1. Water Pollution
Chapter 14

2. Sources of Pollution Water Pollution
a. contamination of water with substances
produced through human activities and have
a negative effect on organisms
* Water pollution has the potential to impact both aquatic and terrestrial organisms.

3. Point Source vs. Nonpoint Source a. point source 1. distinct locations
ex) waste pumped into stream
b. nonpoint source
1. more diffuse areas
ex) runoff
* Being able to dinstinquish between the two can help in controlling pollutant inputs to waterways

4. Common types of pollutants in water a. human and animal waste
b. inorganic substances
c. organic compounds
d. synthetic organic compounds
e. nonchemical pollutants
For each of these types of pollutants, we must ask ourselves three things:
Where does it come from
What is it’s negative affect on humans and the environment
How can it be reduced

5. Human Wastewater Wastewater a. water produced by human activities
b. biggest challenge?
1. how to keep wastewater from polluting
drinking water
c. 3 concerns
1. decomposition
2. nutrient release
3. disease-causing organisms
Examples of wastewater:
Water from human sewage from toilets and gray water from bathing, washing clothes and dishes
challenge- big problem because a lot of people use the same source for drinking, bathing, washing, etc

6. Decomposition of wastewater a. oxygen-demanding waste
1. organic matter that enters a body of
water and feeds the growth of the
decomposers
2. biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
3. dead zones
- area of little life due to lack of oxygen
The decomposers require oxygen to decompose the waste, therefore the more waste, the more oxygen being used
Measured in terms of BOD
- higher the BOD, the more polluted the water is and vice versa

7. a. nitrogen and phosphorus - soaps and detergents in addition to
Release of nutrients
a. nitrogen and phosphorus
- soaps and detergents in addition to
decomposition
b. eutrophication
Products of decomposition – N and P
Decomposition releases these nutrients into wastewater providing fertility to the producers
Eutrophication
* Intially causes algal blooms which give off lots of oxygen but then die and decompose consuming lots of oxgen

8. Disease-causing organisms
a. pathogens – bacteria, viruses and parasites
that can cause an illness
ex) cholera, hepatitis
 top two worldwide
b. more common in developing countries

9. c. prevention 1. provide safe drinking water 2. proper sanitation 3
c. prevention 1. provide safe drinking water 2. proper sanitation 3. proper hygiene d. indicator species 1. used to detect if pathogen is in drinking water - most common is fecal coliform bacteria * e. coli

10. Treating Wastewater Overall approach to various methods
 breakdown of organic matter by bacteria into
CO2, nitrate, and phosphate
2 most common
a. septic systems
b. sewage treatment plants
Treatment of livestock waste – manure lagoons

11. a. rural areas, low population density, lots of land
Septic Systems
a. rural areas, low population density, lots of land
b. 2 parts  septic tank and leach field
c. septic tank
1. receives wastewater from house
2. three layers
- scum
- septage
- sludge
d. advantage
- no electricity needed
Each house typically has their own septic tank system
Septic tank
- buried underground adjacent to the house
- water flows from the house due to gravity into the tank on one end and leaves the tank due to gravity on the other end
- scum
* composed of anything that floats and it rises to the top to create this layer
- sludge
* anything that’s heavy and sinks to the bottom
- septage (wastewater)
* contains lots of bacteria as well as some pathogenic organisms and even nitrogen and phosphorus
* the septage moves out of the tank into the pipes located underground. Collection of these pipes is known as the leach field
* these pipes have small holes in them where the water will filter out and be absorped by the soil surrounding the pipes
* the pathogens will settle out of the wastewater into the bottom of the tank and becomes a part of the sludge
* the water and nutrients are eventually absorbed by plants and will enter a nearby stream or aquifer

12. Sugar Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Charlotte, NC
Sewage Treatment Plants
a. larger population densities, less open land
b. developed countries
- centralized plant
- receives wastewater through network of
underground pipes
Sugar Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Charlotte, NC

13. c. Process of sewage treatment plant 1
c. Process of sewage treatment plant 1. primary treatment - Goal “solid waste material to settle out of wastewater” (sludge)
Primary treatment
The solid material is then dried and classified as sludge
The volume of the material is reduced by removing it from the sludge
Pathogens within the wastewater are removed by exposing the water to bacteria that can digest the pathogens
Now the water is light and has less volume and can be transported away from the sewage treatment plant
The sludge that is left behind can be placed in a landfill, burned or converted into fertilizer

