Nutrients associated with eutrophication include all of the following except?

Eutrophication is primarily driven by the enrichment of water bodies with nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, which lead to excessive growth of algae and other aquatic plants. Nitrogen and phosphates are well-known contributors to this process because they are often found in fertilizers and waste discharges that enter aquatic environments.

Organic carbon can support microbial activity, but it is not a primary driver of eutrophication in the same way that nitrogen and phosphates are. While organic carbon can contribute to oxygen depletion as bacteria break it down, it does not directly stimulate algal blooms.

Potassium, although essential for plant growth, is not typically associated with eutrophication. It does not promote algal blooms in the manner that nitrogen and phosphates do. In this context, potassium’s role is more aligned with overall plant health rather than the specific process of eutrophication.

Thus, potassium is correctly identified as the nutrient not associated with eutrophication, as it does not lead to the conditions that characterize this phenomenon.