APES Water Pollutants

Sediment

• soil particles in bodies of water

• clear cutting, mining, cleaning land

• blocks sunlight penetration, reducing algae and plants

• prevents aquatic organisms from obtaining oxygen

Solid Waste

• garbage thrown away (plastic pollution)

• litter reaches aquatic life (hazardous, intestinal blockage, choking, toxic substances in food chains)

Thermal Pollution

• human activities cause change in water temp

• dramatic change causes thermal shock → fatal to organisms

• temp increases and solubility of 02 decreases

  • ex: river water as coolant for factories

  • ex: deforestation near water removes shades

Noise Pollution

• sounds emitted by ships/submarines interfere with animal communication

• loud sonar can affect species such as whales

• engineer ships with quieter propellers

Synthetic Compounds

• can enter water supply from industrial point/nonpoint sources

  • ex: pesticides, pharmaceuticals

• toxic, cause genetic defects, affect development

Oil

• highly toxic to marine organisms

• comes from

  • drilling for undersea oil

  • oil spills

  • oil seeps (naturally)

• remediation

  • containment → booms keeps from spreading and uses oil vacuum to suck up

  • dispersants → chemicals break up and help dissolve

  • bacteria → oil-degrading bacteria to break down spilled oil

Heavy Metals

• neurotoxins affecting functions and developments

• lead → pipes/old construction

• arsenic → mining and industry

• mercury → burning coal

Biological Pollutants

• pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria and protists) originating from human/animal waste products

• contaminate surface water/groundwater

• manure can have pathogens, hormones and antibiotics (used on animals)

• manure lagoons to store and decompose manure using bacteria