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