Water Pollution Test

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

platform exploded, causing history's largest accidental marine oil spill as of mid-2010 -Gulf of Mexico oil spill

Disposal of Sludge

**A major problem associated with wastewater treatment is disposal of the primary and secondary sludge **Five possible ways to handle the disposal of sludge are anaerobic digestion, application to soil as a fertilizer, incineration, ocean dumping, and disposal in a sanitary landfills

Water pollution from agriculture

**Agriculture is the leading source of water quality impairment of surface waters nationwide, causing 72% of water pollution in rivers -Animal wastes and plants residues have high BOD -Chemical pesticides can leach into groundwater **Soil conservation methods both conserve soil and reduce water pollution

4. Inorganic plant and algal nutrients

**Chemicals such as nitrogen and phosphorus stimulate the growth of plants and algae -Nitrates and phosphates come from sources such as human and animal wastes, plant residues, atmospheric deposition, and fertilizer runoff from agricultural and residential land -Inorganic plant and algal nutrients are harmful in large concentrations --> causes enrichment, bad odors, and high BOD *The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico -Fertilizer runoff from Midwestern fields and manure runoff from livestock operations considerably pollute the Gulf of Mexico -This creates a dead zone where no life exists *In 2002 it measured more than 22,000 km2 *It creates hypoxia (oxygen depletion) in various invertebrates and mollusks

3. Sediment Pollution

**Clay, silt, sand, and gravel are sediments suspended and carried in water **Sediment pollution comes from erosion of agricultural lands, forest soils exposed by logging, degraded stream banks, overgrazed rangelands, strip mines, and construction **Sediment pollution reduces light penetration, covers aquatic organisms, brings insoluble toxic pollutants to the water, and fills in waterways

Industrial wastes in water

**Food processing industries produce organic wastes - high BOD **Pulp and paper mills produce toxic compounds and sludge - high BOD **The electronics industry produces wastewater containing high levels of heavy metals

6. Inorganic chemicals

**Inorganic chemicals are contaminants that contain elements other than carbon (i.e., acids, salts, and heavy metals) -They do not easily degrade -Industries, mines, irrigation runoff, oil drilling, and urban runoff from storm sewers are the main sources of inorganic chemicals -acid mine drainage, mining runoff -lead, mercury, arsenic

Lead

**Lead contaminates the soil, surface water, and groundwater when incinerator ash is dumped into ordinary sanitary landfills **Ingestion of additional amounts of lead from pesticide and fertilizer residues occur through consumption of produce, food cans soldered with lead, and dinnerware **Lead can come from the corrosion of old lead water pipes or of lead solder in newer pipes **Found in old paint, industrial pollutants, leaded gasoline

Mercury

**Most mercury pollution comes from human activities -Coal-fired power plants -Municipal waste and medical waste incinerators release mercury -Smelting of metals such as lead, copper, and zinc -Precipitation after household trash containing batteries, paints, and plastics are burned in incinerators **Mercury bioaccumulates in the muscles of tuna, swordfish, sharks, mackerel, and marine mammals **Prolonged exposure to methyl mercury compounds causes kidney disorders and severely damages the nervous and cardiovascular systems of animals

5. Organic Compounds

**Organic compounds are chemicals that contain carbon atoms (i.e., sugars, amino acids, oils) **Most of the thousands of organic compounds found in water are human produced chemicals (i.e., pesticides, solvents, industrial chemicals, plastics, etc.) -Most seep from landfills into surface water and groundwater -Farm and residence runoff contributes large amounts of pesticides into surface water and groundwater -Some industries dump organic compounds directly into waterways **The effect on human health of ingesting drinking water containing traces of these chemicals are generally unknown

7. Radioactive substances

**Radioactive substances contain atoms of unstable isotopes that spontaneously emit radiation **Mining and processing of radioactive materials such as uranium and thorium emit radioactive substances into water; radiation from natural sources can also pollute groundwater **Sources: -Mining -Processing radioactive materials -Medical and Research Facilities -Nuclear power plants -Natural sources

Groundwater pollution

**Roughly half of the people in the U.S. obtain their drinking water from groundwater; its quality has become a concern **Cleanup of polluted groundwater is costly, takes years, and in some cases is not technically feasible

Municipal water pollution

**Sewage and urban runoff from storm sewers are the main pollutants produced by cities and towns **Combined sewer overflow flows into nearby waterways without being treated when too much water enters the system; nearly 1.2 trillion gallons of combined sewer overflow are discharged into U.S. waterways every year -nitrogen + phosphorus from lawn pertilizers -organic wastes (animal waste, leaves, grass) -motor oil, vehicle exhaust -cement, asbestos, copper -zinc from pipes and gutters

The chlorine dilemma

**The addition of chlorine to the drinking water supply has lessened the occurrence of typhoid, cholera, and dysentery **Chlorine byproducts are tentatively linked to several kinds of cancer Peru stopped using chlorine 1991 - huge cholera epidemic that infected 300,000 people

