Water Pollution Chapter 11 section 3

Water Pollution The introduction of undesirable items into water. Chemical Physical, such as Thermal. Biological Two Types: point and non-source point

Point Source Pollution Pollution is discharged from a single point. Examples: Leaking fuel or septic tanks Unlined landfills Discharge from factories

Nonpoint-source pollution Runoff!! Nonsource point pollution can enter the water system from many different ways and is more difficult to control. 96% of water pollution is nonsource point.

Types of Pollution Pathogens Organic matter Organic chemicals Inorganic chemicals Heavy metals Physical agents

Wastewater Wastewater is water that contains wastes from home of industry. This water is treated to make it clean enough to return to a river or lake.

Artificial Eutrophication Eutrophication: a natural process when organic matter fills in a waterway over time to form a marsh or swamp. Artificial Eutrophication occurs when fertilizer runoff causes an algae bloom.

Artificial Eutrophication The algae dies and the decay of the dead algae uses up the dissolved oxygen, which then suffocates the fish and other life in the water.

Thermal Pollution Thermal Pollution occurs when Power plants or other industries dumps warm water used to cool equipment into the river. Warm water does not hold dissolved oxygen.

Ground Water Pollution Pollutants are filtered as they travel through the permeable soil, BUT: not all pollutants are removed. The rest find their way into the aquifers. How to clean it up???

Ocean Pollution Pollution of the ocean is a major concern. All water flows into the ocean, so runoff is a major problem. Each year about 37 million gallons of oil are spilled into the ocean by tanker accidents. Runoff is responsible for 200-300 million gallons a year.

Ocean Pollution The Oil Pollution act of 1990 requires that all oil tankers have double hulled ships by 2015. Why is that not a complete solution?

Water Pollution and Ecosystems Biomagnification: the concentration of chemicals such as pesticides in the tissues of animals as one moves up the trophic levels.

Cleaning up Water Pollution 1969 the Cuyahoga River caught on fire! The Clean Water act of 1972 was passed -goal was to make all water clean enough for fishing and swimming by 1983..

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/index.html