APES

Water unit

What percent of Earth's water is salt water?

97%

What percent of Earth's water is freshwater?

3%, located in icecaps and glaciers

Where is the largest supply of drinking water?

Groundwater

Point Source Pollution

Direct Discharge into water: -Paper Mills -Meat Packaging Plants -Sewage Discharge

Non Point Source Pollution

Indirect Discharge into water: -Runoff: feces -Fertilizers -Leaves -Grass Clippings

Hypoxia

Not enough dissolved oxygen to support aquatic life

Stratification

1. Nutrient water flows into lake and forms top layer (less dense)

2. Second layer is salty cool water at the bottom and is cut off from its natural supply of O2 because of layer 1

Gulf of Mexico

-Mississippi flows into gulf -Deposits excess nutrients from fertilizers -Causes: Algae growth, increased phytoplankton, less DO

DO and Temp Relationship

Temp increases DO Decreases -Cold water can hold more DO than warm water

High levels of fecal coliform

More pathogens

Biological Oxygen Demand

Amount of DO needed by bacteria to break down organic material. -As BOD increases DO decreases

Organisms that need DO

Sensitive Organisms: -Fish: Trout and Walleye

• Others such as: invertebrates, bacteria and plants. -High DO= More biodiversity

Methemoglobinemia

-Blue Baby Syndrome -Red blood cells can't take in O2 and deliver it to body -Improper filtering (percolation) in a septic system causes nitrates to get into ground water then our drinking water.

Acidic

pH less than 7

Basic (Alkaline)

-Above seven ph -Is at an 8 and goes to a 9 mean 10x more basic (one number change) -Is at an 8 and goes to 14 means 1,000,000x more basic (six number change)

How can you neutralize acidic bodies of water?

With Limestone (CACO3 calcium carbonate)

Eutrophication

-Excess nutrients in bodies of water -Caused by landrunoff -Dense growth of plant life (algae bloom) -Animals die due to lack of O2

Biomagnification

Increasing concentration of substance because predators eat animals that have that substance in them

Bioaccumulation

-The accumulation of a chemicals in animals, -Takes in faster than can be broken down

Bioremediation

Oil clean up that uses organisms (bacteria) to eat the oil

Dispersants

Adding chemicals to the oil so it can dissolve in the water column (surface to sea) Advantage: Minimizes spreading of surface oil Disadvantage: Oil is spread, but not removed

Pelagic Ocean Zone

All ocean regions

Neuritic Ocean Zone

Extends from low tide to the edge of the continental shelf

Thermohaline Currents

-Global Ocean Currents: "Conveyor Belt" -Driven by density (salinity) -More salt=more dense -Sinks to bottom where it gets cold

What organism is responsible for 80% of the O2 production in aquatic ecosystems?

Plankton- get energy through photosynthesis and provide O2

Aquifer

-Underground layer of rock that holds water (groundwater) -Takes space in rocks that have water filled poured spaces

Permability

-Ability of rock to let water pass through it (sand, gravel)

Cone of Depression

Over pumping water and lowering the water table. May not have water supply lowers water pressure

Saltwater Intrusion

-Movement of salt water into freshwater groundwater -Withdrawn faster than being recharged by precipitation.

Ogallala Aquifer

-30% of ground water in this aquifer is used for irragation -Since 1950 volume has been reduced by 9% -Using aquifer faster than it can be replenished

Primary use of freshwater

agriculture

Drip Irrigation

-Most effective irrigation -Pipes deliver water to soil above or below roots "root zone" -Goal is to minimize evaporation

How does Saudi Arabia get its drinking water?

-Groundwater -Desalination Plants

Two Desalination Techniques....

1. Reverse Osmosis- removal of salt through membranes

2. Distillation- Removal through boiling, condensation, and release of O2

Greatest % of household water in the United States is used for ...

Flushing toilets

Where is the biggest dam in the world?

3 Gorges Dam in China -Hydroelectric dam but had to make people move in order to build it

2 Primary uses for dams

1. Provide Electricity (hydroelectric dams)

2. Drinking water (for people/crops)

Ways to help conserve water

1. Change Personal Habits

2. Construct Dams and reservoirs

3. Desalinate Water

4. Engineering Systems to Collect More Runoff

Greywater

Water that has been used for cooking, laundry, bathing, or similar tasks

Clean Water Act

Monitors water to make sure it is swimable, drinkable, and fishable

1. Regulate the discharge of pollutants into U.S. waterways

2. Attain water quality levels that make these waterways safe to fish and/or swim in

Ecosystem Services Associated with Water

1. Fishing

2. Food Production

3. Photosynthesis

4. Water Cycle

5. Pollination

Pathogens

-Bacteria, virus, and other microrganisms that cause disease -Found in feces runoff to lakes/rivers -Water with pathogens able to get sick through

1. Drinking it

2. Nose/Mouth

3. Cuts in Skin

4. Ears

Combined Sewer System

Carries both wastewater and rainwater (runoff)

Separate Sewer System

Carries surface runoff and waste water separately. Prevents overflow of sewer system during rainy periods

Wetlands Are....

