Water, Air, & Soil Pollution

Coliform bacteria

(E. coli) Presume if coliform bacteria are present, infectious pathogens are also present

PCB's

A group of synthetic organic compounds - contain hydrogen, oxygen, and chlorine Used in electrical equipment, inks, adhesives, paints Stable in the environment Accumulate in the fatty tissues Cause reproductive problems, immune systems damage, cancer

Cation exchange

A process that allows plants to gain nutrients Negatively charged soils hold positive ions - calcium, magnesium, and potassium

Cation exchange capacity

A soil's ability to hold cations, preventing them from leaching back into the environment A useful measure of soil fertility Many pollutants are positively charged - notably heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, and mercury These cations are attracted to negatively charged clay particles in soil Cations are retained in the soil - difficult to remediate soil

Municipal Sewage Treatment - Secondary Treatment

Aeration tank, biodegradation

Biggest Source of Water Pollution

Agriculture

DDT

An insecticide used to control the spread of malaria, typhus, and other insect-borne diseases Rachel Carson (Silent Spring) demonstrated the danger of this synthetic organic chemical Persistent in the environment Can travel long distances, unintentional pathways DDT is not easily metabolized by animals; it is stored in the fatty tissues --> biomagnification

Water Pollution

Any physical, chemical, biological change in water quality that has an adverse affect on living organisms or makes the water unsuitable for life/consumption

The Clean Air Act

Authorizes EPA to set limits on the amount of air pollutants Focuses on 6 air pollutants Act has led to decreases!

Photochemical Smog

Brownish-orange haze formed by chemical reactions involving sunlight, nitrogen oxide, and hydrocarbon Sources: trucks/buses/vehicles, industries, aircrafts/ships/trains, consumer products/homes

Carbon Oxides (Co and CO2)

Carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) Primarily produced by combustion processes CO - mainly from road traffic, CO2 - from electricity, transportation, & buildings and industry

Superfund Program (1980)

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste site

Human Health Concerns of DDT

Decreased mental function, male infertility, cancer

Non-point Source

Discharge of pollutants from a diffuse, unknown source Examples: lawns, mines, farm fields, cities, roads

Point Source

Discharge of pollutants from a single, known source Example: Sewage treatment plant, oil wells, power plants

Infectious Agents

Disease-forming organisms

Municipal Sewage Treatment - Tertiary Treatment

Disinfect and remove phosphates/nitrates

Criteria Air Pollutants

EPA uses six "criteria pollutants" as indicators of air quality Particulate material, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon oxides, ozone, lead

Soil Pollution: Human-Caused Contamination

Fertilizers, pesticides/insecticides, industrial solvents, petroleum terminals, abandoned gas stations, junkyards, landfills

Sediment from erosion and runoff

Fills lakes, obstructs shipping channels, clogs hydroelectric turbines, purification is very costly

PCB's & General Electric

General Electric dumped an estimated 1.3 million pounds of PCBs into the Hudson River EPA classified the 200-mile stretch of the Hudson River as a Superfund site

Sulfur Oxides Problems

Greenhouse gas, causes acid precipitation

Nitrogen Oxides Problems

Greenhouse gases, cause difficulty breathing

Sulfur Oxides (SO2)

Group of highly reactive gases Primarily produced by burning of fossil fuels (electric utilities)

Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)

Group of highly reactive gasses Formed primarily by automobile emissions (vehicles)

Water Pollution Sources

Industrial waste, surface runoff - industry, agriculture, home, leaking underground storage tanks (gas stations), leaking septic tank, injection wells for secondary oil/gas recovery

Types of water pollutants

Infectious Agents (Biological), Oxygen-Demanding Wastes, Inorganic Pollutants, Organic Chemicals (POP's), Sediment (Particulates)

Eutrophication

Is a natural process by which waters become excessively enriched with nutrients Human activities enhance this process (i.e. Farming) Nutrient enrichment often results in a explosion of algae and other aquatic plant populations

Lead Problems

Learning disabilities, toxic to liver and kidney, neurological effects, immune system function