14. 2. secondary treatment - Goal “produce CO2, nitrogen, and phosphorus by using bacteria to breakdown the majority of the organic matter in the water
Secondary treatment
Aeration of water occurs in order to promote the growth of aerobic bacteria (oxygen using)
This water then sits for several days to allow the particles to settle out and then once settled, they are added to the sludge from the primary treatment
The water that is left after the particles have settled out is disinfected in order to kill any remaining pathogens and then this treated water is released into a nearby body of water

15. 3. tertiary treatment - Goal “release a wastewater that is as close to the quality of the body of water it is going back to”
Tertiary treatment
Removal of nitrogen and phosphorus
These two elements pose a threat when released back into the water because they increase productivity of producers producing lots of algae which eventually dies and feeds the microbes who use up oxygen when decomposing the algae

16. a. large, human-made ponds lined with
Manure Lagoons
a. large, human-made ponds lined with
rubber to prevent leakage of manure into
the groundwater
b. drawback
- leak could happen in the liner
* contaminate groundwater
- applying manure as fertilizer
* runoff into nearby water
Animal manure contaminates waters on a small scale situation
The animals stand in the water and then may poop in the water
Large-scale (feedlots)
- where the large amounts of manure is dumped rather than dumping into large body of water
- don’t want it in large body of water because it contains hormones and antibiotics from animals

17. Heavy Metals and Other Substances – Human Health and Environment
Nitrogen and phosphorus
a. overfertilizing the H2O
Inorganic compounds
a. lead, arsenic, mercury
Acids
Synthetic compounds
a. pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and hormones

18. 1. H2O passing through pipes of older homes, brass fittings, solder
Lead
a. contamination
1. H2O passing through pipes of older
homes, brass fittings, solder
b. who it affects
1. fetuses and infants
2. damage to brain, nervous system, and
kidneys
c. solution
1. require lead-free pipe installation
Not really found in natural sources of drinking water
Solder – used to fasten pipes together

19. a. occurs naturally in Earth’s crust and
Arsenic
a. occurs naturally in Earth’s crust and
dissolves in groundwater (contamination)
b. contributions to increased amounts
1. mining
2. wood preservatives
c. Symptoms
1. cancers of skin, lungs, kidneys, and
bladder
d. solution
1. fine membrane filtration
2. distillation
3. reverse osmosis
Occurs in rocks
Symptoms can take up to 10 or more years to develop

20. a. naturally occurring in water b. source
Mercury
a. naturally occurring in water
b. source
1. burning of coal (coal-burning power plants)
2. incineration of garbage, hazardous waste, and
dental supplies
3. petroleum (Hg and Lead)
c. symptoms
1. damage of CNS
d. solution
1. cement plants reduce emissions by 81%
Inorganic mercury (Hg) in bodies of water is converted to methylmercury by bacteria and it is highly toxic to humans
Exposure occurs mostly through eating fish and shellfish (tuna)
Methylmercury is able to move up the food chain therefore by the time we are exposed to it, it is in it’s highest concentration (bioaccumulation)

21. 1. coal-burning power plants b. formation
Acid Deposition
a. source
1. coal-burning power plants
b. formation
1. release of SO2 and NO2 into atmosphere
and converted into sulfuric acid
2. falls as wet or dry acid deposition
c. solution
1. coal scrubbers
Wet depostion – rain or snow
Dry deposition – gases and particles that stick to the surfaces of plants, soil and water
Coal scrubbers – pass hot gasses through a limestone mixture that removes the acidic gases before leaving the smokestack of the power plant

22. d. Acid mine drainage 1. due to flooded abandoned underground mines 2
d. Acid mine drainage 1. due to flooded abandoned underground mines 2. pyrite (type of rock) breaks down water into hydrogen and iron ions producing acidic water
Best treatment would be to pass the water through a limestone treatment facility that will raise the Ph and remove the toxic metals to levels that are tolerable for the aquatic organisms
Problem – most of these mining operations are shut down therefore they are not held accountable

