water poll.ppt - cabrillo college › ~dschwartz › documents › water_poll_forpost...3/19/2012 2...

3/19/2012

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How can we increase freshwater supplies for a growing human population?

5 Technological Solutions to Water Scarcity:

1. Extract Groundwater

2. Build Dams and Reservoirs to store runoff

3. Bring in surface water from other areas: Watershed Transfer

4. Desalination

Desalination: converting salt water to freshwater

• Techniques:

Solar Stills

Reverse Osmosis:Meets less than 0.3% of world’s water needs. This would have to increase ~33 fold just to supply 10% of current water use.

• Where used:

Middle East, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Florida,

California, North Africa

• Major Limitations:– CO2 output

– Produces lots of waste water with high level of salt and other minerals.

– Large structures, unsightly, noise

– Harms marine environment

Desalination plant deemed a success in Santa Cruzhttp://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_12129753 Web Link

There are over 13,000 desalination plants Worldwide that produce more than 12 billion gallons of water/day.

Largest in US is in Tampa Bay Florida, 25 million gal/day

Carlsbad Ca Desalination Project: Construction began in November 2009 and will be operational by 2012 at a cost of ~ 320 million.

It will produce 50 million gal/day and supply the San Diego region with ~10% of its drinking water.

It will be the largest desal plant in the western hemisphere. Currently Tampa Bay Florida is the largest at 25 mill gal/day.


1) Extract Groundwater 2) Build Dams and

Reservoirs to store runoff3) Bring in surface water from

other areas: Watershed Transfer

4) Desalination

#5)??? IPR“Toilet to Tap”


5 Technological Solutions to Water Scarcity:

1. Extract Groundwater

2. Build Dams and Reservoirs to store runoff

3. Bring in surface water from other areas: Watershed Transfer

4. Desalination

5. IPR (Indirect Potable Reuse) or “Toilet‐to‐tap”

Its Time to Drink Toilet Waterhttp://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/green_room/2008/01/its_time_to_drink_toilet_water.html

Web Link

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Desalination:

• is more expensive, $800 – $2,000 per acre foot compared to ~$525 per acre foot for IPR water

• requires more energy than IPR water, therefore >greenhouse gas emissions

• Large buildings near coastline, noise, “eye sore”

• kills marine organisms

• has a brine waste, often returned to the ocean and/or pumped back into the ground

IPR:

• has “Yuk Factor”

Indirect Potable Reuse VS Desalination?How can we increase freshwater supplies for a

growing human population?

1) Extract Groundwater 2) Build Dams and

Reservoirs to store runoff3) Bring in surface water

from other areas: Watershed Transfer

4) Desalination5) IPR “Toilet to Tap”6) Improving water

efficiency

#6) Improving Water Efficiency• Irrigation accounts for ~65% of the world’s water use but

<50% reaches the crops. Gravity Flow or Flood not so great, Center Pivot better, Drip BEST, computer irrigation systems much better

• ~74% of water use in Ca is used for agriculture.

• ~ 65% ‐ 70% of fresh water humans use worldwide is lost by evaporation and leaks.

• ~ 1/2 of US municipal water is used to flush toilets and water lawns. Another 15% is lost through leaky pipes.

• Typical US home: flushing, washing hands / dishes and bathing is ~78% of water use.

WATER POLLUTIONWATER POLLUTION: Any biological, physical or chemical change in surface or groundwater quality that harms life or makes water unsuited for specific uses.

Analyzing Water Quality?Direct sampling / Tissue sampling

• Measuring colonies of fecal coliform bacteria

• Measure dissolved oxygen and biological oxygen demand

• Chemical analysis to determine presence / concentration of organic and inorganic chemicals, pH, temperature

• Quantify living organisms “indicator species”

vertebrate and invertebrates

• Measuring sediment content / turbidity / TDS

NONPOINT SOURCES

Urban streets

Suburban development

Wastewater treatment plant

Rural homes

Cropland

Factory

Animal feedlot

POINT SOURCES

Point Sources: definite, easily located sites: pipes, sewers,septic systems, ditches, oil platforms. Relatively easy to monitor and enforce.

