WATER POLLUTION

A bit of review of water pollution – a quiz

1. Fertilizers and pesticides can pollutea. Surface and ground waterb. Only surface water (i.e. lakes, rivers,

etc.)c. Only ground waterd. None of the above

Quiz…continued

2. Runoff means thata. Soil from farmers’ field can wash into

lakes and riversb. There is no danger of pollutionc. Pesticides can wash into lakes and

rivers with soild. Both a) and c)

Quiz…continued

3. Too much nitrate in the water can lead to:

a. lung cancerb. Blue baby syndrome if it is in the

drinking waterc. Too much algae growingd. Water plants growing like crazy

Quiz ….continued

4. Biological contamination of water means

a. There are too many plants in itb. There are pathogens in itc. There are too many animals in itd. None of the above

Quiz ….continued

5. Non-point source pollution is pollution that

a. Comes from an easy-to-identify sourceb. Comes from industries onlyc. Comes from a big aread. Always comes from a pipe

Pollution of Lakes

Eutrophication Eutrophication Discharge of untreated

municipal sewage(nitrates and phosphates)

Nitrogen compoundsproduced by cars

and factories

Discharge of treatedmunicipal sewage

(primary and secondarytreatment:

nitrates and phosphates)

Discharge of detergents

( phosphates)

Natural runoff(nitrates andphosphates

Manure runoffFrom feedlots(nitrates andPhosphates,

ammonia)

Dissolving of nitrogen oxides

(from internal combustionengines and furnaces)

Runoff and erosion(from from cultivation,mining, construction,

and poor land use)

Runoff from streets,lawns, and construction

lots (nitrates andphosphates)

Lake ecosystemnutrient overload

and breakdown of chemical cycling

Fig .22.7, p. 499

Type of water pollution

Bacteria,Viruses,Protozoa, Parasitic worms

Oxygen demanding substances Inorganic plant nutrients Metals Organic chemicals Sediment or suspended matter Thermal pollution Genetic pollution

Heavy metals…..

Copper• natural, fungicides, insecticides, copper pipes• can be lethal to some at 0.1 ppb, algae – 1-10 ppb,

fish 500ppb

• Lead• Pipes, industry• Associated with brain damage and nervous

system problems

Heavy metals…continued

Mercury Comes from mining, burning coal, natural

sources Also causes problems with the brainArsenic Natural sources, old mines Can lead to cancer

Heavy metals are ‘magnified’ (get to be more and more) up the food chain….

Rainbow smelt1.04 ppm

Zooplankton0.123 ppm

Phytoplankton0.0025 ppm

Water0.000002 ppm

Herring gull124 ppm

Lake trout4.83 ppm

Herring gull eggs124 ppm

Biological Magnification

Biological Magnification

Type of water pollution

Bacteria,Viruses,Protozoa, Parasitic worms

Oxygen demanding substances Inorganic plant nutrients Metals Organic chemicals Sediment or suspended matter Thermal pollution Genetic pollution

Organic chemicals

Organic chemicals are any that have carbon in them. Some break down quickly (less dangerous), some take a long time (dangerous) and some break down into more toxic chemicals (really dangerous).

Organic chemicals…..continuedTypes of organic chemicals?

Pesticides – mostly insecticides (kills insects) and herbicides (kills weeds)

Petroleum products – e.g. _____________Volatile organic compounds – e.g.

benzenePharmaceuticals (drugs) – e.g. prozacSolvents – e.g. PCBs

Organic chemicals…..continued

Petroleum products

Sources: oil spills

fuels (e.g. diesel) and lubricants (e.g. motor oil) from cars, trucks and airplane (gasoline, diesel, jet fuels) from stormwater runoff, parking lots and leaking storage tanks

Organic chemicals….continuedPetroleum products

Effects: - dizziness, diarrhea, headaches, nervous

system effects, cancer

Cleaning up:- difficult, expensive, various ways –

chemicals or microorganisms

Organic chemicals ….continuedPharmaceuticals like painkillers,

tranquilizers, anti-depressants, antibiotics, birth control pills, estrogen replacement therapies, chemotherapy agents, anti-seizure medications,

Sources: down the toilet into sewage water or in the landfill into ground water

Organic chemicals…continuedPharmaceuticals: What are the health effects?

- Human effects are not yet know, not acute but long-term?

- Hormone problems in fish (estrogen in water)

- Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (antibiotics in water)

- Earlier egg-laying in shellfish (antidepressants in water)

Organic chemicals …..continuedPharmaceuticals: What can be done?

Advanced water treatment is available but very expensive!

Water Pollution: Causes

Coal strip mine runoff

Pumping well

Waste lagoon

Accidental spills

Groundwater flow

Confined aquifer

Discharge

Leakage from faulty casing

Hazardous waste injection well

Pesticides

Gasoline station

Buried gasoline and solvent tank

Sewer

Cesspool septic tank

De-icing road salt

Unconfined freshwater aquifer

Confined freshwater aquifer

Water pumping well Landfill

Fig. 20-11

Fig. 21-10, p. 505

Healthy zoneClear, oxygen-richwaters promote growthof plankton and sea grasses,and support fish.

Oxygen-depleted zoneSedimentation and algaeovergrowth reduce sunlight,kill beneficial sea grasses, useup oxygen, and degrade habitat.

Red tidesExcess nitrogen causesexplosive growth of toxicmicroscopic algae,poisoning fish andmarine mammals.

FarmsRunoff of pesticides, manure, and fertilizers adds toxins and excess nitrogen and phosphorus.

Toxic sedimentsChemicals and toxic metals contaminate shellfish beds, kill spawning fish, andaccumulate in the tissues of bottom feeders.

Construction sitesSediments are washed intowaterways, choking fish and plants, clouding waters, and blocking sunlight.

Urban sprawlBacteria and viruses fromsewers and septic tanks contaminate shellfish beds

Oxygen-depletedzone

Closedbeach

CitiesToxic metals and oil from streets and parking lots pollute waters;

IndustryNitrogen oxidesfrom autos andsmokestacks,toxic chemicals,and heavy metals in effluents flow into bays and estuaries.

Closedshellfish beds

Global Outlook: Stream Pollution in Developing Countries

Water in many of central China's rivers are greenish black from uncontrolled pollution by thousands of factories.

Figure 20-7Figure 20-7

Case Study: India’s Ganges River: Religion, Poverty, and Health

Religious beliefs, cultural traditions, poverty, and a large population interact to cause severe pollution of the Ganges River in India. Very little of the sewage is treated. Hindu believe in cremating the dead to free the

soul and throwing the ashes in the holy Ganges. Some are too poor to afford the wood to fully

cremate. Decomposing bodies promote disease and depletes

DO.

Case Study: India’s Ganges River: Religion, Poverty, and Health

Daily, more than 1 million Hindus in India bathe, drink from, or carry out religious ceremonies in the highly polluted Ganges River.

Is Bottled Water the Answer? Some bottled water is not as pure as tap

water and costs much more. 1.4 million metric tons of plastic bottles

are thrown away. Fossil fuels are used to make plastic

bottles. The oil used to produce plastic bottles in the

U.S. each year would fuel 100,000 cars.