Water Pollutants & Water Quality

Water pollution type: sediments. Give an example and a major source.

soil, land erosion

Water pollution type: inorganic chemicals. Give an example and a major source.

acids, industry

Water pollution type: oxygen demanding wastes. Give an example and a major source.

animal waste, sewage

Water pollution type: pathogens. Give an example and a major source.

bacteria, human waste

Water quality test: Fish species/indicator species. Give a description and the significance.

biological test- indicators due to their sensitivity to certain abiotic factors, trout present= high oxygen/low pollution

Water quality test: Fecal Coliform. Give a description and the significance.

biological test- presence of E coli, indicator of fecal contamination and presence of harmful pathogens

Water quality test: DO. Give a description and the significance.

chemical test- determines amount of dissolved oxygen in water, low DO (high BOD) may indicate pollution- vital to aerobic organisms and therefore impacts biodiversity

Water quality test: pH. Give a description and the significance.

chemical test- measure of H+ concentration that determines acidity or alkalinity, normal range is 6-9 for aquatic organisms- pollution tends to make water acidic

Water quality test: Nitrates/Phosphates. Give a description and the significance.

chemical test- nutrients in an aquatic system, limiting factors for algae/plant growth- eutrophication- can indicate fertilizer, sewage, animal waste runoff

Water pollution type: thermal. Give an example and a major source.

heat, nuclear power plants

Water pollution type: heavy metals. Give an example and a major source.

mercury, mining

Water pollution type: plant nutrients. Give an example and a major source.

nitrates and phosphates, inorganic fertilizers

Water pollution type: organic chemicals. Give an example and a major source.

oil, industry

Water quality test: temperature. Give a description and the significance.

physical test- increase in water temperature is thermal pollution, warm temperatures decrease dissolved oxygen and may be outside the range of tolerance

Water quality test: turbidity. Give a description and the significance.

physical test- measure of suspended solids, water clarity is important to photosynthetic organisms and sediments may clog fish gills