Final answer:
Organic matter is a biodegradable material that becomes a pollutant when it accumulates faster than it can decompose, leading to environmental challenges such as leachates and bioaccumulation. Recycling and controlling biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in water bodies are necessary to mitigate the impact of these materials on the environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Organic matter is a biodegradable material that becomes a pollutant if allowed to accumulate more rapidly than it can decompose. Biodegradable materials are those that can break down and return to nature with the help of microorganisms and natural processes. However, when such materials, especially certain plastics, accumulate faster than they can decompose, they create significant environmental challenges.
Most commonly-used polymers, like plastics, are not readily biodegradable, especially in the anaerobic conditions of landfills. If decomposition occurs, it can lead to leachates, which are harmful contaminations that affect streams and groundwater supplies. Plastics in the environment can lead to bioaccumulation, where nonbiodegradable substances increase in concentration as they move up the food chain causing harm to wildlife and ecosystems.
Recycling efforts are critical because a vast amount of plastic waste is produced annually. While certain items such as Styrofoam currently have limited recycling options, they contribute to the overwhelming amount of non-biodegradable waste in landfills. The ecosystem also faces contamination from various pollutants and chemicals released into the environment since the Industrial Revolution, affecting even remote locations and wildlife through global dispersion and atmospheric transport.
To control pollution levels, understanding the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is essential. High BOD levels in water indicate that excessive organic matter is depleting the oxygen necessary for aquatic life, often resulting from sewage runoff. Phosphorous (P) and nitrogen (N) are considered limiting nutrients due to their typically low natural concentrations in water, and their excess can further harm aquatic environments.