1. Good to Raise Young: many places to hide

2. Filter Out Pollutants

3. They Soak in water and reduce flooding

Mitigation

If someone destroys a wetland two more must be created. -Wetlands have been destroyed over time due to development

Bycatch

Species you accidentally catch

Bottom Trawling

-Using a huge net with weights to catch fish at the bottom of the ocean -Destroys habitat -Can catch anything (endangered, turtles, dolphins)

Drift Nets

-Huge nets with floaties used to snare fish by gills -Can accidentally catch marine life, sharks, seagulls etc.

Water Treatment for Consumption

1. Flocculation

2. Sedimentation

3. Filtration

4. Chlorination

Flocculation

-First step of treating water for consumption -Aluminum Sulfate (or similar chemicals) are added to 'raw water' -Material clumps together forming a 'floc' -Clumps that form have consistency of snot

Sedimentation

-Second step of treating water for consumption -The floc that forms is more dense than the water so it will sink to the bottom -Less dense water at top spills over to the next step -Floc is left at bottom and eventually removed

Filtration

-Third step of treating water for consumption -Smaller dissolved particles are still in water -Water moves through filter and filter holds back particles and neutralizes harmful chemicals -Filters have coal and sand. Coal helps remove VOC's (volatile organic compounds)

Chlorination

-4th and final step of treating water for consumption -Adds chlorine (or similar chemicals) that kill any remaining pathogens

Wastewater Treatment Stages

1. Preliminary

2. Primary

3. Secondary

4. Disinfection

Preliminary Treatment

-1st step water treatment -Screens and gates remove large objects, sand, gravel, and other grit

Primary Treatment

-2nd step water treatment -Wastewater enters large settling tanks where grease and oil float to the top then removed -Heavier materials float to bottom then are removed

Secondary Treatment

-3rd step water treatment -Microorganisms or 'bugs' break down organic material

Disinfection

-Last step water treatment -Chemicals kill disease causing organisms -Chemicals removed before water is discharged into lake michigan

Characteristics of Eutrophic Lakes

-Lake that is ending its lifecycle -Shallow and warm -Algae blooms -High Nutrient input -High productivity (lots of growing, dying, runoff into lake)

Excess Phosphorous

Puts growth and death at a higher rate. Used by Algae: -Vegetation grows &/or dies -Algae eventually dies -Bacteria uses O2 to break down dead material -Little to no O2 left

Sources of Phosphorous

1. Fertilizers

2. Sewage

3. Waste Water Treatment Plants

4. Industrial wastes

5. Animal waste/feedlots

Tests you could use to test water quality

1. Testing for fecal coliform, the high FC= high pathogens

2. Temperature- lower DO, compound toxicity,

3. Turbidity- clog fish gills, growth rates reduced, test with turbidimeter

4. Total Solids- toxic compounds bind with suspended particles, higher turbidity

Volume of storm water runoff can be reduced by

1. Green roofs

2. Creating wetland

Problem with having extensive paved areas

1. Loss of habitat

2. Flooding caused by excessive runoff/lack of infiltration of storm water

3. Ground water depletion

Ecological changes that might result from discharge of animal waste into a body of water.

1. Stream fertility creates algae bloom

2. Algae bloom, then decrease in DO

3. Increase in suspended solids lead to increase temperature therefore decreasing DO

Two enviornmental problems that result from oil spills

1. Lack of sunlight reaching plants therefore decrease in photosynthetic activity.

2. Birds may lose their buoyancy or ability to fly bc feathers are covered with oil

Two economic impact resulting from oil spills

1. Increase of jobs

2. Decline in tourism

Other forms of oil contamination besides oil spills

1. Oil from boats- leak from boat engines and during the emptying of bilge tanks

2. Oil from cars- Get into ocean/lake through storm run off

Substitutes for petroleum for consumer products

1. Paper bags

2. Corn-based plastic water bottles

3. Bamboo or wood storage containers

United States federal law dealing with the regulation of harvesting marine food resources

1. Endangered Species Act/ESA—prohibits the harm or harvesting of endangered species

protects habitats 2. Marine Mammal Protection Act—protection and conservation of marine mammals