Water Pollution 1.

Water pollution is any chemical, biological or physical change in water quality that has a harmful effect on living organisms or makes water unsuitable for desired uses. 2. Toxicity is the relative ability of a substance to cause adverse effects in living organisms 3. Hazardous refers to a compound which causes acute or chronic health problems, including, but not limited to, death. 4. Hazardous refers to a compound which causes acute or chronic health problems, including, but not limited to, death. 5. Non-point source: pollution that occurs from multiple sources with no single polluter identified. 6. Point source: pollution that comes from a specific location.Ex: industrial discharge, sludge from a copper mine. 7. Who are the polluters? The major source of 41-48% water pollution is agriculture according to the EPA. Population growth, food production, water use and water pollution, Industrial Facilities, Municipal, Mining 8. Water polluted with Disease-causing agents, Oxygen demanding waste, Plant nutrients (NO3-, PO43-), Organic chemicals (solvents, petroleum), Inorganic chemicals (Fe, Pb, NH3), Sediment, Heat 9. Types Examples Sources
Infectious agents Oxygendemanding waste Plant nutrients Organic chemicals Bacteria, viruses, Human and parasites animal waste Biodegradable animal waste & plant debris NO3, PO4, SO4 Petroleum products, plastics, cleaners, etc. Sewage, animal feedlots, food processing plants, pulp mills Sewage, animal waste, fertilizers Industry, farms, households

10.

Types
Inorganic chemicals Sediment Thermal

Examples
Acids, salts, metal compounds Clay, sand, silt Heat

Sources
Industry, households, surface runoff Erosion, farms, industry Power plants, nuclear facilities, industry

11. Effects of pollution - The two major effects of water pollution are:exposure to infectious agents from contaminated drinking water; not having enough water for effective sanitation. 12.

Type of Organism

Disease

Effects

Bacteria Virus

Typhoid fever diarrhea, vomiting, inflammation stomach pain, nausea, vomiting Enteritis Hepatitis B fever, severe headache, jaundice, enlarged liver diarrhea, abdominal pain diarrhea, cramps, fatigue Abdominal pain, rash, anemia, chronic fatigue

Parasites Dysentery Giardiasis Parasitic worms Schistosomiasis

13. The definition of clean or safe water is very dependent on its use and the laws that affect the source and discharge of the water. 14. Drinking Water: Safe Drinking Water Act Surface Water: Clean Water Act Groundwater: CWA, RCRA as Solid Waste, CERCLA for clean-up 15. Surface Water is polluted by:human activity, industrial activity, power plants 16. Water quality biological and chemical 17. Chemical Water Quality -Water Quality Index (WQI) is a set of standard test parameters used to compare water quality all around the country. 18. WQI Parameters - Dissolved Oxygen (DO), pH, Temperature Change (T), Fecal Coliform, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Nitrates, Total Phosphates, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Turbidity or Total Suspended Solids (TSS). 19. Measurements of each parameter are taken and recorded and then are converted into a Q value 20. Water Quality Index Scale 91 - 100: Excellent Water Quality 71 - 90: Good Water Quality 51 - 70: Medium or Average Quality 26 - 50: Fair Water Quality 0 - 25: Poor Water Quality 21. Dissolved Oxygen Oxygen gas is not very soluble in water. As the temperature of a liquid increases, the solubility of gases in that liquid decrease. T, Solubility. 22. Gas Solubility - Heating a solution of a gas enables the particles of gas to move more freely between the solution and the gas phase. 23. Most of the DO in surface water comes from contact with the atmosphere. Splashing and flowing water traps oxygen or Photosynthetic organisms also produce oxygen