8. Thermal Pollution

**Thermal pollution occurs when heated water produced during certain industrial processes is released into waterways **Such a rise in temperature can have chemical, physical, and biological effects -Less oxygen dissolves in warm water than in cool water, affecting the dissolved oxygen levels of dependent aquatic life -Warmer temperatures can affect the reproductive cycles, digestion rates, and respiration rates of aquatic organisms

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

*Amount of oxygen needed by microorganisms to decompose biological wastes *As BOD increases, Dissolve Oxygen (DO) decreases

1. Sewage

*The release of wastewater from drains or sewers; includes human wastes, soaps, and detergents *Sewage generates enrichment and biochemical oxygen demand, two serious environmental problems -Eutrophication: an enrichment problem caused by high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus **An oligotrophic body of water has clear water and supports small populations of aquatic organisms due to the minimal levels of nutrients in its unenriched waters **An body of water enriched by inorganic plant and algal nutrients (i.e., phosphorus) is said to be eutrophic; it usually contains large populations of aquatic animals **Over vast periods, oligotrophic bodies of water become eutrophic naturally **Eutrophication can also be accelerated by human-induced processes (i.e., artificial/cultural eutrophication)

Aral Sea,

- 1950s Soviet Union began diverting water from the 2 rivers that feed into the Aral Sea to irrigate surrounding desert areas --b/c of diversion, volume was down and diversity disappeared (loss of 24 fish species) -salt storms, disappearance

Water pollution in other countries

-1.4 billion people lack access to safe drinking water -2.9 billion do not have access to adequate sanitation systems -Worldwide, 250 million cases of water-related illnesses occur each year; 5 million result in death

Fluoridation

-70% of US drinking water is fluoridated -Prevents tooth decay -Once believed to be linked to cancer, kidney disease - current studies do not show this

Clean Water Act (1977)

-Affects the quality of rivers, lakes, aquifers, estuaries, and coastal waters in the U.S. -It has two basic goals: 1.) To eliminate the discharge of pollutants in U.S. waterways 2.) To attain water quality levels that make these waterways safe for fishing and swimming -The EPA is required to set up and monitor national emissions limitations under this act -In 1987 amendments to the Clean Water Act expanded the National Pollutant Discharge System to include nonpoint sources, such as sediment erosion from construction sites -A 2000 EPA report found that 39% of the nation's rivers, 45% of its lakes, and 51% of its estuaries were too polluted for swimming, fishing, or drinking

Water Pollution

-Any physical or chemical change in water that adversely affects the health of humans and other organisms. -a global problem that varies in magnitude and type of pollutant from one region to another **8 categories: 1. Sewage 2. Disease-causing agents 3. Sediment Pollution 4. Inorganic plant and algal nutrients 5. Organic compounds 6. Inorganic chemicals 7. Radioactive substances 8. Thermal pollution

2. Disease-causing agents

-Infectious organisms that cause diseases. Originate in the wastes of infected individuals **Common bacterial or viral diseases: -Typhoid, cholera, bacterial dysentery, polio, and infectious hepatitis **Municipal wastewater usually contains many bacteria, viruses, protozoa, parasitic worms, and other infectious agents that cause human or animal diseases **Monitoring for sewage -Periodic tests are made for the presence of sewage in our water supplies -To test for the presence of E. coli in water, the fecal coliform test is performed

Minamoto, Japan

-Minamata disease was first discovered in Minamata city in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan, in 1956. -It was caused by the release of methylmercury in the industrial wastewater from the Chisso Corporation's chemical factory, which continued from 1932 to 1968. -This highly toxic chemical bioaccumulated in shellfish and fish in Minamata Bay and the Shiranui Sea, which, when eaten by the local populace, resulted in mercury poisoning.

Individual septic systems

-Require care to operate properly -If it is not maintained every two to five years, it can malfunction or overflow, releasing bacteria and nutrients into groundwater or waterways -septic system: made up of septic tank and leach field -tank = large container, scum layer (top), septage layer (middle-clear) and sludge layer (bottom,solid waste) -leach field = underground pipes laid out below the surface

Safe Drinking Water Act (1974)

-Set uniform federal standards for drinking water to guarantee safe public water supplies throughout the U.S. -It requires the EPA to determine the maximum contaminant level for water pollutants -It was amended in 1986 and 1996; the 1996 version requires municipal water suppliers to tell consumers what contaminants are present that may pose a health risk to humans

Ganges River, India

-Used for bathing and washing clothing -Sewage and industrial waste discharged into river -Ganga Action Plan initiated by government *Construction of 29 sewage treatment plants -put human remains in river

Purification of Drinking Water

-Water quality is improved by removing contaminants from the water supply before and after it is used -In US most municipal water supplies are treated -Collected from water or reservoir -Treated -Treated water distributed to customers -Sewer lines bring sewage to treatment plant -Sewage treated at sewage treatment plant

Eutrophication

-an enrichment problem caused by high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus **Over vast periods, oligotrophic bodies of water become eutrophic naturally **Eutrophication can also be accelerated by human-induced processes such as agriculture and sewage treatment plants (i.e., artificial/cultural eutrophication) *increases BOD

