1. Review

2. City Council Sewage Vote Last night the Fremont City Council, by a 4-to-1 vote, approved an upgrade of the town’s sewage treatment facility. The treatment plant, which currently discharges one million gallons of treated wastewater into the Fremont River daily, will be upgraded from primary to secondary treatment next year. Councilperson Ramos noted that the upgrade was needed to protect the water quality of the Fremont River. A local environmental scientist, Dr. Goodwin, advised the council members that sewage treatment plants may solve a water quality problem, but they create a solid-waste problem. 1.Identify ONE component of the sewage that is targeted for removal by primary treatment and ONE component of sewage that is targeted for removal by secondary treatment. 2.For EACH of the pollutants that you identified in part (a), describe now the pollutant is removed in the treatment process. Primary treatment: Large solid materials (Rocks, gravel, sand, solid human waste, twigs, cans etc.) and (FOG fats, oils and greases) Secondary treatment: Dissolved/suspended organic material (human waste, soaps, detergents, food, pathogens like E. Coli and Coliform) and (phosphates and nitrates) All large solid materials use a physical process like grid filtration, screening, filters etc. Sand, grit and fecal material use a settling tank to allow it to settle out FOGs float and can be skimmed off the top Any dissolved organic compounds can be consumed by aerobic bacteria Pathogen killed with chlorine, ozone or UV. Nitrates/ammonia use denitrifying anaerobic bacteria

3. 3. Explain how sewage treatment plants create the solid waste problem that Dr. Goodwin mentioned in the article. 4. Two common methods of disposing of solid waste from sewage treatment plants are transporting it to a landfill or spreading it onto agricultural lands. Describe an environmental problem associated with EACH of these methods. 5. The final step in sewage treatment is disinfection. Identify ONE pollutant that is targeted during disinfection and identify ONE commonly used method of disinfection. 6. Identify ONE United States Federal Law that requires monitoring the quality of the treated sewage that is discharges into the Fremont River. Solid particulates left over after primary and secondary treatment now pose a solid waste issue that must be disposed of elsewhere, usually in landfills. Landfill problems: Takes up room in existing landfills and may result in the expansion or development of new landfills. Potential contamination of groundwater from leachate. Agricultural problems: Human and animal health problems with bacterial contamination on food. Field runoff of human waste can contaminate surface water and lead to cultural eutrophication. Any pathogens like E. Coli bacteria, Coliform bacteria, Giardia, Cholera, and Viruses. Use chlorine, ozone, or UV. Clean Water Act or Safe Water Drinking Act

4. Hydroelectric power/affordable (inexpensive) electricity Flood control Storage of water for domestic/nonagricultural use; municipal water supply (must specify a nonagricultural use) Multiple dams have been erected along the Colorado River. Identify TWO benefits other than agriculture and recreation that people derive from that system of dams. Discuss TWO potential environmental consequences of damming a major river. Describe TWO conservation strategies for reducing agricultural water consumption. Identify TWO possible environmental consequences of climate change on the hydrology of the Colorado River system. Habitat alteration; displacement or death of native species (e.g., fish, plants, birds) Population decline of migratory fish (salmon, etc.) or disruption of fish migrations Risk of flood from catastrophic failure of dam Sedimentation behind dam Downstream ecosystems deprived of sediments, nutrients, or water Reduction of available water because of increased evaporative loss Use drip irrigation Choose crops that do not require irrigation in that climate Breed/select/develop crops for more efficient water use or drought tolerance Irrigate when evaporative loss is lower (e.g., at night) Level fields to improve delivery efficiency Warmer temperatures: Increased evaporation/bodies of water and soil. Reduced snow pack. Increased precipitation: Increased surface water or groundwater inputs/Increased sedimentation in bodies of water (opposite for decreased precipitation) More and stronger storms/Increased sedimentation flooding and runoff

5. Shown below is a diagram that indicates the sites where the students collected water samples (labeled A through D, upstream to downstream) and a table of the results of the students’ water tests. Assess the likelihood that animal waste is contaminating the water. Discuss the scientific basis of your assessment. Yes animal waste is present. Animal waste is composed of organic material which must be broken down by aerobic bacteria. Activity by aerobic bacteria increase the BOD (biological oxygen demand) and therefor lowers the dissolved oxygen in the water column as seen between samples A and B. Biological waste contains phosphates and nitrates. The increase in the concentrations of each of these from sample A to B shown a possible contamination from animal waste.

