APES Chapter 14
Mercury health effect
- increase in toxicity as it moves up food chain - can damage central nervous system, which can impair coordination - especially dangerous to fetuses and young children
Lead source
- lead-lined pipes in plumbing fixtures, brass fittings; solder used to fasten pipes, paint, some toys - mostly found in older buildings & apartments
After the manure has broken down, the manure must be spread onto farm fields. A modern manure spreader can hold 40,000 L of liquid manure. How many trips will it take for the manure spreader to remove the 30 days' worth of manure that is held in the manure lagoon?
1,350,000/40,000 = 135/4 = 33.75 = 34
How large was the tanker?
42 million liters
Approximately what percent of the oil in marine waters worldwide is due to natural causes
45 percent
If a manure lagoon needs to hold 30 days' worth of manure production for 900 cattle, what is the minimum capacity of the lagoon a farmer would need?
50 x 900 x 30 = 1,350,000 L
A manure lagoon is being built for a dairy with 700 cows, each of which produces 40 L of manure each day. How large must the lagoon be to hold 30 days' worth of manure?
840,000 L
What is the significance of a maximum contaminant level (MCL)?
A MLC regulates the amount of 77 different elements or substances in surface water and groundwater, working to reduce water contamination. It considers the concentration of each compound as well as the feasibility and cost of reducing it.
Which is a point source of pollution
A harbor
What is an estuary?
A partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea.
What is eutrophication?
A phenomenon in which a body of water becomes rich in nutrients.
What is acid deposition?
Acids deposited on Earth as rain and snow or as gases and particles that attach to the surfaces of plants, soil, and water.
When and where did the Exxon Valdez spill occur?
Alaska, 1989
What is a dead zone?
An area with extremely low oxygen concentration and very little life.
What caused the eggshells of some birds to become thin and break?
An insecticide ingested by prey species
Which region of the world emits the largest amount of mercury?
Asia (especially China)
1
B
What is the role of bacteria in the treatment of human and animal waste?
Bacteria is used to break down the waste.
What are two major nutrients that enter the Chesapeake Bay and how do these nutrients harm the bay?
Both nitrogen and phosphorus enter the Chesapeake Bay resulting in algal blooms.
2
C
What technological advance has helped combat the problem of acids being released into the atmosphere?
Carbon scrubbers (pass the hot gases produced during combustion through a limestone slurry which removes the acidic gases through a chemical reaction)
What are the two most important water pollution laws in the United States and what do they legislate?
Clean Water Act - legislation that supports the "protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and recreation in and on the water" by maintaining and, when necessary, restoring the chemical, physical and biological properties of surface waters. Safe Drinking Water Act - legislation that sets the national standards for safe drinking water.
What's the difference between eutrophication and cultural eutrophication?
Cultural eutrophication comes from anthropogenic inputs while eutrophication comes from natural inputs.
3
E
4
E
Arsenic source
Earth's crust, groundwater, rocks
Explain the connection between eutrophication and dead zones.
Eutrophication increases the level of nutrients in water, which decreases the level of oxygen in the water, thus resulting in dead zones.
Which does NOT contribute to poor water quality in developing countries?
High unemployment
Which is NOT true of acid deposition?
It can result as a result of mining
What causes eutrophication?
It is caused by wastewater decomposition and the leaching of nutrients during precipitation from fertilized agricultural lands.
Why is this?
Largest population & highly industrialized (coal burning)
How does BOD influence water quality?
Lower values of BOD indicate that a water body is less polluted by wastewater while higher values of BOD indicate higher levels of wastewater pollution.
Which water quality issue is not covered in existing legislation?
Nonpoint sources
Describe the effects of an oil spill.
Oil spills contaminate beaches, wildlife, and estuaries, killing species and rendering water unusable.
What new rules or regulations have been put into place now to help prevent such a spill from happening again?
Oil tankards are now required to have double hull designs with two steel walls.
Which hazardous material is known to cause cancer
PCBs
Name examples of synthetic compounds that have been found in the water supply.
Pesticides and Inert Ingredients Pharmaceuticals and Hormones Military Compounds Industrial Compounds
What are point and nonpoint sources of pollution?
Point sources are distinct locations from which pollution is directly produced while nonpoint sources are diffuse areas that produce pollution.
How do they differ?
Point sources are easy to identify and control because they are in specific locations while nonpoint sources involve a whole area and many negative externalities so they are difficult to regulate.
How can sediment harm the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay?
Sediments enter the bay and stay suspended in the water making it cloudy and preventing the sunlight from reaching the grasses, thus harming fish and blue crab habitats.
What problems are associated with sewage?
Sewage in water causes a prevalence of disease-carrying pathogens, such as malaria, cholera, hepatitis, and E. coli.
Parts/stages of sewage treatment plants
Solid waste material settles into a sludge layer while the rest of the waste water gets broken down by bacteria. The treated water is then disinfected and dumped in a waterway. The sludge is taken to a landfill, burned, or used for fertilizer.
What two gases are largely responsible for acid deposition?
Sulfur Dioxide & Nitrogen Dioxide
What improvements have been made to the Clean Water Act of 1972?
