APES: POLLUTION

Water Pollution from: Microbiological Sources

-Pathogenic (disease causing) organisms such as bacteria and viruses can result in sick swimmers, and contaminated fish/shell -in developing countries about 90% waste water is discharged into rivers and streams without treatment -Each year in the US 850 bill gallons of raw sewage are accidentally dumped rivers, lakes and bays (inadequate combined sewer storm systems)

Water Pollution: Nutrients

-Phosphorous and nitrogen are necessary for plant growth, when these are added to bodies of water then can cause the growth of aquatic weeds, blocking waterways and algae blooms (cultural eutrofication)

Pollution Prevention Act (1990)

-Requires industries to reduce their main source of pollution

Major Air Pollutants: Criteria Air Pollutants regremves c

-Set of air pollutants that cause smug, acid rain and other health hazards - Typically emitted from industry, mining and transportation ** first set of pollutants recognized by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Water Pollution from: Suspended Matter

-Suspended wastes eventually settle out of water and form silt or mud at the bottom -toxic materials can also created sedimant and effect organism through out the food web

Ocean Dumping Ban Act (1988)

-US law making it unlaw to dump or transport for the purpose of dumping sewage

Montreal Protocol (1989)

-agreement among nations to stop using chemicals that are damaging the ozone layer

IMPORTANT LAWS Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (1980)

-allowed authority to respond to the release/potential release of substances that could threaten the health or the public health and the environment. -Established rules for for closed/abandoned waste dumping sight. -Established a liability for companies who illegally dumped waste in abandoned areas -set up a trust fund to clean up area if company could not be found

Water Pollution from: Oxygen-depleting substances

-biodegradable wastes are used as nutrients by bacteria and other organisms -excessive biodegradable waste can cause oxygen depletion in receiving waters

National Environmental Policy Act (1970)

-created Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Catalyst Converters

-device that converts toxic chemicals into a less harmful substance -reduces amount of chemicals entering the atmosphere such as hydrocarbons, HOWEVER, does not reduce emission of carbon dioxide

Major Air Pollutants: Nitrogen Dioxide

-fuels are burned at high temperature -Forest fires -volcanoes -lightening -bacterial action in soil -forms nitric acid in the air results: Bad for plants, lung irration/damage

IMPORTANT LAWS Toxic Substance Control Act (1976)

-gave EPA power to track indusrtial chemicals produced in or imported to the US. -Allowed EPA to ban certain chemicals they sae as dangerous, or threatening

Sewage Treatment and septic systems

-incorporates physical, chemical and biological processess to remove contaminants from waste water step1: septic systems consist of tanks and drain field, waste water enters the tank where solids settle step2: anerobic digestion using bacteria treats the settled solids and reduces their volume step3: excess liquid leaves the tank and moves through a pipe with holes to a leach field were the water seeps into the soil

Water Pollution from: Mining

-mining exposes heavy metals previously locked away in the earth -Piles of mining waste are carried into freshwater via rain

Water Pollution from: Methyl Mercury

-natural, human made -natural sources: volcanoes mercury deposits volatilization (vaporize) Vaporization from the ocean -Human Sources: Coal combustion waste incineration metal processing

Water Pollution from: Oil Spills

-oil accidentally released into a marine environment drastically effects wild life (ex. oil penetrates feathers of see bird reducing the feathers insulating ability) -Aquatic life that consumes oil=extremly dehydrated -Oil floating on top of water allows for less sun light to penetrate water limiting photosynthesis of aquatic plants. -Recovering oil is difficult

Water Pollution from: Air

-pollutants (mercury, sulfure dioxide, nitric oxides and ammonia), fall out of the air and into the water -mercury contamination in fish -acidification and eutrophication in lakes

Major Air Pollutants: Sulfur Dioxide

-produced by burning high sulfur oil or coal, melting metals, paper manufacturing

Water Pollution from: Thermal Sources

-produced by industry and power plants -heat reduces waters ability to hold oxygen causing death to organisms that cant tolerate heat

Sewage Treatment and septic systems: Tertiary treatment-chemical treatment

-provides a final step to raise the waste quality to a standard requirment before it is discharged to a receiving environment

IMPORTANT LAWS Oil Spill Convention and Liability Act (1990)

