Pollution

Great Lakes pollution control program.

This program has decreased algal blooms, increased dissolved oxygen levels and sport and commercial fishing catches in Lake Erie, and allowed most swimming beaches to reopen. These improvements occurred mainly because of new or upgraded sewage treatment plants, better treatment of industrial wastes, and bans on use of detergents, household cleaners, and water conditioners that contain phosphates—all instituted mostly because of bottom-up citizen pressure.

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972

1. (renamed the Clean Water Act when it was amended in 1977) and the 1987 Water Quality Act form the basis of U.S. efforts to control pollution of the country's surface waters. 2. The Clean Water Act sets standards for allowed levels of key water pollutants and requires polluters to get permits limiting how much of various pollutants they can discharge into aquatic systems.

photochemical smog

1. A photochemical reaction is any chemical reaction activated by light. 2. Photochemical smog is a mixture of primary and secondary pollutants formed under the influence of UV radiation from the sun. a) In greatly simplified terms, ground level ozone (O3) other photochemical VOCs NOx heat sunlight oxidants aldehydes other secondary pollutants 3. The formation of photochemical smog begins when exhaust from morning commuter vehicles releases large amounts of NO and VOCs into the air over a city. a) The NO is converted to reddish-brown NO2, explaining why photochemical smog is sometimes called brown-air smog. b) When exposed to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, some of the NO2 reacts in complex ways with VOCs released by certain trees (such as some oak species, sweet gums, and poplars), motor vehicles, and businesses (such as bakeries and dry cleaners).

CO

1. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and highly toxic gas that forms during the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing materials a) Major sources are motor vehicle exhaust, burning of forests and grasslands, tobacco smoke, and open fires and inefficient stoves used for cooking. b) CO reacts with hemoglobin in red blood cells and reduces the ability of blood to transport oxygen to body cells and tissues. Chronic exposure can trigger heart attacks and aggravate lung diseases such as asthma and emphysema. c) At high levels, CO can cause headache, nausea, drowsiness, mental impairment, collapse, coma, and death.

oil ocean pollution

1. Crude petroleum (oil as it comes out of the ground) and refined petroleum (fuel oil, gasoline, and other processed petroleum products,) reach the ocean from a number of sources and become highly disruptive pollutants 1989 Exxon Valdez killed large numbers of seabirds fish and sea tanker accidents and lowouts at offshore drilling rigs (oil escapes from under high pressure from borehole in ocean floor)

farmers reduce soil erosion

1. Farmers can reduce soil erosion by keeping cropland covered with vegetation. 2. They can also reduce the amount of fertilizer that runs off into surface waters and leaches into aquifers by using slow-release fertilizer, using no fertilizer on steeply sloped land, and planting buffer zones of vegetation between cultivated fields and nearby surface water. 4. Farmers can control runoff and infiltration of manure from animal feedlots by planting buffers and locating feedlots and animal waste sites away from steeply sloped land, surface water, and flood zones.

Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina 4 conclusions

1. In 1974, a) First, once injected into the atmosphere, these persistent CFCs remain there. b) Second, over 11-20 years, these compounds rise into the stratosphere through convection, random drift, and the turbulent mixing of air in the lower atmosphere. c) Third, once they reach the stratosphere, the CFC molecules break down under the influence of high-energy UV radiation. This releases highly reactive chlorine atoms (Cl), as well as atoms of fluorine (F) and bromine (Br), all of which accelerate the breakdown of ozone (O3) into O2 and O in a cyclic chain of chemical reactions, As a consequence, ozone is destroyed faster than it forms in some parts of the stratosphere. d) Fourth, each CFC molecule can last in the stratosphere for 65-385 years, depending on its type. During that time, each chlorine atom released during the breakdown of CFC can convert hundreds of O3 molecules to O2.

Radon-222

1. Radon-222 is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that is produced by the natural radioactive decay of uranium-238, small amounts of which are contained in most rocks and soils.

Agricultural activities

1. Sediment eroded from agricultural lands is the largest source. 2. Other major agricultural pollutants include fertilizers and pesticides, bacteria from livestock and food processing wastes, and excess salt from soils of irrigated cropland.

