Water Pollution Chapter 14

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. http://charlottesierraclub.org/2013/09/18/sept-20-deadline-tell-epa-to-curb-toxic-water-pollution-from-coal-plants-2/

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 http://sanibelseaschool.org/classroom/eutrophication

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

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 http://www.epa.gov/research/endocrinedisruption/wastewater.htm

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 http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/the-gulf-of-mexico-has/

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

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

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

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

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 http://hvceo.org/regionalplan_wastewatertreatment.php

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 http://www.hdrinc.com/portfolio/sugar-creek-wastewater-treatment-plant-expansion-facility-plan

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

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

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

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

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

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 http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Kwa-Men/Lead-Poisoning.html

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 http://www.bicpaj.rodos9.net/800x600/22.jpg

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) https://nmtracking.org/environ_exposure/contaminants/mercury/

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 http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/A/AE_acid_rain.html

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 http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Acid_mine_drainage

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)

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

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

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” http://www.fcmlaw.com/blog/file-a-bp-oil-spill-claim-before-april-2014/

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) http://gulfoilspillimages.com/images/v/bp-oil-spill-images/oil+containment+boom.html

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 http://enviropolicyintro.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/reduce-reuse-recycle/

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

Results in brown, cloudy water Decreases the amount of sunlight that penetrates the water, decreasing photosynthesis http://www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/nps/index.aspx

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 http://thermalpollutionerikabudny.weebly.com/thermal-pollution.html

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

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