AP Environmental Science Chapter 14

Water Pollution

The contamination of streams, rivers, lakes, oceans, or groundwater with substances produced through human activities

Point Source

A distinct location from which pollution is directly produced

Nonpoint Source

A difiuse area that produces pollution

Wastewater

Water produced by human activities including human sewage from toilets and gray water from bathing and washing of clothes and dishes

Oxygen-Demanding Waste

Organic matter that enters a body of water and feeds microbes that are decomposers

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

The amount of oxygen a quantity of water uses over a period of time at specific temperatures

Dead Zone

In a body of water, an area with extremely low oxygen concentration and very little life

Eutrophication

A phenomenon in which a body of water becomes rich in nutrients

Cultural Eutrophication

An increase in fertility in a body of water, the result of anthropogenic inputs of nutrients

Indicator Species

A species that indicates whether or not disease-causing pathogens are likely to be present

Fecal Coliform Bacteria

A group of microorganisms in the human intestines that can serve as an indicator species for potentially harmful microorganisms associated with contamination by sewage

Septic System

A relatively small and simple sewage treatment system, made up of a septic tank and a leach field, often used for homes in rural areas

Septic Tank

A large container that receives wastewater from a house as part of a septic system

Sludge

Solid waste material from wastewater

Septage

A layer of fairly clear water found in the middle of a septic tank

Leach Field

A component of a septic system, made up of underground pipes laid out below the surface of the ground

Manure Lagoons

Human-made ponds lined with rubber built to handle large quantities of manure produced by livestock

PCBs

A group of industrial compounds formerly used to manufacture plastics and insulate electrical transformers, and responsible for many environmental problems, also known as polychlorinated biphenyls

PBDEs

An environmentally harmful compound commonly found in flame retardants and other materials also known as polybrominated diphenyl ether

Thermal Pollution

Nonchemical water pollution that occurs when human activities cause a substantial change in the temperature of water

Thermal Shock

A dramatic change in water temperature that can kill organisms

Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL)

The standard for safe drinking water established by the EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act