Clean Air Act

1. The U.S. Congress passed the Clean Air Acts in 1970, 1977, and 1990. With these laws, the federal government established air pollution regulations that are enforced by states and major cities, and that focus on key pollutants

plastic

1. The polymers that make up the plastics break down very slowly and, in the process, pollute many waterways where they have been discarded improperly.

natural pollutants

1. Toxic arsenic contaminates drinking water when a well is drilled into aquifers where soils and rock are naturally rich in arsenic. 2. Some rivers used for drinking water also are contaminated naturally, having originated in springs that have high levels of arsenic. 3. Human activities such as mining and ore processing can also release arsenic into drinking water supplies.

Weather vs. Climate

1. Weather- consists of short term changes in atmospheric variables like temp and precipitation in a given area over a period of hours or days 2. Climate- determined by the weather conditions of earth or a particular area esp. atmospheric temp averaged over at least 3 days

algal bloom

17. Runoffs of sewage and agricultural wastes into coastal waters introduce large quantities of nitrate (NO3 ) and phosphate (PO4 3) plant nutrients, which can cause explosive growths of harmful algae. These harmful algal blooms are called red, brown, or green toxic tides 18. They release waterborne and airborne toxins that damage fisheries, kill some fish-eating birds, reduce tourism, and poison seafood. 19. They occur mostly in temperate coastal waters and in landlocked seas

malignant melanoma

2. A third type of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, occurs in pigmented areas such as moles. Within a few months, this type of cancer can spread to other organs.

Glacial and interglacial

2. Alternating freezing and thawing periods are known as glacial and interglacial periods 3. Now we are in an interglacial period characterized by generally stable climate and atmospheric temp

CO2

2. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a colorless, odorless gas. a) About 93% of the CO2 in the atmosphere is the result of the natural carbon cycle b) considerable scientific evidence that increasing levels of CO2 from human activities are contributing to global warming and climate change.

indoor air pollution

2. However, the biggest pollution threat to poor people is indoor air pollution caused by their burning of wood, charcoal, coal, or dung in open fires or poorly designed stoves to heat their dwellings and cook their food

industrial smog

2. People in such cities, especially during winter, were exposed to industrial smog consisting mostly of sulfur dioxide, suspended droplets of sulfuric acid, and a variety of suspended solid particles. a) When burned, most of the carbon in coal and oil is converted to carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2). b) Unburned carbon in coal also ends up in the atmosphere as suspended particulate matter (soot). c) When coal and oil are burned, the sulfur compounds they contain react with oxygen to produce sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas, some of which reacts with water vapor and is converted to tiny suspended droplets of sulfuric acid (H2SO4). d) Some of these droplets react with ammonia (NH3) in the atmosphere to form solid particles of ammonium sulfate [(NH4)2SO4]. e) The suspended particles of such salts and soot give the resulting smog a gray color, which is why it is sometimes called grayair smog

ozone hole

3. In 1984, researchers analyzing satellite data discovered unexpectedly that each year, 40-50% of the ozone in the upper stratosphere over Antarctica (100% in some places) disappears during October and November. 4. This observed loss of ozone has been called an ozone hole. A more accurate term is ozone thinning because the ozone depletion varies with altitude and location. 5. When the seasonal thinning ends each year, huge masses of ozone-depleted air above Antarctica flow northward, and these masses linger for a few weeks over parts of Australia, New Zealand, South America, and South Africa. 8. When this mass of air above the Arctic breaks up each spring, large masses of ozone-depleted air flow south to linger over parts of Europe, North America, and Asia.

NO

3. Nitric oxide (NO) is a colorless gas that forms when nitrogen and oxygen gas in air react at the high-combustion temperatures in automobile engines and coal-burning plants Lightning and certain bacteria in soil and water also produce NO as part of the nitrogen cycle. a) In the air, NO reacts with oxygen to form nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a reddish-brown gas. Collectively, NO and NO2 are called nitrogen oxides (NOx). b) Some of the NO2 reacts with water vapor in the air to form nitric acid (HNO3) and nitrate salts (NO3)—components of harmful acid deposition, which we discuss later in this chapter. d) Nitrous oxide (N2O), a greenhouse gas, is emitted from fertilizers and animal wastes and is produced by burning fossil fuels. e) Nitrogen oxides can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat; aggravate lung ailments such as asthma and bronchitis; and increase susceptibility to respiratory infections by impairing the immune system. f) They can also suppress plant growth and reduce visibility when they are converted to nitric acid and nitrate salts.

