Water Pollution

Water Pollution Sources and Examples Water Quality Health Effects

Sources Two Types: Point sources and nonpoint sources Ex: Point: sewage plants; nonpoint: runoff Examples of sources: Chemicals (metals, solvents, oils) Air pollution Microbiological sources Mining Noise Nutrients Oil spills Oxygen depleting substances (biodegradable) Suspended matter Thermal sources hormones

Water Quality 1. Cultural Eutrophication: the process by which human activity increases the amount of nutrients entering surface water. (nitrogen and phosphorus) nutrients= algae = DEAD ZONES (oligotrophic = low nutrients Eutrophic= high nutrients) 2. Tests to monitor water quality: Nitrogen (Fertilizers) Chlorine (disinfects) Hardness (usually caused by calcium and magnesium) Copper (fertilizers, septic tanks and industrial waste) DO (dissolved oxygen) flowing = increase (closer to surface) Phosphate: fertilizers pH: needs to be close to 7 3. EPA Standards Primary: health concerns Secondary: aesthetics

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Effects Infectious diseases Spread of disease: epidemic vs. pandemic Chronic: slowly impairs the function Acute: rapidly impairs function Spread of disease: epidemic vs. pandemic Epidemic: rapid increase of a disease Pandemic: the disease spreads to other places Toxicology: study of harmful chemicals Neurotoxins- disrupt the nervous system ( lead and mercury) Carcinogens: cause cancer (radon, formaldehyde) Teratogens: interfere with embryo development Allergens: cause an allergic reaction (not pathogens) Endocrine disruptors: interfere with normal hormone function (cleaning products and household goods) Biomagnification: the increase of a chemical in animal tissues as it moves up the food chanin.

What can be done? Water treatment Septic Tanks: two parts- septic tank and leach field. Sewage treatment plant: Primary (reduces oils, includes sand catchers, screens, and sedimentation) Secondary (gets rid of the biological content) includes: filters, activated sludge, filter (oxidizing) beds, trickling filter beds, and secondary sedimentation. tertiary treatments(final stage before releasing into the environment. May include: filtration, lagooning, constructed wetlands, nutrient removal through biological or chemical precipitation, denitrification using bacteria, phosphorous removal using bacteria, microfilration and disinfection using UV, chlorine or ozone.

Treatment Methods and remediation technologies Adsorption Disinfection Filtration Flocculation Ion Exchange Aeration Air stripping Bioreactors Constructed wetlands Deep-well injections Enhanced bioremediation Fluid-vapor extraction Granulated activated carbon Hot water flushing In-well air stripping phytoremediation UV oxidation

Legislation Stockholm Convention: (2001): a group of 127 countries gathered in Sweden. 12 chemicals were banned, phased out or reduced. (the “the dirty dozen”) Clean Water Act: (1972) issued water quality standards that defined acceptable limits of various pollutants in US waterways. (Surface water not ground water) Safe Drinking Water Act: (1974, 1986, 1996) sets the national standards for safe drinking water. (MCL: maximum contaminant levels)

Noise Pollution Causes: Human created sound that disrupts the environment. (transportation, factories, appliances, audio entertainment systems) Health Effects: hearing loss, cardiovascular problems, decrease in ability to memorize, nervousness, pupil dilation, decrease in visual field, insomnia, bulimia, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, and sexual dysfunction. Control: noise barriers (trees) and new technologies.

Solid Waste Types: Uses in the US: Disposal and Reduction Flow Chart Organic: kitchen waste, vegetables, flowers (usually decomposes in 2 wks ** Wood can take up to 10-15 years) Radioactive: spent fuel rods, smoke detectors (100 of thousands of years) Recyclable: paper, glass, metals, and some plastics. (paper- 10 days, glass- never, metals- 100-500 years, plastics- some up to 1 million years) Soiled: hospital waste (cotton cloth-2-5 months) Toxic: paints, chemicals, pesticides (100’s of years.) Uses in the US: Disposal and Reduction Flow Chart

Solid Waste Choices to disposal: Burning, incineration or energy recovery Detoxify Exporting Land disposal(land fills) Land disposal (open dumping) Ocean dumping Recycling Reuse