Water Pollution Unit 12

Water H2O A compound

Earth 25% land 75% water

Milk Jug Demonstration 97% of the Earth’s water is saltwater. 3% is freshwater. ¾ of freshwater is frozen in polar icecaps. That means only 1% of the water on Earth is usable!

Water on the Planet Hydrosphere: all water on earth Cryosphere: the frozen part of the earth

Part I: Surface Water Definition: Fresh water that is above ground in lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.

Watershed: The entire area of land that is drained by a river. Part I: Surface Water Watershed: The entire area of land that is drained by a river.

Part I: Surface Water Problems with rivers: 40% of the world’s people rely on water that originates in other countries!

Water rights problems will worsen as population increases. Part I: Surface Water Turkey is building dams that will reduce the amount of water that flows to Syria and Iraq. Water rights problems will worsen as population increases.

Dams The water behind a dam forms a reservoir (artificial lake) can hurt fish populations. Reservoirs are used for drinking, manufacturing, irrigation, flood control, and electricity.

Part II: Groundwater Definition Water that seeps into the ground and is stored. Makes millions of years to collect.

Area of land from which groundwater originates. Part II: Groundwater Recharge Zone Area of land from which groundwater originates.

Part II: Groundwater Aquifer Groundwater stored in underground rock formations. Runs out with overuse.

Part III: Water Shortage Solutions Desalinization Desalting the sea Provides drinking water in Saudi Arabia and parts of California. Very expensive

Part III: Water Shortage Solutions Towing Water Used to transport icebergs Problems Hard to tow Melts rapidly Transportation on land

Part III: Water Shortage Solutions Reverse Osmosis The process of removing minerals from water. Uses water pressure and permeable membranes.

Water

Agriculture Industry Homes Mining Current Water Uses Agriculture Industry Homes Mining Can you think of more? Can you think of the greatest use?

Water Conservation Amount of freshwater available at a given time is limited so we must conserve!

How? Good Question! Take shorter showers! Low-flow faucets and shower heads! Turn the water off when brushing your teeth or soaping up your hands! Here are some great sites to help! http://www.epa.gov/nps/chap3.html http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php http://www.americanwater.com/49ways.htm

Freshwater Pollution Putting chemical, physical, or biological stuff into water that makes the quality of water go down affects organisms that live in it or drink it!

Industrialization and human population explosion. Causes Industrialization and human population explosion. Both produce waste products that cannot be disposed of as fast as they are produced!

Point Pollution Pollution that is discharged from a single source, such as a factory or wastewater. Or Treatment plant, or an oil tanker. Easy to regulate and control. Why? Because it is easily identified and traced.

Nonpoint Pollution Pollution that comes from many sources rather than from a specific site (96% of polluted water is from nonpoint pollution). Reaches bodies of water via streets and storm sewers. Pesticides and fertilizers washed off lawns and farmland. Animal feces from farms, parks, and city streets. Nonpoint regulation is difficult to regulate and control. Why?

How Water Pollution Affects Ecosystems

Bioaccumulation Adding on larger and larger amounts of toxins within animals in the food chain.

Lots of oxygen used up in the process. Eutrofication Too many nutrients in water from decomposing animals, sewage and fertilizer runoff. Lots of oxygen used up in the process.

Thermal Pollution When excessive amounts of heat are added to a body of water. Power plants and industries use river water to cool engines and then return heated water back to its source. Causes massive fish kills. Warm water cannot hold as much oxygen! (suffocation) Nonpoint pollution hard to control! WHY?!

Ocean Pollution

From polluted rivers or pumped directly. Oil spills 1989 Exxon Valdez Sources From polluted rivers or pumped directly. Oil spills 1989 Exxon Valdez 1991 Gulf War 2010 Gulf of Mexico

1989 Exxon Valdez Worst spill in U.S. until 2010 Prince William Sound in Alaska Tanker grounded on reef – drunken captain, only one officer on deck, fatigue, Spilled 257,000 barrels (17 Olympic size swimming pools) Some species have still not recovered

Prince William Sound & Exxon Valdez

1991 Gulf War Iraqi troops purposely dumped 5.7 million barrels of Kuwaiti oil. No immediate cleanup, so oil settled into sediment Sandy beaches have recovered, but not marshes. Worst oil spill in history

2010 Gulf of Mexico

2010 Gulf of Mexico Deep Water Horizon Oil Rig exploded & spilled 5 billion barrels of oil. Making it the worst oil spill in the U.S. & history. One year later after massive cleanup efforts only some wildlife has recovered. The variety of life in the wetlands is still categorized as poor

Laws that prevent discharging oils or plastics, toxic dumping, etc. Prevention Laws that prevent discharging oils or plastics, toxic dumping, etc. Create marine refuges to protect endangered animals. Double hulls on oil tankers.

Boundaries difficult to set or enforce. Problem Who owns the oceans? Boundaries difficult to set or enforce.

Cleaning Up Water Pollution 1972: Clean Water Act Restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. Many toxic metals now removed from wastewater!