SO2

4. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a colorless gas with an irritating odor. a) About one third of the SO2 in the atmosphere comes from natural sources as part of the sulfur cycle b) The other two-thirds (and as much as 90% in some urban areas) come from human sources, mostly combustion of sulfur-containing coal in electric power and industrial plants and oil refining and smelting of sulfide ores. d) In the atmosphere, SO2 can be converted to aerosols, which are microscopic suspended droplets of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and suspended particles of sulfate (SO4 2) salts that return to the earth as a component of acid deposition. e) Sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid droplets, and sulfate particles reduce visibility and aggravate breathing problems. SO2 and H2SO4 can damage crops, trees, soils, and aquatic life in lakes. f) They also corrode metals and damage paint, paper, leather, and stone on buildings and statues

Copenhagen Protocol

5. After hearing more bad news about seasonal ozone thinning above Antarctica in 1989, representatives of 93 countries met in London in 1990 and then in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1992. a) They adopted the Copenhagen Protocol, an amendment that accelerated the phase-out of key ozone-depleting chemicals.

SPM

5. Suspended particulate matter (SPM) consists of a variety of solid particles and liquid droplets small and light enough to remain suspended in the air for long periods. a) About 62% of the SPM in outdoor air comes from natural sources such as dust, wild fires, and sea salt. b) The remaining 38% comes from human sources such as coal-burning power and industrial plants, motor vehicles, plowed fields, road construction, unpaved roads, and tobacco smoke. c) More than 2,000 studies published since 1990 link SPM with adverse health effects, according to the American Lung Association. d) The most harmful forms of SPM are fine particles (PM-10, with an average diameter of less than 10 micrometers) and ultrafine particles (PM-2.5, with an average diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, about one-fortieth the diameter of a human hair). e) These particles can irritate the nose and throat, damage the lungs, aggravate asthma and bronchitis, and shorten life. Toxic particulates, such as lead, cadmium, and polychlorinated biphenyls, can cause mutations, reproductive problems, and cancer. f) Particulates also reduce visibility, corrode metals, and discolor clothes and paints.

O3

6. Ozone (O3), a colorless and highly reactive gas, is a major component of photochemical smog. a) It can cause coughing and breathing problems, aggravate lung and heart diseases, reduce resistance to colds and pneumonia, and irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. b) It also damages plants, rubber in tires, fabrics, and paints. c) Ozone in the troposphere near ground level is often referred to as "bad" ozone, whereas we think of ozone in the stratosphere as "good" ozone that protects us from harmful UV radiation. Both are the same chemical. d) Much evidence indicates that some human activities are decreasing the amount of beneficial ozone in the stratosphere and increasing the amount of harmful ozone in the troposphere near ground level—especially in some urban areas.

VOCs

7. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Organic compounds that exist as gases in the atmosphere are called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). a) Most are hydrocarbons, such as isoprene (C3H8) and terpenes such as C10H15 emitted by the leaves of many plants, and methane (CH4), a greenhouse gas. b) About a third of global methane emissions come from natural sources, mostly plants, wetlands, and termites. c) The rest comes from human sources, primarily rice paddies, landfills, oil and natural gas wells, and cows (mostly from their belching). d) Other VOCs, including benzene, vinyl chloride, and trichloroethylene (TCE), are used as industrial solvents, dry-cleaning fluids, and components of gasoline, plastics, drugs, synthetic rubber, and other products. e) Benzene (C6H6) is found in motor vehicle and power plant emissions and tobacco smoke. Long-term exposure to benzene can cause leukemia, numerous blood disorders, and immune system damage. f) Short-term exposure to high levels can cause dizziness, unconsciousness, and death