23. Synthetic Organic Compounds a. “human-made” b. pesticides
1. 3 concerns
a. pesticides kill a wide variety of related
organisms instead of just targeted species
b. can alter other physiologic functions
ex) DDT
c. inert ingredients
ex) Roundup
Arsenic – natural pesticide (first generation) since WWII
Concerns
- some of the insects it kills could be a predator of the pest that is being targeted
- DDT – designed to target nerve transmissions in insects but this chemical moves up the food chain
- inert ingredients – added to pesticide allowing it to dissolve in water for spraying (Roundup’s inert ingredient is highly toxic to amphibians causing pentration of the gill slits of tadpoles causing their kills to burst and suffocate)

24. c. pharmaceuticals and hormones 1
c. pharmaceuticals and hormones 1. ~50% of streams contain antibiotics and reproductive hormones 2. 80% contain nonprescription drugs 3. 90% contain steroids 4. low concentrations and do not yet pose environmental or human risk

25. d. industrial compounds 1. “use in manufacturing” 2
d. industrial compounds 1. “use in manufacturing” 2. dumped directly into water (disposal) 3. Cuyahoga River of Ohio 4. PCBs - used in producing plastics - long-term persistence - lethal carcinogen if ingested 5. PBDEs - flame retardent
River in ohio – so highly concentrated of industrial compounds that the river caught on fire getting national attention
PCBs – polychlorinated biphenyls
PBDEs – polybrominated diphenyl ethers

26. Oil Pollution and Water
a. persistent
b. spreads below or on surface of water
c. leaves thick, viscous covering on shorelines
d. sources of oil in water
1. leak in oil platform
2. spills from oil tankers
3. naturally occurring (60%)
Leak in oil platform
Drilling for undersea oil
Most famous leak was the BP leak into the gulf of mexico
An explosion on the platform caused a pipe to break on the ocean floor
In just 4 months, 206 million gallons of crude oil was released into the gulf of mexico from the broken pipe
Spills from oil tankers
Exxon Valdez
Spilled 11 million gallons of oil that spread across the surface of the ocean and coastline
Naturally occurring
* Released from what is called “seeps”

27. e. solution 1. containment booms – open ocean 2
e. solution 1. containment booms – open ocean 2. absorbent materials – shorelines 3. chemicals 4. genetically engineered bacteria
Containment booms
Plastic barrier that floats on the surface of the water and extends down into the water
Sucks up the oil and the barriers of the container keep it from spreading any further
Absorbent materials
Suck up the oil spills along shallow surfaces and the coastline
Chemicals * used to break up the oil allowing it to disperse before it reaches the shoreline causing any environmental damage
Genetically engineered bacteria
there’s a bacteria that occurs naturally that gets its energy from consuming oil that comes from seeps but these bacteria are very rare except for at the location of seeps
Scientists are hoping to obtain some genetic material from these bacteria in order to insert that gentic material into another bacteria (genetically modified)

28. Solid Waste and Water Discarded materials from houses and industries
“garbage”
Not a toxic hazard
Dangerous to marine organisms
Examples
Plastic rings from six packs
Medical waste supplies
Coal ash and coal slag which reminds behind from burning coal (these also contain Hg, arsenic and lead)
- most solid waste from burning coal is dumped into landfills, ponds or abandoned minds therefore will eventually contaminate our groundwater

29. Sediment Pollution and Water
- sand, silt, and clay carried by moving water
and eventually settles when water slows
down
Result of human activities
a. construction
b. plowed agricultural fields
c. removal of natural vegetation

30. Results in brown, cloudy water Decreases the amount of sunlight that
penetrates the water, decreasing
photosynthesis

31. Thermal Pollution and Water
When human activities cause a big change in the temperature of the water
Most common cause – steel mills and electric
power plants
Solution
a. cooling towers
Remove cold water from it’s natural source, use it to absorb the heat as part of the industrial process and then return the heated water back to it’s original supply
Can cause organisms to go into thermal shock
Cooling towers
- release excess heat into the atmosphere instead of water
- relies on evaporation to reduce the temperature of the water

32. Water Regulation Clean Water Act – 1972
a. maintains chemical, physical, and biological
properties of natural water
b. defines acceptable limits of various pollutants
c. issues permits to industries on amounts of
pollution allowed to be discharged into water
d. DOES NOT ADDRESS GROUNDWATER
CONTAMINATION

33. Safe Drinking Water Act
a. includes groundwater contamination
b. sets national standards for safe drinking
water
c. establishes “maximum containment levels (MSL)”
for 77 different substances in both surface
and groundwater