Download - Water Pollution
Water Pollution
G. Tyler Miller’sG. Tyler Miller’sLiving in the EnvironmentLiving in the Environment
G. Tyler Miller’sG. Tyler Miller’sLiving in the EnvironmentLiving in the Environment
Types and Sources of Water Pollution
Point sourcesPoint sources
Nonpoint sourcesNonpoint sources
Biological oxygen demand
Biological oxygen demandWater qualityWater qualityWater qualityWater quality
WaterWaterQualityQuality
GoodGood 8-98-9
Do (ppm) at 20˚CDo (ppm) at 20˚C
SlightlySlightlypollutedpolluted
ModeratelyModeratelypollutedpolluted
HeavilyHeavilypollutedpolluted
GravelyGravelypollutedpolluted
6.7-86.7-8
4.5-6.74.5-6.7
Below 4.5Below 4.5
Below 4Below 4Pg. 535
Point and Nonpoint Sources
NONPOINT SOURCES
Urban streets
Suburban development
Wastewater treatment plant
Rural homes
Cropland
Factory
Animal feedlot
POINT SOURCES
Water pollution
Bacteria,Viruses,Protozoa, Parasitic worms
Oxygen demanding substances Inorganic plant nutrients Organic chemicals Sediment or suspended matter Thermal pollution Genetic pollution
Rainbow smelt1.04 ppm
Zooplankton0.123 ppm
Phytoplankton0.0025 ppm
Water0.000002 ppm
Herring gull124 ppm
Lake trout4.83 ppm
Herring gull eggs124 ppm
Biological Magnification
Biological Magnification
Pollution of Streams Oxygen sag curveOxygen sag curve Oxygen sag curveOxygen sag curve
Fig. 20-5
Pollution of Lakes
Eutrophication Eutrophication Discharge of untreated
municipal sewage(nitrates and phosphates)
Nitrogen compoundsproduced by cars
and factories
Discharge of treatedmunicipal sewage
(primary and secondarytreatment:
nitrates and phosphates)
Discharge of detergents
( phosphates)
Natural runoff(nitrates andphosphates
Manure runoffFrom feedlots(nitrates andPhosphates,
ammonia)
Dissolving of nitrogen oxides
(from internal combustionengines and furnaces)
Runoff and erosion(from from cultivation,mining, construction,
and poor land use)
Runoff from streets,lawns, and construction
lots (nitrates andphosphates)
Lake ecosystemnutrient overload
and breakdown of chemical cycling
Fig .22.7, p. 499
Solutions to better water quality
Drainage Area Management Plans Agriculture plots 1987 Water Quality Act
Fig. 20-12
Aquifer
Water well
Migrating vapor phase
Contaminant plume moveswith the groundwater
Free gasolinedissolves ingroundwater(dissolved phase)
Groundwaterflow
Watertable
Gasolineleakage plume(liquid phase)
Leakingtank
Bedrock
Groundwater Pollution: Causes
Coal strip mine runoff
Pumping well
Waste lagoon
Accidental spills
Groundwater flow
Confined aquifer
Discharge
Leakage from faulty casing
Hazardous waste injection well
Pesticides
Gasoline station
Buried gasoline and solvent tank
Sewer
Cesspool septic tank
De-icing road salt
Unconfined freshwater aquifer
Confined freshwater aquifer
Water pumping well Landfill
Fig. 20-11
Groundwater Pollution Prevention
Monitoring aquifersMonitoring aquifers
Strictly regulating hazardous waste disposal
Strictly regulating hazardous waste disposal
Storing hazardous materials above ground
Storing hazardous materials above ground
Fig. 21-10, p. 505
Healthy zoneClear, oxygen-richwaters promote growthof plankton and sea grasses,and support fish.
Oxygen-depleted zoneSedimentation and algaeovergrowth reduce sunlight,kill beneficial sea grasses, useup oxygen, and degrade habitat.
Red tidesExcess nitrogen causesexplosive growth of toxicmicroscopic algae,poisoning fish andmarine mammals.
FarmsRunoff of pesticides, manure, and fertilizers adds toxins and excess nitrogen and phosphorus.
Toxic sedimentsChemicals and toxic metals contaminate shellfish beds, kill spawning fish, andaccumulate in the tissues of bottom feeders.
Construction sitesSediments are washed intowaterways, choking fish and plants, clouding waters, and blocking sunlight.
Urban sprawlBacteria and viruses fromsewers and septic tanks contaminate shellfish beds
Oxygen-depletedzone
Closedbeach
CitiesToxic metals and oil from streets and parking lots pollute waters;
IndustryNitrogen oxidesfrom autos andsmokestacks,toxic chemicals,and heavy metals in effluents flow into bays and estuaries.
Closedshellfish beds
Fig. 20-15
Reducing Water Pollution through Sewage Treatment
Primary and Secondary sewage treatment.Figure 20-19Figure 20-19
Technological Approach: Using Wetlands to Treat Sewage
((
((
45 centimeterlayer of limestonegravel coated with
decomposing bacteriaFirst concrete pool Second concrete pool
SewageSewage
Wetland typeWetland typeplantsplants
Wetland typeWetland typeplantsplants
TreatedTreatedwaterwater
Global Outlook: Stream Pollution in Developing Countries
Water in many of central China's rivers are greenish black from uncontrolled pollution by thousands of factories.
Figure 20-7Figure 20-7
Case Study: India’s Ganges River: Religion, Poverty, and Health
Religious beliefs, cultural traditions, poverty, and a large population interact to cause severe pollution of the Ganges River in India. Very little of the sewage is treated. Hindu believe in cremating the dead to free the
soul and throwing the ashes in the holy Ganges. Some are too poor to afford the wood to fully
cremate. Decomposing bodies promote disease and depletes
DO.
Case Study: India’s Ganges River: Religion, Poverty, and Health
Daily, more than 1 million Hindus in India bathe, drink from, or carry out religious ceremonies in the highly polluted Ganges River.
Drinking Water Quality
Safe Drinking Water Act
Safe Drinking Water Act
Maximum contaminant levels
Maximum contaminant levels
Bottled water
Bottled water
Is Bottled Water the Answer? Some bottled water is not as pure as tap
water and costs much more. 1.4 million metric tons of plastic bottles
are thrown away. Fossil fuels are used to make plastic
bottles. The oil used to produce plastic bottles in the
U.S. each year would fuel 100,000 cars.
Using Laws to Protect Drinking Water
The U.N. estimates that 5.6 million Americans drink water that does not meet EPA standards.
1 in 5 Americans drinks water from a treatment plant that violated one or more safety standard.
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 use water fresheners in toilets.
• Do not flush unwanted medicines down the toilet.
• Do not pour pesticides, paints, solvents, oil, antifreeze, or other products containing harmful chemicals down the drain or onto the ground.
Roger Rosenblatt
It is a hard truth to swallow, but nature does not care if we live or die. We cannot survive without the oceans, for example, but they can do just fine without us.
End chapter 20