Nonpoint Sources: no clear outflow site, contaminants are difficult to trace to specific site. Run off from cities, farms, feedlots etc.

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MAJOR CATEGORIES ORSOME COMMON TYPES OF WATER POLLUTION

1. Infectious Agents

2. Organic Chemicals

3. Inorganic Chemicals

4. Radioactive Materials

5. Sediment

6. Plant Nutrients

7. Oxygen Demanding Waste

8. Thermal

9. Genetic

10. Debris, Plastic, Styrofoam, Garbage

SOME COMMON TYPES OF WATER POLLUTION

• INFECTIOUS AGENTS: Bacteria, Viruses, Parasitic Protozoa.

• SOURCES: Human and animal excreta / fecal materialDeveloped Countries: ~90% have adequate sewage disposal, ~95% clean drinking water. In Developing Countries ~1.4 billion people lack adequate sanitation. (1 cow produces 66lbs of manure/day. MAJOR feedlots have many 1,000’s of animals with no provisions for capturing runoff.)

• HARMFUL EFFECTS: causes disease, health problems

Table 22‐2Page 493

Common Diseases Transmitted to Humans Through Contaminated Drinking Water

Type of Organism

Bacteria

Viruses

Parasitic protozoa

Parasitic worms

Disease

Typhoid fever

Cholera

Bacterial dysentery

Enteritis

Infectious hepatitis

Amoebic dysentery

Giardiasis

Schistosomiasis

Effects

Diarrhea, severe vomiting, enlarged spleen, inflamed intestine; often fatal if untreated

Diarrhea, severe vomiting, dehydration; often fatal if untreated

Diarrhea; rarely fatal except in infants without proper treatment

Severe stomach pain, nausea, vomiting; rarely fatal

Fever, severe headache, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, jaundice, enlarged liver;rarely fatal but may cause permanent liver damage

Severe diarrhea, headache, abdominal pain, chills, fever; if not treated can cause liver abscess, bowel perforation, and death

Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, flatulence, belching, fatigue

Abdominal pain, skin rash, anemia, chronic fatigue, and chronic general ill health

Estimated by 2025 that ~3 bill people in 90 countries will face serious water stress

Santa Cruz County Beacheswater quality data 2009

sccounty01.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/eh/environmental_water_quality


• ORGANIC CHEMICALS: Persistent organicPollutants(POPS): DDT, PCB, PAH. Associated with the production of: Oil, Gasoline, Pesticides, Plastics, Paints, Detergents

• SOURCES: Industrial and household waste, farms, roads, golf courses. Also flame retardants, pesticides, burning fossil fuels1,000’s of organic (and inorganic) chemicals used to produce plastics, pharmaceuticals, pigments, paints

• HARMFUL EFFECTS: contaminates groundwater & surface water, causes health problems, harms fish, wildlife

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)They’re mixtures of up to 209 individual chlorinated compounds (known as congeners) used as flame retardants.

Organo- Chlorine Pesticides They include DDT which was a major pesticide used in agriculture until it was banned.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH’s) PAH’s are a group of over 100 different chemicals that are formed during the incomplete burning of coal, oil and gas, garbage, or other organic substances like tobacco or charbroiled meat. PAHs are found in coal tar, crude oil, creosote, and roofing tar, plastics, and pesticides.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS) absorb into plastic marine debrisThey are Hydrophobic

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Plastics Absorb Persistent Organic Pollutants POPs

in high concentrations

One plastic pellet can have up to 1 million times higher concentration of POPs than an equal volume of seawater. (Takada, 2001)

Nurdles; a pre production plastic resin pellet ~60 billion lbs manufactures in US/yr, 1 lb = 25,000 nurdlesNurdles = ~10% plastic debris in the oceans, often over 90% of plastic on beaches. Nurdles attract or accumulate POP’sPlastic Pollution: Nurdleshttp://www.speakupforblue.com/everything-ocean/plastic-pollution-nurdles