Acid deposition

8. Acid deposition occurs when human activities disrupt the natural nitrogen and sulfur cycles by adding excessive amounts of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide to the atmosphere. a) Acid deposition is a regional air pollution problem in areas that lie downwind from coal-burning facilities and in urban areas with large numbers of motor vehicles. b) In some areas, soils contain basic compounds such as calcium carbonate (CaCO3) or limestone that can react with and neutralize, or buffer, some inputs of acids. 1. contributes to human respiratory diseases, and damages statues, national monuments, buildings, metals, and car finishes. 2. Also, acidic particles in the air can decrease visibility

Thomas Midgley Jr.

9. This problem began when Thomas Midgley, Jr., a General Motors chemist, discovered the first chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) in 1930. Chemists soon developed similar compounds to create a family of highly useful CFCs, known by their trade name as Freons. 10. These chemically unreactive, odorless, nonflammable, nontoxic, and noncorrosive compounds seemed to be dream chemicals. Inexpensive to manufacture, they became popular as coolants in air conditioners and refrigerators, propellants in aerosol spray cans, cleaners for electronic parts such as computer chips, fumigants for granaries and ship cargo holds, and gases used to fill tiny bubbles in plastic foam used for insulation and packaging.

third level of clean up

A third level of cleanup, advanced or tertiary sewage treatment, uses a series of specialized chemical and physical processes to remove specific pollutants left in the water after primary and secondary treatment.

Lakes and reservoirs are generally less effective at diluting pollutants than streams are, for two reasons.

B. First, lakes and reservoirs often contain stratified layers that undergo little vertical mixing. C. Second, they have little or no flow.

bisphenol A

C15H16O2 commercial production impacts growth repreoduction development endocrine disruptor interfere with hormones

oxygen sag curve

Created by a breakdown of degradable wastes by bacteria depletes dissolved oxygen; Reduces or eliminates populations of organisms with high oxygen requirements until stream is cleansed of wastes (can also be done for thermal pollution)

septic zone oxygen sag curve

Fish absent, fungi, sludge worms, bacteria (anaerobic)

septic tank system

Household sewage and wastewater is pumped into a settling tank, where grease and oil rise to the top and solids fall to the bottom and are decomposed by bacteria. 3. The resulting partially treated wastewater is discharged in a large drainage (absorption) field through small holes in perforated pipes embedded in porous gravel or crushed stone just below the soil's surface. 4. As these wastes drain from the pipes and percolate downward, the soil filters out some potential pollutants and soil bacteria decompose biodegradable materials.

montreal Protocol 1992

In 2007, delegates from 191 nations met in Montreal, Canada, and agreed to phase out the production of HCFCs by 2020 in developed countries and by 2030 in developing nations—10 years earlier than they had agreed to under the 1992 Copenhagen Protocol

groundwater pollution by

MTBE a gasoline additive (carcinogen) is being phased out as a source of drinking water can also be contaminated with nitrate ions (NO3 ), especially in agricultural areas where nitrates in fertilizer are often leached into groundwater.

clean zone oxygen sag curve

Normal clean water organisms (Trout, perch, bass, mayfly, stonefly)

The first documented air pollution disaster in the United States

October of 1948, in the small industrial town of Donora in Pennsylvania's Monongahela River Valley south of Pittsburgh. a) pollutants from the area's coal-burning factories, steel mill, zinc smelter, and sulfuric acid plant became trapped in a dense fog that stagnated over the valley for 5 days. This killer fog resulted from a combination of mountainous terrain surrounding the valley and weather conditions that trapped and concentrated deadly pollutants.

decomposition zone oxygen sag curve

Pollution- Normal clean water organisms (Trout, perch, bass, mayfly, stonefly)

recovery zone oxygen sag curve

Pollution-tolerant fishes (carp, gar)

Integrated Waste Management

Primary Pollution and Waste Prevention ■ Change industrial process to eliminate use of harmful chemicals ■ Use less of a harmful product ■ Reduce packaging and materials in products ■ Make products that last longer and are recyclable, reusable, or easy to repair Secondary Pollution and Waste Prevention ■ Reuse ■ Repair ■ Recycle ■ Compost ■ Buy reusable and recyclable products Waste Management ■ Treat waste to reduce toxicity ■ Incinerate waste ■ Bury waste in landfills ■ Release waste into environment for dispersal or dilution