The Clean Water Act has been expanded from focusing on the chemical properties of surface waters to also focusing on the biological properties of waters such as the abundance and diversity of species, as well issuing water quality standards and allowing the EPA and state governments to issue permits controlling pollution discharge by industries. It regulates animal feedlots and storm runoff from municipal sewer systems.
Describe the Great Pacific Garbage Patch including the sources of the problem.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a large area of solid waste in the North Pacific ocean. It collects much of the solid waste and coal ash/slag dumped into waters.
Describe the water quality now, approximately 25 years after the spill.
There is still 14,500 gallons of oil in the water and some species, like the killer whale and sea otter, have not rebounded.
Why are synthetic compounds a concern?
These compounds are a concern because they can be toxic, cause genetic defect, and interfere with growth or sexual development.
What are the impacts of trash in the ocean?
Trash in the ocean can strangle animals and make people sick.
Parts/stages of septic systems
Wastewater flows into the the tank until 3 layers develop. The septage layer moves out of the septic tank into pipes (leach field) and is filtered by the surrounding soil.
Why are environmental scientists concerned about wastewater as a pollutant?
Wastewater is harmful because it gets decomposed by bacteria increasing oxygen demand, releases nutrients which make water more fertile, and carries disease-causing organisms.
Why is it important for a water-purifying system to do more than just add chlorine to the water to kill harmful pathogens?
Water-purifying systems must also add flocculants to water to attach to soil sediments, heavy metals, and pesticides. These flocculants are then filtered out using a cotton cloth. Without this, the water would still contain solid matter and hazardous compounds, just not bacteria and viruses.
What are solutions?
We can reduce trash levels in the ocean by regulating garbage disposal and coal ash/slag.
How might a company benefit when it produces a product that purifies water at no profit?
While purifying water in developing countries at no profit, the company can also sell its product to rich individuals in developed countries for their individual water bodies.
Mercury source
atmosphere, burning fuels, garbage, waste, medical/dental tools, heating of limestone, petroleum
Describe the primary dangers associated with the presence of heavy metals in water
autoimmunity rheumatoid arthritis kidney disease circulatory system diseases nervous system diseases learning difficulties memory impairment behavioral problems brain damage
Noise effects
blocks communication b/w whales
Lead health effect
brain, nervous system, and kidney damage
Sediment effects
brown/cloudy waterways, reduced sunlight infiltration, reduced productivity, clogged gills, increased nutrients
Eutrophication...
can cause dead zones
Noise source
cars, ships/submarines sonar, underwater air guns
Which is NOT used in the cleanup of oil spills?
clumping agents applied to underwater plumes
what are three ways to remediate an oil spill?
containment, chemical dispersants, genetically-engineered bacteria
Mercury...
damaged the immune system
Application of sewage treatment plants
dual treatment of municipal sewage
Environmental advantages of sewage treatment plants
effective breakdown of organic matter
Sediment source
erosion (construction, agriculture, removal of vegetation along banks)
Tertiary treatment
filters water by passing it through a bed of sand or charcoal allowing the particulate matter to adhere to the medium
Arsenic removal
fine membrane filtration, distillation, and reverse osmosis
Arsenic is
found naturally in groundwater
Solid Waste source
garbage and coal ash/slag
Thermal source
hydroelectricity, steal/paper mills
Application of septic systems
individual sewage treatment
Fecal coliform bacteria...
is used as an indicator of water quality
The Exxon-Valdez oil spill
lead to new regulations for oil tankers
Environmental advantages of septic systems
low energy consumption (natural processes)
Noise solution
mapping noise patterns, quieter propellers
Name several ways in which oil gets into the ocean.
oil spills, offshore drilling (leaks & explosions), natural seeps
Sediment solution
planting stabilizing vegetation, better agricultural methods, strengthening banks
Thermal solution
pumping heated water into outdoor holding ponds, regulation, closed systems, cooling towers
Mercury removal
reduce emissions from cement-manufacturing plants and coal-burning power plants
Solid Waste solution
regulation of coal burning and garbage disposal
What species have been affected?
seabirds, sea otters, harbor seals, and killer whales
Arsenic health effect
skin, kidney, lung, bladder cancer
Environmental disadvantagesof septic systems
sludge still has to be taken to a sewage treatment plant
Solid Waste effects
strangled animals & diseases
The first legislation on water quality was
the Clean Water Act
Maximum containment levels for groundwater were set in
the Safe Drinking Water Act
Secondary treatment
the breakdown of organic material using bacteria
Primary sewage treatment
the filtering of large debris into three layers
Thermal effects
thermal shock, increased respiration rates → decreased oxygen
Environmental disadvantages of sewage treatment plants
too high levels of nutrients released which fertilizes water
Location of septic systems
underground by the house (rural)
Location of sewage treatment plants
urban (municipal) development
Leach fields are
used to filter septage
How can we prevent cultural eutrophication?
using organic fertilizers/insecticides, regulating run-off, treating/filtering water and banning all disposal of waste into waterways.
Lead removal
water-filtration, lead-free pipes