-strengthened EPAs ability to prevent and respond to catastrophic oil spills

Great pacific garbage patch

-system of rotating ocean currents of marine litter in the central north pacific ocean characterized by high concentrations of floating plastics, chemical sludge and other debris. -Chemicals from decomposing debris enter water -aquatic animals consume plastics-->most likely resulting in death

Strategies to improve general air quality

1. Fines and tax incentives for pollution control 2. Laws setting standards for increasing the creation of efficient energy 3. increasing $ for research 4. adding incentives for air pollution in trade 5. distributing solar cook stoves in developing countries (to replace coal and firewood) 6. Phasing out excessive gas engines 7. (Sick building syndrom) Improve building quality (reduce mold, bacteria, etc.) 8. Improve mass-transportation incentives (ex. carpooling)

Kyoto Protocol

Agreement among 150 nation requiring the reduction of greenhouse gases

IMPORTANT LAWS Safe Drinking Water Act (1974)

Established standards for drinking water in the US

Types of Smog (2):

Industrial smog: Sulfur based, aka "gray-air smog", Photochemical Smog: Categorized by UV radiation, chemical based, aka "Brown-air smog" *LOS ANGELOS*

Dead Zones

Low oxygen areas in world's oceans and lakes cause by excessive nutrient pollution (caused by human activites: agricultre, sewage, land runoff Prevention: control animal waste & monitor septic systems so the waste doesn't enter the water, use few fertilizers

Major Air Pollutants

Nitrogen Dioxide, Criteria Air pollutants, Ozone, Peroxyacyl Nitrates (PANs), Sulfur Dioxide, Suspended Particulate Matter, Volatile Organic compounds (VOCs)

Types Solid Waste (5)

Organic: Kitchen wastes (vegetables, flowers, leaves) Radioactive: Fuel rods, smoke detectors Recyclable: Paper, glass, metals, some plastics Soiled: Hospital wastes Toxiss: paints, chemicals, pesticides

Sewage Treatment and septic systems: PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TREATMENT

Primary -reduces oils, gresse, fats, sand, grit, and coarse solids Secondary- reduce the content of food waste, soaps/degtergants, and human waste

Air Pollution (Primary, secondary, point source, non-point sources)

Primary Pollutants- air from natural sources such as volcanoes, cars, factories. Secondary Pollutants- Result from a reaction of primary pollutants in the atmosphere Point Source Air pollution- When contaminant comes from one, obvious source (a factory) Non-point Source Air pollution-Source is not easily identifiable/ multiple sources (cars)

Ocean Dumping PROS AND CONS

Pros: -Inexpensive Cons: -Debris floats to unintended areas -Marine Organisms and food webs are impacted -Illegal in the US

Reuse PROS AND CONS

Pros: -Most efficient way of reclaiming materials -industry models already in place -refillable glass bottles can be reused approx. 15 time -cloth diapers to not impact landfills Cons: -Cost of collecting materials on a large scale is expensive -cost of washing and decontaminating containers in expensive -only when items are expensive and labor is cheap are items reusable

Land Disposal-Sanitary Landfisls PROS AND CONS

Pros: -Waste is covered each day to help prevent insects and rodents -Plastic liners, drainage systems, and other methods help control leaching material into the ground water -collection of methane and use of fuel cells to suplement energy demand Cons: -Rising land prices -Current costs= 1million/hector -transportation costs to landfill -legal liability -NIMBY -Degradable plastics to not decompose completely

Composting PROS AND CONS

Pros: -creates nutrient rich soil additive -aids in water retention -slows down soil erosion -no major toxic issue Cons: -public reaction to order -insects -NIMBY (not in my backyard)

Exporting PROS AND CONS

Pros: -gets rd of problem immediatly -source of income for poor country Cons: -Garbage imperialism -environmental racism

Burning, incineration, or energy recovery PROS AND CONS

Pros: -heat can be used to suplement energy requirements -reduce impact on landfills -10-20% of original volume remains -mass burning is inexpensive -US incinerates 15% of waste Cons: -Air pollution, including lead, mercury, etc. -sorting out batteries, plastics, etc. -no way of knowing toxic consequences -adds to acid rain and global warming -composting

Land Dispoal- Open Dumping PRO AND CONS

Pros: -inexpensive -provides a source of income to the poor by providing recyclable products to sell Cons: -Trash blows away in the wind -Wermin and disease -leaching of toxic materials into the soil -not pretty

