APES Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution

aquifer

• underground source of water

confined aquifers

• typically deeper

• confined by impermeable restricting area

• replenish very slowly

• usually clearly (less likely to be contaminated)

• withdrawal>recharge

• 10,000-20,000 years old

• is more at risk of being depleted due to slower recharge rates and the risk of permanent, irreversible damage from over-extraction, such as land subsidence

unconfined aquifers

• free to move

• interacts with surface

• change/varies 

• risk of drying out

• unrestricted

• susceptible to surface pollution

• typically feed surface waters like ponds and streams

• depth changes between seasons

• is more susceptible to pollution because it lacks an impermeable layer above it, allowing surface contaminants from sources like agricultural runoff, waste disposal, and industrial spills to seep directly into the groundwater

risks of water usage

• if you pump too fast and it doesn’t recharge fast enough

saltwater intrusion

• if you pump too quickly, you induce mixing, pulling saltwater in (it’s erosion)

industrial overuse of freshwater

• metal/plastic manufacturing

municipal overuse of freshwater

• households (toilet, shower, etc.)

agricultural overuse of freshwater

• #1 use for freshwater

• water for livestock

• irrigation for crops

benefits to water diversions (dams)

• agriculture

• drinking water

• recreation and tourism

• electricity

• flood control

drawbacks to dams

• loss of habitat due to flooding

• greenhouse gases are produced bc. of decomposition 

• sediment builds up behind the dam

• dam could break

• prevents fish migration

point-source pollution

• polluter that can be directed back to the source

• easy to regulate so we can manage pollution

• ex.~ waste water treatment plant, industrial facilities, mines

nonpoint source pollution

• sources that cause pollution but it’s hard to trace back to the original source maybe because it’s more common

• ex.~ acid rain, street runoff/ urban runoff,  agricultural fields

neurotoxin

• harms nervous system

• source: Pipes, gasoline, burning coal, and fish consumption

• examples: lead, Mercury, arsenic, PBDEs, DDT, PCBs

• effects: impaired learning, nervous system disorder, damage to brain

carcinogen

• cause cancer

• sources: mines, groundwater, industry, building materials

• examples: arsenic, asbestos, PCBs, radon

• effects: cancer, impaired breathing

teratogen

• causes birth defects

• sources: ingestion or environmental atmosphere

• examples: alcohol, chicken pox, caffeine, BPA

effects: reduced fetal growth, brain and nervous system damage

endocrine disruptor

• interfere with hormones

• mimics hormones and that hormone is either not produced or produced too much

• source: pesticides, cosmetics, plastics, pharmaceuticals

• examples: atrazine, DDT, Colgate Total, phthalates 

• effects: reproductive issues

heavy metals

• neurotoxins and carcinogens

• not water soluble

• fat soluble

• the more exposure, the more accumulation in the body

lead

• source: old paint, old water pipes, soils contaminated by PM, not found naturally at levels found harmful to the environment

• removal: can be removed with water filters, carbon filter

• health impact: damages central nervous system, especially in children (neurotoxicant), can disrupt hormones

arsenic

• source: naturally occurring over human exposure limits, pesticide, coal ash, ingestion of contaminated food and water, with seafood, rice, and private well water being common sources

• removal: just removing it but very expensive, cap in place, walter filter systems

• health impact: neurotoxin, death, skin lesions, carcinogen 

mercury

• source: naturally occurring in coal, released by anthropogenic activities, coal combustion and coal ash, cement

• removal: eating less seafood, cap in place

• health impact: inhibits estrogen and insulin (interferes with menstrual cycle), can accumulate in fetus brain, endocrine disruptor

anaerobic bacteria

• converts inorganic Hg (mercury) to methylmercury to bioavailable, to absorbing the gut to fish to cats to humans

• bioaccumulates

POPs

• persistent (don’t break down easily in environment or body)

• organic (carbon-based)

• pollutants 

• fat soluble, so they bioaccumulate and biomagnify 

persistent/ synthetic organic compounds

• endocrine disruptors

pesticides and inert ingredients

• most are broad-based and have secondary impacts

  • DDT bioaccumulates and biomagnifies (banned 1972, birds of prey)

  • broad-based spectrum - kills a large variety of species

  • heavy (not water soluble - sediment)

• atrazine (weed killer) - herbicide (highly toxic to amphibians)