6. Describe a sequence of ecological changes that might result from the discharge of animal waste into a body of water. The animal waste would increase the stream fertility by introducing phosphates and nitrates causing an algal bloom. The algae will begin to die off and be decomposed reducing dissolved oxygen. This decrease in dissolved oxygen will result in the loss of sensitive indicator species like trout and larval forms of organisms. Coral reefs are produced when corals acquire calcium ions (Ca 2+ ) and carbonate ions (CO 3 2- ) from seawater and deposit solid CaCO 3 to form their exoskeletons. Scientists are concerned that relatively rapid decreases in ocean water pH will hinder the deposition of CaCO 3. The graph above shows the amount of CO 2 dissolved in ocean water and ocean water pH (shown in parentheses) since 1850 and the predicted changes through 2100. Explain how an increase in the amount of dissolved CO 2 in ocean water results in a decrease in the pH of ocean water. Explain why the movement of carbon into the ocean has increasing since 1850. When carbon dioxide dissolves in the ocean, it forms an carbonic acid (H2CO3) which lowers the pH. The concentration of carbon or carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased based on the burning of fossil fuels. The ocean acts as a carbon sink and the excess carbon dioxide released diffuses into the oceans increasing concentration.

7. In order to model the effects of ocean acidification on coral reefs, some simplifying assumptions can be made. Use the assumptions in the table below to perform the calculations that follow. Assume that the total global area of corals growing in reefs is 2.5 x 10 11 m 2 Assume that corals grow only vertically and that the average vertical growth rate of corals is 3 mm/year. Assume that the average density of CaCO 3 in corals is 2 x 10 3 kg/m 3. Calculate the current annual global increase in volume, in m 3 per year, of CaCO 3 in coral reefs. Show all steps in your calculation. Calculate the current annual global increase in mass, in kg, of CaCO 3 in coral reefs. Show all steps in your calculation. Because of ocean acidification, it is expected that in 2050 the mass of CaCO 3 deposited annually in coral reefs will be 20 percent less than is deposited currently. Calculate how much less CaCO 3, in kg, is expected to be deposited in 2050 than would be deposited if ocean water pH were to remain at its current value. Identify and describe one likely negative environmental impact of the loss of coral reefs. 2.5 x 10 11 m 2 x 3 mm x 1 m = 7.5 x 10 8 m 3 /year year 1000 mm 7.5 x 10 8 m 3 x 2 x 10 3 kg = 1.5 x 10 12 kg/year year1 m 3 0.2 x 1.5 x 10 12 kg = 3 x 10 11 kg Habitat loss/Elimination of a food source for marine life, breeding grounds for fish and niches Loss of biodiversity/loss of carbon sink/loss of coastal protection (include a description)

8. identify one environmental problem (other than one due to ocean acidification or loss of coral reefs) that affects marine ecosystems on a global scale. Identify one international regulation or United States federal law that applies to the harvesting of marine food resources and explain how that regulation or law helps to manage marine species. The oceans of the world are often referred to as commons. Give an example of one other such commons, explain how human activities affect that commons, and suggest one practical method for managing that commons. Overfishing Destructive fishing practices (e.g., bottom trawling, drift netting) Increased ocean temperatures Introduction of invasive species Nutrient pollution/Eutrophication Hypoxia/Dead zones Garbage/plastic debris (e.g., Great Pacific Garbage Patch) Oil spills/Off-shore oil drilling Mercury pollution ESA-Prohibits the harm or harvesting of endangered species including marine. Protects habitats Marine Mammal protection act-Protection and conservation of marine mammals Cities-prevents trade of threatened or endangered species including marine U.S. Whale Conservation and Protection act-Prohibits the harvesting of whales in U.S. waters. Atmosphere, Aquifers, National forests, Antarctica, any public resource. Education to the public-like forests fire prevention, eutrophication of lakes. Regulations or laws-like reducing phosphates and nitrates in detergents to stop eutrophication