Mining

Surface mining disturbs the land, creating major erosion of sediments and runoff of toxic chemicals

Geoengineering solutions

Trying to manipulate certain natural conditions to help counter the human enhanced greenhouse effect Geoengineering Schemes Stratospheric reflective aerosol dispersal using jet aircraft/high altitude balloons Genetically modified trees absorb more carbon Iron fertilization promotes carbon absorbing marine organisms Orbiting satellite space shield

secondary sewage treatment

a biological process in which aerobic bacteria remove as much as 90% of dissolved and biodegradable, oxygen-demanding organic wastes doesn't kill pathogens

great britain 1950s thames river

a flowing, smelly sewer. 50 years of effort - Commercial fishing is thriving and the number of fish species has increased

Greenhouse effect-

a natural process that plays a major role in determining the earths average atmospheric temp and thus climate a) Solar energy absorbed by earth radiates into the atm as infrared radiation(heat) as this radiation interacts with the molecules of greenhouse gases in the air, it increases their kinetic energy and warms the lower atmosphere and the earths surface b) It keeps the planet at an avg temp of around 15 C(58F) without it earth would be a frozen uninhabitable place c) Co2, ch4, n20

Formaldehyde (CH2O)

a water-soluble gas used in aqueous solutions in hundreds of consumer products breaks down into formic acid and CO impact breeding aquatic life headache dizziness

Climate tipping points

a) If continue to add co2, atm at current rate, exceed tipping point of 450 ppm of atmospheric co2 within decades. Create a positive feedback loop that could become irreversible and lock in severe climate change and disruption for hundreds or perhaps thousands of years

We can deal with the solid wastes we create in two ways.

a) One is waste management, in which we attempt to reduce the environmental impact of MSW without seriously trying to reduce the amount of waste produced. (most common) b) It typically involves mixing wastes together and then transferring them from one part of the environment to another, usually by burying them, burning them, or shipping them to another location. c) The second approach is waste reduction, in which much less waste and pollution are produced, and the wastes that are produced are viewed as potential resources that can be reused, recycled, or composted

Scientists classify outdoor air pollutants into two categories.

a) Primary pollutants are harmful chemicals emitted directly into the air from natural processes and human activities. While in the atmosphere, some primary pollutants react with one another and with the basic components of air to form new harmful chemicals, called secondary pollutants

Raw sewage primary sewage treatment

a) The first is primary sewage treatment—a physical process that uses screens and a grit tank to remove large floating objects and to allow solids such as sand and rock to settle out. b) Then the waste stream flows into a primary settling tank where suspended solids settle out as sludge d) It removes no pathogens, phosphates, nitrates, salts, radioisotopes, or pesticides.

Cholera

an acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of contaminated water or food bacteria Vomiting and muscle cramps may also occur. Diarrhea can be so severe that it leads within hours to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance

solid waste

any unwanted or discarded material we produce that is not a liquid or a gas. Solid waste can be divided into two types. a) One type is industrial solid waste produced by mines, agriculture, and industries that supply people with goods and services. b) The other is municipal solid waste (MSW), often called garbage or trash, which consists of the combined solid waste produced by homes and workplaces. Examples include paper and cardboard, food wastes, cans, bottles, yard wastes, furniture, plastics, metals, glass, wood, and e-waste

cradle to grave

b) The European Union (EU) has led the way in dealing with e-waste. Its cradle-to-grave approach requires manufacturers to take back electronic products at the ends of their useful lives for repair, remanufacture, or recycling, and e-waste is banned from landfills and incinerators.

Transferring hazardous waste from developed to developing countries

banned by the International Basel Convention. Even so, much e-waste is not classified as hazardous waste or is illegally smuggled to countries such as China. a) The United States can export this waste legally because it is one of only three countries that have not ratified the Basel Convention (the other two are Afghanistan and Haiti).

