Freshwater Pollution Guided Notes

Holt Environmental Science Section 5.2, pg. 131

1.What is water pollution? water pollution is the
introduction of chemical, physical, or biological
agents into water.
2.What are the major causes of water pollution?
Water pollution has two causes:
industrialization and the human pollution
explosion.
3.What is point pollution? Provide one example.
point pollution is pollution thats discharged
from a single source.
4.What is nonpoint pollution? Provide one
example. non point pollution is pollution that
comes from many sources rather than one
specific site, an example is when it rains oil on
the street will wash up in sewers which drains
into our waterways.
5.Why is nonpoint pollution a more serious
problem? Nonpoint pollution is a more serious
problem because since it can enter bodies of
water in so many different ways it is extremely
difficult to regulate and control
**Leave some room here for a sketch (wastewater
treatment) **

6.What is sludge and how do we deal with it?

Is thick, soft, wet mud or a similar viscous
mixture of liquid and solid components,
especially the product of an industrial or
refining process and we have sewers to deal
with it
7.What are pathogens? List some examples.
Are disease-causing organisms, such as
bacteria, viruses, parasitic worms. Pathogens
can enter water supplies.
8.How can biological magnification affect
polluted aquatic ecosystems?
It can increase concentration
**Leave some room here for sketches (bio
magnifications & eutrophication) **
9.What is thermal pollution and why is it a
problem?
Is the amount of heat thats added to bodies of
water?
10. What is the Clean Water Act? When was it
passed?
The purpose was to restore and maintain the
chemical, physical and biological integrity of
nations water

11. Why will groundwater pollution be a longlasting problem?

Because the storage tanks we will need

12. Where does most bottled water come

from?
its tap water that has been filtered