9. Choose any ONE of the three pollutants mentioned above and respond to each of the following. Describe one specific source, other than the local chemical plants, for the toxic pollutant you choose. PCB/Most electronics, Pesticides, Wood treatments, Paint, Plastic, Waste oil, Roofing materials Mercury/Coal burning, mining, Thermometers, Compact fluorescent light bulbs, Dental work Lead/Paint, Water pipes, Lead glaze on ceramics, Gasoline additives, Lead bullets and shot, Batteries, Electronics, Mine waste containing lead, Smelting

10. Describe how the pollutant you chose enters the human body and one specific effect it can have on human health PCBs/Ingesting seafood contaminated with PCBs, Absorption through skin, Drinking contaminated water, Inhaling dust contaminated with PCBs Mercury/Ingesting seafood contaminated with mercury, Ingesting food or water contaminated by soil, mine waste or particulates containing mercury, Inhaling mercury vapors (from broken thermometers, barometers, compact fluorescent light bulbs, etc.) Absorption through skin, Medical and dental procedures Lead/Ingesting food or water from ceramic tableware produced with lead-containing glazes, Ingesting food or water contaminated by soil, mine waste, particulates or plumbing containing lead, Ingesting lead-based paint, Inhaling dust or vapors contaminated with lead Health effects (same for all 3): Birth defects, Nervous system damage, Brain damage, Learning disabilities, Mental retardation, Paralysis, Attention deficit disorder Described TWO specific steps, other than an outright ban, that a city or nation can take to reduce the threat posed by this pollutant. Used for all 3 just change chemical: Educate people about how to avoid PCBs, Substitute safer alternatives for PCBs, Replace products that contain PCBs with different products, Collect and safely dispose of products containing PCBs, Phytoremediation of contaminated areas, Treat water supplies to remove PCBs, Restrict fishing for species known to have high PCB concentrations Mercury only reduce coal use Lead only remove old lead paint from buildings and replace with non lead based paints

11. Children take in more water, food and air per unit of body weight than adults, Children often put dirty objects or hands in their mouths, Children have less developed immune systems, The liver of a child does not metabolize pollutants as efficiently as the liver of an adult. Give reason why it is correct in asserting that children are particularly susceptible to toxic pollutants. Is the Seafood We Eat Safe? Poisonous mercury is on our dinner plates everywhere – in sea bass served in fancy restaurants, in tuna casserole ladled out at home. Most of the time it is harmless, but eat enough and it can damage the nervous system, especially the brain, and too much in pregnant and breast feeding women can hurt their babies – adversely affecting children’s intelligence, coordination, and memory. But how much is too much? Are adults at risk as well? On the basis of the article above, indicate one human activity that releases mercury into the environment. Describe how mercury is transported form that source and enters aquatic systems, often hundreds of miles away. Describe TWO ways that the amount of mercury released into the environment form the source in part (a) could be reduced. Humans release mercury into the environment through the burning of coal. The unburned coal, soot and gases, enter the atmosphere from giant smokestacks. Once in the air the mercury is transported hundred of miles in air currents (wind) and is deposited into aquatic systems by precipitation. Once in the water it becomes incorporated into the food chain and bioaccumulates and biomagnifies. Burn higher rank coal to generate more BTUs with less coal burning. Use a different type of fossil fuel, like natural gas that has low to no mercury. Switch to renewables like solar.

12. An important contributor to global climate change is the release of carbon dioxide form the rapidly increasing number of coal-burning power plants in China. Assume that the coal burned at these plants to provide the power to manufacture a single MP3 player releases 40 kg of carbon dioxide and that costs $0.75 to capture 1 kg of carbon dioxide and keep it from entering the atmosphere. Determine the cost, in dollars, to capture the total amount of carbon dioxide released from manufacturing one MP3 player. Coal-burning power plants also release other pollutants, including nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and particulates. Select one of these pollutants and identify one technology that can be used to remove it from the waste stream of coal-burning power plants. Discuss TWO reasons why a multinational company would choose to build a manufacturing facility in India and/or China rather than in the United States or Europe. Explain why there are greater health risks associated with eating large predatory fish, such as tuna and sea bass, than from eating small non-predatory fish. All three Coal gasification (is the process of producing syngas) For particulates/Scrubber, Filters and Electrostatic precipitator Less stringent environmental regulations, Less expensive labor (Large populations of workers willing to work for lower wages), Lower health-care costs for workers, Less expensive property 40kg CO2 x $0.75 = $30 1 kg CO2 Bioaccumulation and biomagnification