Nonpoint sources

broad, and diffuse areas, rather than points, from which pollutants enter bodies of surface water or air. • Examples include runoff of chemicals and sediments from cropland, livestock feedlots, logged forests, urban streets, parking lots, lawns, and golf courses

Industrial facilities

emit a variety of harmful inorganic and organic chemicals, are a second major source of water pollution.

Eutrophication

excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff of plant nutrients like nitrates and phosphates from land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen.

groundwater harder to cleanse b/c

fills aquifers porous layers of sand, gravel, or bedrock like water saturates a sponge. d) The slowly flowing groundwater disperses the pollutant in a widening plume of contaminated water. If the plume reaches a well-used to extract groundwater, the toxic pollutants can get into drinking water and into water used to irrigate crops flows so slowly cold temperatures of groundwater slow down chemical reactions that decompose wastes. Thus, it can take decades to thousands of years for contaminated groundwater to cleanse itself of slowly degradable wastes

Ozone

form in troposphere chemical reaction volative organic compounds breathing problems asthme lung tissue aging

VOCs CH4 C3H8 CFCS

fossil fuels greenhouse gas form ozone lukemia blood disorders death

Atmospheric warming:

gradual overall rise in the avg temp of the atm near the earths land and water surfaces over a period of 30 years or more.

cultural eutrophication

human activities can greatly accelerate the input of plant nutrients to a lake 1. These sources include runoff from farmland, animal feedlots, urban areas, chemically fertilized suburban yards, and mining sites, and discharges of treated and untreated municipal sewage. 2. Some nitrogen also reaches lakes by deposition from the atmosphere. During hot weather or drought, this nutrient overload produces dense growths or "blooms" of organisms such as algae and cyanobacteria and thick growths of water hyacinth, duckweed, and other aquatic plants. 3. These dense colonies of plant life can reduce lake productivity and fish growth by decreasing the input of solar energy needed for photosynthesis by phytoplankton that support fish

Volatile organic hydrocarbons in oil

immediately kill many aquatic organisms, especially in their vulnerable larval forms. Other chemicals in oil form tar-like globs that float on the surface and coat the feathers of birds (especially diving birds) and the fur of marine mammals. 10. This oil coating destroys their natural heat insulation and buoyancy, causing many of them to drown or die of exposure from loss of body heat. Heavy oil components that sink to the ocean floor or wash into estuaries can smother bottom-dwelling organisms such as crabs, oysters, mussels, and clams, or make them unfit for human consumption. Some oil spills have killed coral reefs

Water pollution control laws enacted in the 1970s

increased the number and quality of wastewater treatment plants in the United States and most other developed countries. 1. Such laws also require industries to reduce or eliminate their point-source discharges of harmful chemicals into surface waters. 2. enabled the United States to hold the line against increased pollution by disease-causing agents and oxygen-demanding wastes in most of its streams.

Ganges River

is a holy river to hindu. highly polluted cremating the dead to free the soul and in throwing the ashes into the holy Ganges to increase the chances of the soul getting into heaven. 1. Traditionally, wood fires are used to burn most bodies. This creates air pollution and helps deplete India's forests. 2. It also causes water pollution. Because many people cannot afford enough wood for cremation, many unburned or partially burnt bodies are dumped into the river where they mingle with large numbers of livestock corpses. 3. Decomposition of these bodies depletes dissolved oxygen and adds disease-carrying bacteria and viruses to the water.

methane source potential

layer of permafrost on arctic sea floor

Oligotrophic

low in nutrients and high in oxygen

Climate change-

measurable changes in global weather patterns based primarily on changes in the earths atmospheric temp averaged over a period of at least 30 years

CO

motor vehicle exhaust cigarette smoking fossil fuels can react to form ozone reacts with hemoglobin blood cells to decrease ability of block to body cells and tissues brain damage

cruise ship pollution

perchloroethylene from dry-cleaning and benzene from paint and solvents, is highly toxic. 11. Cruise ships also generate huge amounts of plastic garbage and waste oil. 12. In U.S. waters, such dumping is illegal, but some ships continue dumping secretively,

Point sources discharge

pollutants at specific locations through drain pipes, ditches, or sewer lines into bodies of surface water. • Examples include factories, sewage treatment plants (which remove some, but not all, pollutants), underground mines, and oil tankers.

