quote

Be contacted by a TASO counselor

    I would like to be contacted by:

    Send
    Illustration of green water

    Excess organic load

    (nitrogen & phosphorus)

    excess organic load 1 1

    What you see

    Visible signs of dysfunction (water, sediment, flora) are merely symptoms of chemical saturation in the environment. The warning signs are as follows:

    • Persistent turbidity: The water exhibits chronic opacity, green (phytoplankton) or brown (humic matter), which resists hydraulic renewal.
    • Opportunistic plant proliferation: Massive and rapid development of filamentous algae or invasive macrophytes (Water-hyacinth, Water-milfoil) favored by a rich environment.
    • Anaerobic benthic activity: Bubble release at the surface (methane) and sulfurous odors (H₂S) during water stirring, indicating active fermentation of the bottom sediments.
    • Rapid sedimentation: Accumulation of a black, fluid, and unmineralized silt, reducing useful bathymetry.
    • Dissolved oxygen instability: Fish show signs of hypoxia (surface gulping) at dawn, a consequence of the nocturnal oxygen consumption by the biomass.

    What this means

    Your ecosystem is experiencing severe eutrophication. It has lost its ability to self-purify due to an excess of nutrients.

    TASO has identified a significant imbalance in the C/N/P (carbon/nitrogen/phosphorus) ratio, driven by three factors:

    1. Exogenous Load (Incoming Pollution)
      This refers to nutrient flows originating from the watershed: nitrates from agricultural sources, effluents, or direct organic inputs (leaves, animal waste, fishing bait). These inputs exceed the environment’s capacity to absorb them.
    2. Endogenous Flux (Sedimentary Release)
      This is the critical factor in resilience. In an anoxic (oxygen-deprived) bottom environment, iron-phosphorus complexes dissociate. The sediment then releases the stored phosphorus (orthophosphates) into the water column.
      The Mechanism: This internal release self-feeds algae production, even in the absence of external pollution.
    3. Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM)
      The incomplete decomposition of biomass generates soluble carbon.
      The impact: This matter increases the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), promoting bacterial consumption at the expense of fish populations and accelerating the transition to anoxia.

    Conclusion: Your body of water is in a state of eutrophication. The accumulation of nutrients exceeds the mineralization capacities of the ecosystem.

    excess organic load 2 1

    Need to confirm the issues with your body of water?

    Contact a TASO expert

    Why act now?

    Eutrophication is not a stable condition, but a dynamic process that is accelerating (dystrophication):

    • Positive feedback loop: The more algae there is, the more organic sediment there is, the more intense the phosphorus release, generating even more algae.
    • Risk of dystrophic crisis: A sudden drop in oxygen levels (especially during summer) can lead to massive fish kills in less than 24 hours.
    • Health Risk (Cyanobacteria): A phosphorus-rich and warm environment favors the dominance of potentially toxin-producing cyanobacteria.
    • Accelerated infilling: The accumulation of undegraded organic matter accelerates the physical aging of the site (silting up).

    The TASO Solution
    Reduced nutrient availability

    The intervention aims to restore an oligotrophic (nutrient-poor) state by managing nutrient stocks and flows.

    1

    Nutritional Competition (Bio-Competition)

    We introduce selected bacterial strains (Algibio Biolimpid) that have a higher rate of nitrogen and phosphorus uptake than algae.

    The action: These bacteria sequester nutrients in a non-harmful biomass and accelerate denitrification (return of nitrogen to a gaseous state). Algae recede due to resource deprivation.

    2

    Phosphorus Immobilization (Sedimentary Action)

    We are blocking the internal release process.

    The action: The application of Nautex (Coccolithic Calcium Carbonate) allows for the flocculation of suspended matter and the fixation of sedimentary phosphorus in a stable mineral form (apatite), making it unavailable for algal growth.

    3

    Photosynthetic Limitation (Physical Control)

    We reduce the amount of light energy available for primary production.

    The action: The use of the dye Bleu marine selectively filters the wavelengths necessary for photosynthesis, thereby limiting the production of new biomass.

    Request an assessment

    Products
    & Related Solutions

    To reduce trophic pressure and restore balance:

    nautex

    Nautex

    the standard mineral treatment for all bodies of water
    Learn more

    Need a study?

    Each protocol is tailored to the initial assessment, the characteristics of the body of water, and its intended uses.

    Request an assessment