water pollution and eutrophication

boiling point

the temperature at which a substance boils (water's is high)

freezing point

the temperature at which a substance freezes (water's is low)

heat capacity

the number of heat units needed to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree (water's is high)

heat of vaporization

the temperature at which a substance is turned into a gaseous state (water's is high)

universal solvent

water can dissolve a vast variety of compounds and materials

surface tension

the strength of water's surface causing it to behave like a membrane, exhibiting more similar properties to a solid than to a liquid

oxygen-demanding waste

organic waste that can be decomposed by aerobic bacteria

aerobic bacteria

bacteria that use oxygen

stream

a body of water that flows

oxygen sag

the reduction in dissolved oxygen plotted over a distance along a water body from a point at which sewage or other pollutants have been discharged

biochemical oxygen demand/BOD

the amount of oxygen consumed by bacteria while they decompose organic matter

sediment/suspended matter

a pollutant; insoluble soil particles which make water turbid

turbid

water which is cloudy, opaque, or thick with suspended matter

nutrient

a chemical that allows plants and animals to live and grow such as nitrogen and phosphorous compounds

eutrophication

the process through which a body of water receives an excessive amount of nutrients

cultural eutrophication

eutrophication caused by humans which occurs in a short time

water pollution

any physical, biological, or chemical change in water quality that adversely affects living organisms or makes water unsuitable for desired uses

point source

a source which discharges pollutants at a specific location; easy to identify, monitor, and regulate

non-point source

a source which is scattered and diffused; cannot be easily traced to any single site

toxic pollutant

an organic compound that can cause illness or death

infectious agent

an organism that is harmful to human health

great lakes

a group of bodies of water which hold 20% of Earth’s surface freshwater and are surrounded by highly industrialized areas; often fall victim to water pollution

lake succession

the idea that eutrophication is a process that takes a long time in nature

watershed

the area of land that drains into a river or river system

estuary

the mouth of a river, where the freshwater of the river meets the saltwater of the ocean

sewage

wastewater