Adaptation:

recognize that some climate change is unavoidable because we have waited to long to act. People will have to live with and adapt to some of its harmful impacts

Carbon capture and storage (CCS)

remove some of the co2 gas from smokestack emissions of coal burning power plants and industrial plants and convert it to liquid to be pumped under pressure into underground storage sites: dissolving co2 in water pumping it through porous rocks global tree planting and restoration program

The U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974

requires the EPA to establish national drinking water standards, called maximum contaminant levels, for any pollutants that may have adverse effects on human health.

Ways to purify water

reservoir for several days. This improves clarity and taste by increasing dissolved oxygen content and allowing suspended matter to settle. the technology to convert sewer water into pure drinking water exposing a clear plastic bottle filled with contaminated water to intense sunlight. The sun's heat and UV rays can kill infectious microbes in as little as 3 hours. Painting one side of the bottle black can improve heat absorption nanofilters

Mitigation:

slow down climate change to avoid its most harmful effects

Ohio Cuyahoga River

so polluted with flammable chemicals that it caught fire several times enact laws that limited the discharge of industrial wastes into the river and into local sewage systems and provided funds to upgrade sewage treatment facilities. cleaner, no longer flammable

climate change

some regions will get more precipitation and other areas will get less. Intense downpours will flush more harmful chemicals, plant nutrients, and microorganisms into waterways. Prolonged drought will reduce river flows that dilute wastes

SPM

source burning coal burning diesel reduce visibility acid deposition damage aqautic life lung damage mutations cancer

parking lot

source of nonpoint pollution for rivers and lakes because of grease, toxic metals, and sediments that collect on their impervious surfaces. 1. Because parking lots also disrupt the hydrologic cycle by preventing rain from soaking into the ground, they can worsen local flooding and erosion.

thermal

source: electric power and industrial plants water: power plants as coolant, enters water at high temp, change temp dec oxygen effect: make some species vulnerable to disease

organic chemicals

source: industry farm households water: leaking from industry runoff from farms effect: add toxins to aquatic systems

inorganic chemicals

source: industry, surface runoff water: runoff from deserted mines, leaking industry waste effects: add toxins to aquatic systems

sediment

source: land erosion water: runoff of soil and silt into water effect: disrupt photosynthesis, food webs, other, process

oxygen demanding wastes

source: sewage, animal feedlots, food processing facilities get into water: runoff of biodegradable wastes and plant debris effects: depletes dissolved oxygen needed by aquatic species

excess nutrients

source: sewage, animal wastes, inorganic fertilizers water: runoff and leakage of sewage effect: excess growth of algae and other species

heavy metals

source: unlined landfills household chemicals mining refuse industrial discharges water: from deserted mines runoff industrial wastes unlined landfills effects: cancer disrupt immune and endocrine systems

SO2

source: combustion of sulfur containing fossul fuels in power plants effects: reduce visibility damage trees soils and aquatic life breathing problems permanent bronchitis

infectious agent

source: human and animal wastes how it gets in water: microorganisms, bacteria effects: causes diseases

When the algae die,

they are decomposed by swelling populations of aerobic bacteria, which deplete dissolved oxygen in the surface layer of water near the shore and in the bottom layer. This can kill fish and other aerobic aquatic animals.

hazardous, or toxic, waste

threatens human health or the environment because it is poisonous, dangerously chemically reactive, corrosive, or flammable. Examples include industrial solvents, hospital medical waste, car batteries (containing lead and acids), household pesticide products, dry-cell batteries (containing mercury and cadmium), and incinerator ash. a) The two largest classes of hazardous wastes are organic compounds (such as various solvents, pesticides, PCBs, and dioxins) and nondegradable toxic heavy metals (such as lead, mercury, and arsenic). b) Another form of extremely hazardous waste is highly radioactive waste produced by nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons facilities.

treatment ganges

waste treatement electric creamatoriums snapping turtles