• side effects: cancers, reproductive disruptor, carcinogen, endocrine disruptor

• more you’re exposed to it, the more you’re affected by it

pharmaceuticals and hormones

• concentrations are low, not thought to pose a risk but some are harmful to ppl

• little known

• endocrine disruptor - estrogen mimics

• the dose makes the poison 

• not really a solution other than monitoring it

military compounds: perchlorates

• used for rocket fuel and highly water soluble and persistent

• side effects: thyroid gland, reduces productions of hormones (endocrine disruptor) 

PCBs

• synthetic organics

• formerly used to manufacture PVC and insulating transformers (plastic production), railways, industry(banned 1979)

• carcinogens, bioaccumulating, persistent

• nothing biologically will break them down

• heavy

PBDEs

• flame retardents

• synthetic organics

• polybrominated diphenyl ethers

• clothing/furniture

• odor can be a neurotoxin

• brain damage in children, passed through breast milk (WA/ CA ban)

• flammable fabrics act: if not flame resistant have to put label

• endocrine disruptor

• textiles slow the flame

PFAs

• forever chemicals (dark waters movie)

• synthetic organics

• PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (Teflon, foam) - don’t break down, they persist

• water resistant anything

• 4 ppt PFOS and PFOA, April 2024

• for PFOA and PFOS, EPA is setting a max. containment level goal, non-enforceable health-based goal, at zero

• endocrine disruptor

natural oil pollution sources

• fossil fuels from plate tectonic, oil that seeps out of the ground

human caused oil pollution sources

• ship spills, pipes, illegal dumping, fracking

physical oil pollution remediation

• booms: long floating tubes that contain the plume

• skimming: boats that “scrape” the oil from the surface

• absorbents: materials that suck up the oil

• direct removal, no chemical agensts, controlled application, adaptable

• high cost, weather dependable, logistical challenges, secondary impacts like damage of habitats

chemical oil pollution remediation

• dispersants: act like soap to break up large oil plumes into more manageable particles, dilute the particles

• rapid action, quickly remove visible oil, efficient for large areas

• toxicity concerns, doesn’t remove oil from ecosystems, limited effectiveness over time, persistence

biological oil pollution remediation

• microbes: genetically engineered microbes that break down carbon chains from the oil, look like sawdust and activate with water

• eco-friendly, cost-effective, sustainable, minimal disruption

• slow, limited effectiveness, environmental dependency, not a complete solution

solid waste pollutants

• source: plastics (microplastics), littering - runoff, illegal dumping

• effects: acts as a surface for anything not water soluble, can be mistaken for food

• solution: collections, ocean vaccums

sediment pollutants

• source: exposed soil, high amounts of runoff, moving and eroding soil, can carry pesticides and herbicides, heavy metals, any erosion

• effects: turbidity can become high and lead to less DO which reduces photosynthesis, lowers productivity of water, get into gills

• solution: filters, maybe fencing with hay or mulch 

thermal pollutants

• source: power plants, electricity generating with burning coal, industrial facilities, suburban and urban runoff (hot rainwater)

• effects: species with lower ranges of tolerance, as temp. increases DO decreases (has to do with solubility of gases) 

• solutions: cooling towers to be reused or put back into the environment, holding ponds, management of runoff

noise pollutants

• source: ships using motors, sonar, horns, construction of turbines

• effects: affects communication, navigation for animal, get confused

• solution: sailboats, light communication, shift to different frequencies for sonar, avoid certain migrations areas during certain times of the year

clean water act

• prevention of water and land pollution

• regulates point source polluters, have to get permits

• NPDES

• regulates all waters and wetlands in US

• sets standards for pollutants or limits

• waters in general

safe drinking water act

• 1974

• they created stricter standards for drinking water (MCLs)

• protects drinking water resources, certain things cannot be within a distance from a public well 

• private wells aren’t protected

• drinking water

• wells

RCRA

• resource conservation and recovery act

• regulates hazardous waster disposal

• has to be legal doc where it went

• regulates waste

CERCLA

• superfund act, comprehensive environmental response compensation and liability act

• taxes on chemical and petroleum industries

• regulates cleanup of abandoned, chemical areas

• regulates clean up 

organic waste management

• sources: things poured down drains, toilets showers

• solutions: private and public wastewater management 

leachate

• water that picks up anything that runs through an area

methane venting

• limit waste

• tubing that sticks out

leachfield/drainfield

• meant to allow nature to get pathogens out and filter soil

septic tank

• typically used on residential props. (suburban or rural)

• pump with truck to WWTP

incineration

• to reduce volume of waste and generation of energy

• air pollution