Effects of Air Pollution

Low level exposure: irritates eyes, causes inflammation of respiratory tract Can develop into chronic respiratory diseases

Tropospheric Ozone (Bad Ozone)

Man-made pollutant in the lower atmosphere Component of photochemical smog Reaction of volatile organic compounds (VOC) + NOx in presence of sun light

Particulate Material Problems

May contain toxic or carcinogenic materials - particles may become lodged in lungs

Inorganic fertilizers

Mined or synthetically manufactured mineral supplements - nitrates, sulfates, phosphates

Inorganic Pollutants

Naturally occurring elements Often released by human activities (coal burning, smelting, ore processing, etc.) May increase the salinity, alkalinity, and acidity of natural waters Heavy metals

Oxygen-Demanding Wastes

Oxygen dissolved in water is an indicator of water quality - 6 ppm O2 or more supports desirable aquatic life

Municipal Sewage Treatment - Primary Treatment

Physical separation of solids

Dioxin

Produced as a by-product of industrial processes - burning coal, oil, household trash, chlorine bleaching Stable in the environment Accumulate in the fatty tissues Cause reproductive problems, immune systems damage, cancer

Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act (RCA) (1977)

Provides the Dept. of Agriculture the authority for the conservation, protection, and enhancement of soil, water, and related natural resources

BOD and Eutrophication

Rapid succession in a body of water because of an increase in biological productivity

Safe Drinking Water Act (1974)

Regulates water quality in commercial and municipal systems Protects public drinking water supplies

Clean Water Act (CWA) (1972)

Restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters Unlawful to discharge any pollutant into navigable waters

Stratospheric Ozone (Good Ozone)

Screens out UV radiation in the upper atmosphere Man-made pollutants (ex: CFCs) can destroy it - "hole in the Ozone"

Controlling Air Pollution in US

Smokestacks with electrostatic precipitator: particles are attracted to the induced electrical charges --> removes particles Smokestacks with scrubbers Catalytic converters on cars

Particulate Material

Solid or liquid particles suspended in air Includes: soil particles, soot, lead, asbestos, sea salt, and sulfuric acid droplets

Fertilizer

Substances that contain essential nutrients for the growth of plants

Health Effects of Air Pollution

Sulfur Dioxide and Particulate material: irritate respiratory tract and impair ability of lungs to exchange gases Nitrogen Dioxides: causes airway restriction Carbon monoxide: binds with iron in blood hemoglobin, causes headache, fatigue, drowsiness, death Ozone: causes burning eyes, coughing, and chest discomfort

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP's)

Synthetic organic chemicals that persist in the environment and have adverse effects on human health Primarily synthesized after World War II Produced for agricultural purposes, disease control, manufacturing, and industrial processes Typically bioaccumulate through the food web Common examples include: Dioxin, PCBs, DDT

Lead (Pb)

Tetraethyl Lead - used in gasoline Mining of Pb and smelting processes Industrial waste - incineration

Soil Pollution

The build-up of persistent toxic compounds, chemicals, salts, radioactive materials, or disease causing agents, which have adverse effects on plant growth and animal health Sources: seepage from landfills, discharge of contaminated water into soils, rupture of underground storage tanks, applications of pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, solid waste seepage

Organic fertilizers

The remains or wastes of organisms - manure, crop residues, fresh vegetation Compost = produced when decomposers break down organic matter

Two Main Sources of Air Pollution

Transportation, industry

Water-borne diseases from infectious agents

Typhoid, cholera, bacterial and amoebic dysentery, polio, hepatitis

Eutrophic lake

high nutrient levels, poor light penetration, low dissolved oxygen, shallow waters, high algal growth, carp, bullhead, & catfish

Oligotrophic lake

low nutrient levels, good light penetration, high dissolved oxygen, deep waters, low algal growth, small mouth bass, pike, lake trout, sturgeon, white fish

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

the amount of dissolved oxygen present in the water necessary for microorganisms to decompose the organic matter