water pollution. anything that impacts the quality of water? but naturally occurring events like...
TRANSCRIPT
Anything that impacts the quality of water?
But naturally occurring events like volcanos, storms, earthquakes and algae blooms generate changes in water health
So a precise definition needs to include additional conditions:
~The changes caused by human activity that make water unfit for human use~
In Canada any release of 347 distinct substance to air, water or land must be reported to Environment Canada.
Annually, over 90% of the substances released into Canadian water comes from 3 pollutants
1) Nitrate2) Ammonia3) phosphorus
Sources and Types of Pollution:Point SourceOriginate from
single pointeg.sewage outflowIndustry effluent
pipe
Nonpoint SourceContamination from
sediment, nutrients organic or toxic substance carried into lakes/streams by surface runoff
eg. Fertilizer, oil from cars
There are 3 basic forms of water pollution:
1) Chemical2) Biological3) PhysicalBut a more detailed list would
include:- nutrients - sediment- Toxic or chemical -
bacterial- Thermal (warm or cold)
N, P, K runoff intoWater bodies
Nutrients stimulate growthOf phytoplankton (algae, bacteria)
The “bloom” of plankton is Too much for normal
Predators to consume. They die and decay
Bacteria consume the decayingPhytoplankton and use upAvailable oxygen in water
Without oxygen there isVery little decay so ponds
And lakes will fill withOrganic material
Note: some pollution is actually biodegradable
Pollution that does not biodegrade is called persistent
Persistant Organic Pollutants (POP’s):
- Toxic - resist degradation- Bioaccumulate- Transport through air, water and
species
In 2009 152 nations signed a convention obligating them to
1) Eliminate 2) Restrict3) Or work to eliminate the Dirty
Dozen POP’s
Water Pollution – Great LakesWater Pollution – Great Lakes1) Why is it “ironic” that Lake Erie was
declared dead?
2) How does phosphorus pollute water?
3) What do toxic pollutants do to aquatic life?
4) How do POP’s effect human health?
5) Why is dilution not the solution?
6) What is the IJC?