Water Resources and Water Pollution

Vocabulary flashcards covering water resources, distribution, cycle stages, treatment methods, and pollution types from Chapters 6.1 and 6.2.

Surface water

Freshwater on Earth's land surface, found in lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands.

Groundwater

The water that is beneath Earth's surface.

Aquifer

Porous rock that stores groundwater and allows the flow of groundwater.

Land subsidence

The sinking of land caused by the removal of too much groundwater.

Saltwater intrusion

The process that occurs when saltwater enters freshwater aquifers, often due to excessive groundwater removal.

Well

A hole that is dug to obtain fresh groundwater.

Infiltration

The process of water soaking into the ground and becoming groundwater.

Evaporation

The phase change of water from a liquid to a gaseous state.

Transpiration

The process by which plants release water vapor into the atmosphere.

Condensation

The phase change of water from a gaseous to a liquid state.

Precipitation

Any form of water—such as snow, sleet, hail, or rain—falling to Earth.

Water scarcity

A condition occurring when there is not enough clean, usable freshwater to meet people's needs.

Physical water scarcity

A type of water scarcity that occurs when there is not enough natural water available.

Economic water scarcity

A type of water scarcity that occurs when water is available but people lack the money or infrastructure to access it.

Primary filtration

The first step in drinking water treatment where large items are filtered out.

Preliminary treatment

The first step in sewage treatment where large sewage items are filtered out.

Coagulation

A treatment process where alum is added to take toxins out of the water, creating flocs that sink.

Alum

A white chalk material added to water during treatment for cleaning.

Floc

Aggregated particles formed when alum combines with water contaminants.

Second filtration

A water treatment step where layers of rock and gravel filter any remaining impurities from drinking water.

Chlorination

A step in water treatment where chlorine is added to kill pathogens.

Aeration

The process of placing water and air in close contact to remove dissolved gases and oxidize dissolved and other chemicals.

Fluoridation

The addition of fluoride to water to prevent tooth decay.

Wastewater

Water that contains wastes from homes or industry.

Potable water

Water that is suitable for drinking.

Pathogen

A microorganism, another organism, a virus, or a protein that causes disease; an infectious agent.

Effluent

Treated wastewater that is released into the environment.

Primary treatment (wastewater)

The stage in wastewater treatment where fine particles settle out to create sludge.

Secondary treatment (wastewater)

The stage in wastewater treatment where oxygen, chlorine, and possibly UV light are used to further treat wastewater.

Tertiary treatment (wastewater)

The stage where wastewater is funneled through a gravel bed for final cleaning before release into a waterway.

Sludge

The solid portion of wastewater treatment.

Cake

The finished solid product of sludge that is used as a soil conditioner.

LifeStraw

A tool created for developing countries to remove bacteria, viruses, and parasites from water to make it suitable for drinking.

Charcoal

Charred wood used for cleaning water, such as inside a Brita water filter.

Water pollution

Contamination of water by waste matter or other material that is harmful to organisms exposed to the water.

Point-source pollution

Pollution that comes from a specific site, such as a factory water pipe discharging into a stream.

Non-point-source pollution

Water contamination coming from an undefined source, such as a golf course, farm field, or residential neighborhood.

Groundwater contamination

The entry of pollutants into groundwater through percolation down from the surface.

Artificial eutrophication

A process that increases the amount of nutrients in a body of water through human activities, such as waste disposal and land drainage.

Organic pollution

Pollution that occurs when living things decompose.

Biological oxygen demand (BOD)

The amount of oxygen needed by microorganisms to decompose biological wastes into carbon dioxide, water, and minerals.

Dissolved oxygen

Oxygen available in water for aquatic organisms, serving as an indicator of a healthy environment when levels are high.

Hypoxia

A condition in which oxygen levels in water become extremely low.

Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone

An area in the Gulf of Mexico that has low amounts of oxygen due to high amounts of nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen.

Organic pollutants

Water pollutants that include pesticides, fertilizers, plastics, detergents, gasoline, oil, and other petroleum-based materials.

Inorganic pollutants

Water pollutants consisting of acids, bases, salts, and industrial chemicals.

Sediment pollution

Excessive amounts of soil particles that enter the water as a result of erosion.

Watershed

The area of land that is drained by a water system.

River system

A flowing network of rivers and streams draining a river basin.

Clean Water Act

A 1972 federal statute designed to make water clean for swimming and fishing by 1983 that regulates pollutant discharges into U.S. surface waters.

Hexavalent chromium

The primary chemical contaminant in the Hinkley, California, class-action lawsuit involving Erin Brockovich.

Alkalinity

A water measurement used to determine the buffering capacity of water.

pH

A measurement of how acidic or basic water is, with a target goal of 7.0 (neutral) for water.

Ammonia

A small, very toxic molecule ($NH_3$) produced by nitrogen fixation or as a metabolic waste product.