Oligotrophic

-body of water has clear water and supports small populations of aquatic organisms due to the minimal levels of nutrients in its unenriched waters -low nutrient levels -good light penetration -high dissolved oxygen -low algal growth -deep waters

Zimbabwe

-cholera outbreak - over 3000 deaths. -exacerbated by extreme poverty and shortages of food

Arsenic Poisoning in Bangladesh

-contaminated surface water --> hand pumps to get groundwater = contains arsenic

Water Movement in California

-need water in Central valley and South -system of aqueducts from mountains to where it is needed = controversial -drought

Nonpoint Source

-pollution (polluted runoff) is caused by land pollutants that enter bodies of water over large areas (i.e., agricultural runoff, mining wastes, municipal wastes, construction sediments, soil erosion)

Point Source

-pollution is discharged into the environment through pipes, sewers, or ditches from specific sites -a specific origin (you can point to it)

3. Tertiary Treatment

-remove pollutants such as dissolved minerals, heavy metals, viruses, and organic compounds -reduces phosphorus and nitrogen *They purify wastewater for reuse in communities where water is scare *The wastewater treatment facilities for about 27% of the U.S. population have primary, secondary, and tertiary treatments

1. Primary Treatment

-removes suspended and floating particles, such as sand and silt, by mechanical processes such as screening and gravitational settling *The solid material that settles out is primary sludge *The wastewater facilities for about 11% of the U.S. population have primary treatment only

2 types of water pollution types:

1. Point source 2. Nonpoint source

Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela

10,000 drill platform oil wells tap lake bottom Leak oil into lake *Agricultural wastes from local fields *Until recently, raw human waste polluted the lake

Three-Mile Island

1979 - A mechanical failure and a human error at this power plant in Pennsylvania combined to permit an escape of radiation over a 16 mile radius.

Three Gorges Dam

A barrier built on the Chang Jiang to control floods in China -made b/c severe drought and floods -produces electrical power -agricultural productivity can be optimized -destruction, evaporation, wildlife --people moved away from reservoir site. Entire cities were removed → likely that toxic materials and waste are what remain = contamination

Fukushima

A city in Japan damaged by the tsunami in 2011; the nuclear power plant released radiation

Eutrophic

An body of water enriched by inorganic plant and algal nutrients (i.e., phosphorus) is said to be eutrophic; it usually contains large populations of aquatic animals -high nutrient levels -poor light penetration -low dissolved oxygen -shallow waters -high algal growth

Chernobyl, Ukraine

April 26, 1986, unauthorized safety test (irony), leads to fire and explosion at nuclear power plant—millions exposed to unsafe levels of radiation.

Bhopal, India

December 2,1984, methyl isocyanate released accidentally by Union Carbide pesticide plant kills over 5,000.

Valdez, Alaska

March 24, 1989, tanker Exxon Valdez hits submerged rocks in Prince William Sound—worst oil spill in US waters.

Aswan High Dam

One of the world's largest dams on the Nile River in southern Egypt. A key project under Gama Abdel Nasser. -built to control flooding in 1902 --used since 1960 to provide electrical power. -suffer from this disease bc large reservoir behind the dam provides a habitat for the worm -half of Egypt population suffers from Schistosomiasis = tropical disease caused by a parasitic worm

Po River, Italy

Similar to Mississippi River Pollutants: Sewage, industrial wastes, sediment ~17 million Italians depend on the river for drinking water Cleanup will require a national management plan and may take decades

Flint Water Crisis

The Flint River has been contaminated because of fecal coliform bacteria, low dissolved oxygen, and toxic substances. The water was not properly treated when the city tapped into the river as a water source leading to lead from pipes also entering the supply. Exposure has lead to impaired cognition, behavioral disorders, hearing problems, delayed puberty, reduced fetal growth, and impact to the hearts, kidneys and nerves of the citizens.

Laws Controlling Water Pollution

Using citizen watchdogs to monitor water pollution -Provisions in both the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and other key environmental laws allow citizens to file suit when the government does not enforce the laws -Citizen action groups also pressure firms to clean up 1. Safe Water Drinking Act 2. Clean Water Act 3. The Resource, Conservation, and Recovery Act:

Municipal sewage treatment

Wastewater, including sewage, usually undergoes several treatments at a sewage treatment plant to prevent environmental and public health problems; treated wastewater is then discharged into rivers, lakes, or the ocean 1. Primary Treatment 2. Secondary Treatment 3. Tertiary Treatment

Ogallala Aquifer

World's largest aquifer; under parts of Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas (the Midwest). Holds enough water to cover the U.S. with 1.5 feet of water. Being depleted for agricultural and urban use. -would take 6,000 years to recharge

Yucca Mountain

national geologic depository planned to be built to store radioactive waste --only permanent underground storage site for high-level radioactive wastes from commercially operated power plants. -Nevada (near volcano = controversial)

2. Secondary Treatment

uses microorganisms to decompose the suspended organic material in wastewater -Trickling filters degrade organic material in the water (aeration) -The activated sludge process produces secondary sludge -Water that has undergone primary and secondary treatment is clear and free of organic wastes such as sewage -The wastewater treatment facilities for about 62% of the U.S. population have both primary and secondary treatments