24. The test for DO determines the availability of oxygen for aquatic life 25. A high concentration of DO indicates high water quality 26. The main factor contributing to changes in dissolved oxygen levels is the build- up of organic wastes. 27. Depletions in dissolved oxygen can cause major shifts in the kinds of aquatic organisms found in water bodies. 28. BOD - Biochemical oxygen demand is a measure of the quantity of oxygen used by these microorganisms in the aerobic oxidation of organic matter. 29. Point sources of organic pollution include: pulp and paper mills; meat-packing plants; food processing industries; wastewater treatment plants. 30. Non-point sources of organic matter include: Urban runoff of rain and melting snow that carries sewage from illegal sanitary sewer connections into storm drains; pet wastes from streets and sidewalks; nutrients from lawn fertilizers; leaves, grass clippings, and paper from residential areas; Agricultural runoff that carries nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphates, from fields; Runoff from animal feedlots that carries fecal material into rivers. 31. As organic pollution increases, the ecologically stable and complex relationships present in waters containing a high diversity of organisms is replaced by a low diversity of pollutiontolerant organisms. 32. The pH test measures the H+ ion concentration of liquids and substances. 33. Every one unit change on the pH scale, there is approximately a ten-fold change in how acidic or basic the sample is. 34. In the U.S., the pH of natural water is usually between 6.5 and 8.5, although wide variations can occur. Increased amounts of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO-2), primarily from automobile and coal-fired power plant emissions, are converted to nitric acid and sulfuric acid in the atmosphere. 35. Most organisms have adapted to life in water of a specific pH and may die if it changes even slightly. 36. Very acidic waters can also cause heavy metals, such as copper and aluminum, to be released into the water. 37. As aquatic plants and animals die, bacteria break down large protein molecules into ammonia. 38. Sewage is the main source of nitrates added by humans to rivers and lakes. 39. When septic system drain fields are placed too close to the water table, nutrients and bacteria are able to percolate down into the groundwater where they may contaminate drinking water supplies. 40. Eutrophication promotes more plant growth and decay, which in turn increases biochemical oxygen demand. 41. Water containing high nitrate levels can cause a serious condition called methemoglobinemia (met-hemo-glo-bin-emia), if it is used for infant milk formula. This condition prevents the baby's blood from carrying oxygen; hence the nickname "blue baby" syndrome. 42. Thermal pollution is an increase in water temperature caused by adding relatively warm water to a body of water. Industries, such as nuclear power plants, may cause thermal pollution by discharging water used to cool machinery.

43. Thermal pollution may also come from stormwater running off warmed urban surfaces, such as streets, sidewalks, and parking lots. 44. People also affect water temperature by cutting down trees that help shade the river, exposing the water to direct sunlight 45. As water temperature rises, the rate of photosynthesis and plant growth also increases. More plants grow and die. As plants die, they are decomposed by bacteria that consume oxygen. Therefore, when the rate of photosynthesis is increased, the need for oxygen in the water (BOD) is also increased. 46. The metabolic rate of organisms also rises with increasing water temperatures, resulting in even greater oxygen demand. The life cycles of aquatic insects tend to speed up in warm water. 47. Turbidity is a measure of the relative clarity of water: the greater the turbidity, the murkier the water. 48. High turbidity may be caused by soil erosion, waste discharge, urban runoff, abundant bottom feeders (such as carp) that stir up bottom sediments, or algal growth. 49. At higher levels of turbidity, water loses its ability to support a diversity of aquatic organisms. 50. Fecal coli-form bacteria are found in the feces of humans and other warm-blooded animals. Fecal coli-form bacteria naturally occur in the human digestive tract, and aid in the digestion of food. 51. If fecal coli-form counts are high = Diseases and illness such as typhoid fever, hepatitis, gastroenteritis, dysentery, and ear infections can be contracted in waters with high fecal coliform counts. 52. Phosphorus is usually present in natural waters as phosphate. Organic phosphate is a part of living plants and animals, their by-products, and their remains. Inorganic phosphates are ions and are bonded to soil particles; there are some phosphates present in laundry detergents. 53. Phosphorus is a plant nutrient needed for growth, and a fundamental element in the metabolic reactions of plants and animals. Plant growth is limited by the amount of phosphorus available. 54. Forest fires and fallout from volcanic eruptions are natural events that cause eutrophication. 55. Phosphorus comes from several sources: human wastes, animal wastes, industrial wastes, and human disturbance of the land and its vegetation. 56. Cultural eutrophication causes a shift in aquatic life to a fewer number of pollution tolerant species. 57. Aquatic ecosystems have the capacity to recover if the opportunity is provided by: 1. Reducing our use of lawn fertilizers; 2. Encouraging better farming practices; 3. Preserving natural vegetation whenever possible, particularly near shorelines; preserving wetlands to absorb nutrients and maintain water levels; enacting strict ordinances to prevent soil erosion; 4. Supporting measures (including taxes) to improve phosphorus removal by wastewater treatment plants and septic systems; treating storm sewer wastes if necessary; encouraging homeowners along lakes and streams to invest in community sewer systems.

58. Contamination can move - Groundwater tends to move very slowly and with little turbulence, dilution, or mixing. 59. Solutions for water pollution prevent groundwater contamination; reduce nonpoint runoff; reuse treated wastewater for irrigation; find substitutes for toxic pollutants, work with nature to treat sewage; practice 4 Rs of resource use (refuse, reduce, recycle, reuse); reduce air pollution; reduce poverty; reduce birth rates. 60. What can you do??? water pollution Fertilize garden and yard plants with manure or compost instead of commercial inorganic fertilizer. Minimize your use of pesticides. Do not apply fertilizer or pesticides near a body of water. Grow or buy organic foods. Do not drink bottled water unless tests show that your tap water is contaminated. Merely refill and reuse plastic bottles with tap water. Compost your food wastes Do not pour pesticides, paints, solvents, oil, antifreeze, or other products containing harmful chemicals down the drain or onto the ground. Do not flush unwanted medicines down the toilet Do not use water fresheners in toilets