Web Link


• INORGANIC CHEMICALS: Acids, Bases, Metals (Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn, Sn, Cd, As, Se) and Salts

• SOURCES: Industrial effluents, processing fossil fuels / petroleum distillation, mining, household chemicals, farming / road salt, surface runoff

• HARMFUL EFFECTS: causes health problems such as cancer and nervous system damage, pollutes groundwater, harms aquatic life, lowers crop yields, accelerate corrosion of metals, vehicles & roads

Waterboatman

Whirligig

Yellow perch

Lake trout

Brown trout

Salamander(embryonic)

Mayfly

SmallmouthBass

Mussel6.5 6.0 5.5 5.0 4.5 4.0 3.5pH

Effects on Aquatic Ecosystems


• RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS:U, Th, Cs, Ra, Rn

• SOURCES: Mining and Processing Ores, Weapons Production, Power Plants

• HARMFUL EFFECTS: causes health problems such as cancer, birth defects, miscarriages and mutations


• SEDIMENT: Sand, silt, clay, soil

• SOURCES: Deforestation, logging, mining mineral resources, urban construction

• HARMFUL EFFECTS: Harms aquatic organisms and food webs, reduces biological production / photosynthesis, carries pesticides & bacteria, clogs / smothers lakes, reservoirs, streams and harborsCan a lack of sediment be harmful? Ex??

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• PLANT NUTRIENTS: Nitrates, Phosphates and Ammonia

• SOURCES: Agriculture and Urban Fertilizers, Sewage, Manure.

• HARMFUL EFFECTS: “Cultural Eutrophication”, ecosystem disruption, HAB’s,health problems

• Eutrophication: An increase in nutrient levels and biological activity; excessive growth of algae

• “Cultural Eutrophication” : Over nourishment from human activities

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

in Florida Bay

• Excessive nutrient runoff– Agricultural and urban sources

• Red Tides of algae– Poisons fish and marine mammals

– Coral species particularly effected


• OXYGEN DEMANDING WASTES:Biodegradable animal wastes, plant debris

• SOURCES: Septic Tanks, Sewage, Agriculture Runoff, Food Processing, and Paper Mills

• HARMFUL EFFECTS: lowers dissolved oxygen content by large populations of bacteria decomposing these wastes, harms aquatic life, ecosystem disruption

WaterQuality

Good 8- 9

Do (mg/l) at 20˚C

Slightlypolluted

Moderatelypolluted

Heavilypolluted

Gravelypolluted

6.7- 8

4.5- 6.7

Below 4.5

Below 4

Clean Zone DecompositionZone

Septic Zone Recovery Zone Clean Zone

Normal clean water organisms(trout, perch, bass,

mayfly, stonefly)

Trash fish(carp, gar,leeches)

Fish absent, fungi,sludge worms,

bacteria(anaerobic)

Trash fish(carp, gar,leeches)

Normal clean water organisms(trout, perch, bass,

mayfly, stonefly)

8 ppm

Dissolved oxygen

Biological oxygendemand

Oxygen sag

2 ppm

8 ppm

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n

Typ

es o

fo

rgan

ism

s

Time or distance downstream

Direction of flow

Point of waste orheat discharge

Pollution of Streamsoxygen sag curve

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• THERMAL: Heat

• SOURCES: Power Plants / Industrial Cooling, Loss of Riparian Flora

• HARMFUL EFFECTS: lowers dissolved oxygen content, harms aquatic life, ecosystem disruption

Image of the Hudson River highlights temperature changes caused by

discharge of 2.5 billion gallons of water each day

from the Indian Point power plant. The plant sits in the upper right of the photo. Two additional outflows from the Lovett coal‐fired power plant are also clearly visible against the natural temperature of the water in

green and blue.


• GENETIC:Introduced or Invasive Species

• SOURCES: Accidental or deliberate introduction of nonnative species ie. Zebra Mussels in Great Lakes

• HARMFUL EFFECTS: ecosystem disruption, clogs pipes, out-competes native species

• Aquatic Invasive Species or AIS (web link)http://www.oar.noaa.gov/oceans/t_invasivespecies.html

• Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) (web link)http://nas.er.usgs.gov/

Since 1988!


