evr water pollution learning objectives

The difference between point source and non-point source pollution and examples of each

Point-source: pollutant discharge point is in a centralized area that can be located

• EX. Sewage treatment plant

Non-point Source: pollutant discharge point is not centralized

• EX. excess sediment, pesticides, fertilizer

Sources of ocean pollution

Sources of Ocean Pollution

• Rivers #1

• Atmospheric Rain and oilspills

Kinds of water pollution,and sources of each

Source of Pollutants

• Rivers, Lakes, Groundwater

  • Sewage and Bacteria

    • Sewage treatement plants

    • Results=disease cousing bacteria and B.O.D.

  • Phospate chemicals, oesticides

    • Lawn care & agriculture

    • Results=B.O.D.

  • Sediments and Heavy Metals

    • Soil erosion from hydraulic mining, farming, logging

    • mercury/cyanide(poisin) from heap leach mining

    • Results=loss of fish nesting sites in gravel,toxins

  • Municipal wastes, toxic chemicals

    • human pharmaceuticals

  • Petroleum

    • Oil spills,fracking

  • Heat/Power plants, cold/dams

    • discharge of heated water into a stream/thermal pollution(coal/nuclear plants)

    • release of cold bottom water from a reservoir(dam/hydroelectric power plants)

Terms used to label a groundwater profile(aquifer, aquiclude, aquitard,water table, and recharge)

The results/impacts of pollution on the oceans

Results of ocean pollution

• Red tide “poisonous” algal bloom(eutrophication)

• Death of marine organisms(whales, fishes, clams) from:

  • toxins

  • ingesting trash/plastics

  • entangling in drifting nets

How biologic oxygen demand(B.O.D.) can be created

Eutrophication- The addition of nutrients to the water

• Algal blooms from added fertilizer

• Lake bottom plants are shaded and die

• Anaerobic decompisition/oxygen loss=stagnant/anoxic bottom water

How rivers, lakes, groundwater, and the ocean transport, dilute and/or decompse pollutants(and their limitations)

Rivers

• Transport pollutants away

• Consumed by decomposers

• DIluted

• Damming and over-withdrawwal limit a rivers ability to dilute polluntant

Lakes

• Transport pollutants away

• consumed by decomposers

• Diluted

• Temperature stratification(layers) inhibits mixing/dilution

Oceans

• Transport pollutants away

• consumed by decomposers

• diluted(the solution to pollution is dilution)

Groundwater

• Total volume of water is small and water flow ratesare usually very slow(not good for diluting and transporting pollutants away)

How both unconfined and confined aquifers can become polluted

Polluted surface recharge can infiltrate unconfined aquifers below the pollution source

Polluted surface recharge can infiltrate confined aquifers(pressurized artesian wells) at the recharge area

How both sand and carbonate aquifers filter pollutants

Sand and Glacial till can filter groundwater

Carbonate aquafers=poor filtering of groundwater

Limited breakdown by composers for both