Water Systems and Technologies

Flashcards covering water pollution, treatment, quality, salinity, technologies, and indigenous perspectives.

What is water pollution?

Harmful contaminants reaching bodies of water like lakes, rivers, seas, and oceans.

Who or what is the main cause of water pollution?

Humans are the main cause.

What are pathogens?

Disease-causing organisms that can enter water systems.

Give some examples of pathogens that can cause water pollution.

Salmonella, Hepatitis A, Giardia Lamblia, E. coli

What human activities introduce debris into water, causing cloudiness and decreased oxygen?

Logging, construction, and mining activities can introduce debris.

What are sediments?

Dirt, silt, and sand that can suffocate aquatic species.

What are the effects of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides in water systems?

They can be can carcinogenic and toxic to aquatic species.

What are possible causes of depletion of dissolved oxygen in water?

Municipal wastewater, paper mills, and food manufacturing facilities.

What results in oil spills that devastate water quality and marine ecosystems?

Results from truck spills or underground pipeline leaks and can be very costly to clean, often irreversibly damaging water quality.

What is water treatment?

The process of improving water quality by removing pollutants.

Describe the water treatment process.

Water is pumped from a source, coagulants are added to clump dirt, floc settles, water is filtered, and chlorine/ozone is added before storage.

What are coagulants?

Substances used to cause dirt particles to stick together in water treatment.

What is floc?

Waste clumps formed by coagulants.

What is purified water?

Water that has had pollutants removed.

What does hard water contain?

Excess calcium and magnesium.

What does soft water contain?

Lower amounts of calcium and magnesium.

What is the effect of toxic contaminants on water quality?

Causes water to become very acidic and leads to acid rain, which pollutes soils, destroys trees, and is toxic to marine life.

What is a pH Scale used for?

To rank the acidity of a solution from 0 to 14.

What factors can be analyzed to assess water quality?

Contaminants, nutrients, color, odor, acidity (pH), sediments, bacteria, oxygen content, and taste.

What is salinity?

The amount of dissolved salts in a body of water.

What is the average salinity of seawater?

Roughly 3.5%.

What is brine water?

Water with a very high salt content.

Why is saltwater is not able to be used to water plants?

Because it dehydrates and eventually kills it, not drinkable for humans.

What is desalination?

A method that converts seawater into freshwater.

What is distillation?

One method of desalinating water where liquid water is heated to gas, leaving the solid salt component behind.

What is bioremediation?

The process of using microorganisms to break down hazardous materials in soil or water.

What is water purification?

The process of removing unwanted chemicals or contaminants from water.

What is potable water?

Safe drinking water.

What are Indigenous Perspectives on Water?

Diverse First Nations, Métis, and Inuit practices and perspectives that contribute to the protection of water.

What is Edéhzhíe?

The first Indigenous protected area in Canada, established in October 2018 by the Dehcho First Nations and the Government of Canada.