Remanufacturing PROS AND CONS

Pros: -recovers material that would have been discarded -beneficial to inner cities as an industry because material is available and jobs are needed Cons: -Toxic materials may be present

Detoxifying PROS AND CONS

Pros: -reduces impact on environment cons: -expensive

Recycling PROS AND CONS

Pros: -Turns waste into an inexpensive resource -reduces need for raw material and the costs associated with it -reduces impact on landfills -Reduces energy requirement to produce product -reduces dependence on foreign oil -reduces air and water pollution -bottle bills provide economic incentive to recycle Cons: -poor regulation -fluctuations in market price -throwaway packaging is more popular -current policies and regulations favor extraction of raw materials

Causes and effect of wet and dry acid deposition (acid rain)

Wet deposition (acidic rain fall and snow) -effects plants and animal when it reaches the ground Dry deposition (acidic gases and particles) -half of acidity falls back to earth -wind blows acidic particles and gases onto cars, building and trees wet & dry deposition: -damages trees at a high elevation and many sensitive soils and decomposers -makes lakes and other bodies of water more acidic -acid rain leaches plant nutrients from soil

Drinking water treatment methods

adsorption: contaminates stick to the surface of small grains or powder activated charcoal disinfection: chlorine, chloramines, chlorine dioxide, ozone, UV radiation filtration: removes clay, silts, natural organic matter, and presipitants from the treatment process flocculation sedimentation: processes combinging small and large particles that then settle out of the mater sediment ion exchange: removes inorganic constitutents

Clean Air Act (1963)

goal: designed to control air pollution on a national level -required regulations for industrial and mobile sources of air pollution -expanded federal enforcement authority -addressed acid rain, ozone depletion and toxic air pollution

Measurement Units of Pollutions

parts/million (ppm)

Water Pollution

-Originate from point/non-point source point source: Harmful substances emitted into a body of water (ex. a pipe discharging a toxic chemical into a river) non-point source: delievers pollutants indirectly through transport or environmental change, non porepousful (ex. fertilizer on a farm carried into a river through rain)

Cultural Eutrophication

-A process where human activity increases the amount of nutrients entering surface waters -2 important nutrients: Nitrates & Phosphates: algae nutrient -increased concentration of these nutrients increase lake/streams carrying capacity, and causes algae blooms to prevent: -planting vegetation along stream beds slows erosion and asorbs some of the nutrients

Smog In China (Case Study)

-Air pollution in chinese cities=increasing concern -particles in air negitivley effecting human health, impact climate and percipitation -coal burning is a primary source of fine particle air pollution -air pollutants increase in winter, burn fuel--> keep warm -Life expectancies decreased by 5.5 years as a result of heart and lung disease Tactics to prevent: -China wants to their primary energy to come from natural gases and renewable resources rather than coal -financial incentive will be offered to encourage green energy companies -govt. will place tough controls on admitions of smog into the air

IMPORTANT LAWS Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976)

-Encouraged states to develop comprehensive plans to manage nonhazerdous industrial solid and municiple wastes. -Set criteria for municipial landfills and disposal facilities, and prohibited opendumping of the waste

IMPORTANT LAWS Clean Water Act (1972)

-Established basic structure for regulating the discharge of pollutants into the water of the USA -implemented pollution control programs -made it illegal for any person to discharge a pollutant from a point-source into a waterway w/out a permit

IMPORTANT LAWS Nuclear Waste Policy Act (1982)

-Established federal authority to provide places for disposal of high-level radioactive wastes -required the operators of nuclear power plants pay for such items to be disposed of

Noise Control Act (1972)

-Established national policy to promote an environment for all americans free from noise that jepordizes their health and wellfare

Air Pollution Control Act (1955)

-First law regarding air pollution -identified air pollution as nation problem -announced upcoming research

Heat islands and temperature inversions

-Heat islands occur in metropolitan areas that are warmer than their surroundings -Temperature inversions: A chnage from the normal temperature, resulting in a layer of cold air temporarily trapped near the ground by a warmer, upper layer

Major Air Pollutants:Ozone

-Major component of smog formed by sunlight reacting with nitrogen oxide and volatile compounds in air -causes lung irritation/damage, coughing, plant, rubber, and plastic damage