• Ocean Debris, Plastics, Styrofoam, Garbage

• SOURCES: ~80% land based; runoff from streets, cities, ~20% ships at sea

• HARMFUL EFFECTS: ecosystem disruption,harms aquatic life, plankton, fish, mammals, birds. Examples: Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Air Pollution• Global climate

change• Stratospheric ozone

depletion• Urban air pollution• Acid deposition• Outdoor pollutants• Indoor pollutants• Noise

Biodiversity Depletion• Habitat destruction• Habitat degradation• Extinction• Introduced Species

Water Pollution• Sediment• Nutrient overload• Toxic chemicals• Infectious agents• Oxygen

depletion• Pesticides• Oil spills• Excess heat

Waste Production• Solid waste• Hazardous waste

Geologic Hazards / Natural Disasters

• Earthquakes

• Tsunamis

• Mass Wasting

• Volcanism

• Hurricanes

• Flooding

• Coastal Erosion / Sea Level Rise

• Wetland loss

• Erosion / soil loss

• Fires

MajorEnvironmental

Problems

Plastic and debris in the world’s oceans

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Algalita Marine Research Foundation

Map by Paricia J Wynne

The North Pacific Gyre covers around 10 million square feet, which is about twice the size of the continental United States .

Where does the trash come from?

– 20% from ships, boaters, fishing industry

– 80% runoff from land activities

– ~60 – 80% of Marine Debris is Plastic (Derraik, 2002)

– Sometimes from Tsunamis: Japan Earthquake Tsunami Debris Floating Toward US

Japan‐earthquake‐tsunami‐debris‐floating‐US‐West‐Coast.htmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article‐1374520/Japan‐earthquake‐tsunami‐debris‐floating‐US‐West‐Coast.html

Source: The United Nations Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution (GESAMP) (Sheavly 2005)

Where does the trash come from?

–20% from sea activities

–80% from land activities

– 60-80% of marine debris worldwide is plastic. (Derraik, 2002)

Source: The United Nations Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution (GESAMP) (Sheavly 2005)

Land Activities•Swept by wind and storms through polluted rivers

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Japan‐‐‐ START POINTS ‐‐‐North America Japan‐‐‐ START POINTS ‐‐‐North America



Our Study Area

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PLASTIC WASTE PRODUCTION

199260 billionpounds(EPA,1992)

2004115 billionpounds(ACC, 2005)

Nine-fold increase of plastic in municipal waste in the U.S. between 1970-2003 (USEPA, 2003)

The amount of Marine Debris currently in the Northern Pacific Gyre is estimated to weigh 3.5 million tons.

Host for invasive species: non-biodegradables cross oceans

So why bad?Aesthetics.Breaks down, gets into food web.Animals / Birds ingest.Concentrates POP’s. Human health at risk.Acts as transport for invasive species.

Solutions?• Educate the general public. “Plastics don’t litter, people litter”

• Produce more bio‐degradable plastics

• Industry and producer responsibility

• Structural Controls: ie. river booms, catch basins, screens

• Have beach cleanups……. Great, but not the answer

• The Clean Oceans Project (TCOP) The Clean Oceans Project (TCOP) http://www.thecleanoceansproject.org./index.php Web Link

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Cabrillo College Oceanography’s24th Coastal Cleanup, May 1st 2010

108 people, 1,050lbs of Trash, 20 Lg Pizzas & more

Estimated total haul for 13 years is over 11 tonsProblem: the trash keeps coming back


1. Infectious Agents

2. Organic Chemicals

3. Inorganic Chemicals

4. Radioactive Materials

5. Sediment

6. Plant Nutrients

7. Oxygen Demanding Waste

8. Thermal

9. Genetic

10. Ocean Debris, Plastic, Styrofoam, Garbage

Study examples of each of these. Focus on their source and harmful effects.

water poll.ppt - cabrillo college › ~dschwartz › documents › water_poll_forpost...3/19/2012 2...

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