APES Unit 9

Point Source

a single, identifiable source of a pollutant

non-point source

contributions from many sources accumulating over a wide area, eventually reaching levels that effect water quality

Issues caused by sewage discharge pipes

nutrient pollution, depletion of oxygen, and disease-causing organisms in wastewater

What causes the release of nitrogen and phosphorus in waterways?

agricultural runoff and decomposition of wastewater

limiting factors for producers in aquatic environments

nitrogen and phosphorus

Biochemical oxygen demand

the amount of oxygen a quantity of water uses over a period of time

low BOD

low levels of pollution

high BOD

high levels of pollution w

Why does the higher levels of pollution use more oxygen?

decomposition and algae require oxygen for cellular respiration

How are BOD and dissolved oxygen related?

they are inversely proportional

what does disease-causing bacteria in wastewater cause?

diarrhea, stomach flu, typhoid fever, cholera, hepatitis, etc.

Thermal pollution

the sudden increase in water temperature what are

where does thermal pollution occur?

near steam-powered plants or other industrial factories

how do steam-powered plants and other industrial factories create thermal pollution?

they pump water to cool down steam and release the warm water back to its original source

what are the results of thermal pollution?

lowers oxygen concentration and out of range of tolerance for organisms

noise pollution

unwanted or harmful sound that disrupts normal activities and harms wildlife

examples of noise pollution

commercial shipping, seismic surveys, oil exploration, and military sonar

What does noise pollution disrupt?

natural behaviors, migration, and communication of aquatic life

explain the process of acid mine drainage

Abandoned mines fill with water, water reacts with pyrite and breaks down into iron and sulfuric acid, lowers the pH of the water, low pH makes other naturally-occurring metals in rock soluble, and this kills aquatic life

what lowers the pH of the water in mines?

water and air reacting with pyrite to break down into iron and sulfuric acid

how is drinking water contaminated with lead?

lead pipes

How is there still lead in water today?

the Safe Drinking Water Act banned the use of new lead pipes but the old pipes were allowed to stay

What is the safe exposure level of lead?

No safe exposure levels

what does lead effect?

neurotoxin; effects behavior and learning; might also effect the kidneys

point or non-point source - oil spills

point source; from leaking tankers or pipes

what was the largest accidental oil spill? Where and when did it happen?

Deep Water Horizon (gulf of Mexico; 2010)

How does oil spills affect wildlife?

clogs gills, birds are unable to fly, insulation properties disappear, toxic

What is the remediation for oil pollution?

containment, chemicals, burn it off, and bioremediation

describe containment of oil pollution

booms keep the floating oil from spreading, then boats equipped with giant oil vacuums suck up as much oil as possible; once contained absorbers and skimmers used

describe using chemicals to remade oil pollution

dispersants/ detergents break up the oil on the surface, making it disperse before it hits the shoreline

describe the process of bioremediation

a particular bacterium consumes oil

sedimentation

consists of soil particles that are carried downstream and make water cloudy (high turbidity) H

How does sedimentation affect productivity?

reduced infiltration of sunlight lowers the productivity of producers

besides productivity, what does sedimentation affect?

It clogs the gills of aquatic organisms, so they can’t obtain oxygen

what are anthropogenic sources of sedimentation?

farms, construction, mining

how does the sedimentation occur by anthropogenic sources?

loosens soil and takes away vegetation that “holds” soil particles in place

what are solutions to farming sedimentation pollution? How do they help?

No-till agriculture, cover crops; holds root in place and keeps soil in natural layers

what are solutions to forestry sedimentation pollution?

Selective cutting on slopes and replanting

what are solutions to mining and construction sedimentation pollution?

plant vegetation back

Sedimentation can be avoided near streams and rivers by…

planting “buffer” strips of vegetation along the bank

Persistent organic pollutants

toxic compounds that bioaccumulates and biomagnifies in the food chain (on an exponential scale)

mercury

an inorganic metal that comes from the burning of fossil fuels, incineration of garbage, and the hazardous waste of medical/ dental supplies

what is mercury converted into? Who converts it?

Methyl-mercury; bacteria`

Effects of methylmercury

neurotoxin; crosses the placental barrier and damaging nervous system and brain development of fetus

synthetic

man made

organic

carbon based

endocrine disrupters

chemicals that mimics or interferes with the body’s hormones

what are common characteristics of synthetic organic compounds?

POPs and endocrine disrupters

Polychlorinated Biphenyls

endocine disrupter used in electrical equipment such as transformers, hydraulics and heat transfer fluids, lubricants, and plastics

characteristics of industrial compounds

PCBs and highly carcinogenic

how does pharmaceuticals and medicines end up in natural water sources?

run-off and wastewater treatments

characteristics of pharmaceuticals and medicines

endocrine disrupters that can affect fertility, gestation and embryonic development

How does plastic waste pollute waterways?

directly harm the respiratory and digestive tracts of wildlife, turned into microplastics and accumulated in the body as a POP, interferes with normal cellular functions

how is plastic broken down into microplastics?

UV radiation and water

impacts of pesticides

persistent and biomagnification, unintended targets, dangerous for human health, and the pesticide treadmill

broad-spectrum pesticides

they kill many different types of pests; often kill or injure more than the targeted organisms

health effects of pesticides

cancer, birth defects, miscarriages, and endocrine disrupters

solution to pesticides

organic fertilizers over synthetic

why are organic fertilizers better?

they are naturally produced and feed the soilw

Why is water subject to Tragedy of the Commons

free, public and unregulated

ow much of the water on Earth is available to humans?

0.5%

what are the impacts of freshwater depletion?

depletion of aquifers, salination of freshwater, poor ag practices that leads to soil degradation, and climate change

examples of infrastructure projects

dams and diversions

what does infrastructure projects provide?

consistent water sources

how do you increase conservation and efficiency?

Xeriscaping and better fixtures

Desalination

converting salt water to freshwater

what are the two methods of desalination?

reverse osmosis and distillation

distillation

heating salt water leads to evaporation; salt is left behind; water condenses back into freshwater

reverse osmosis

pump salt water through porous membrane

cons of reverse osmosis

high cost and energy demand

Describe dysentery

spread by fecal contamination; causes inflammation and ulcers of the intestines; leads to diarrhea containing mucus and blood

describe cholera

spread by fecal contamination; causes profuse watery diarrhea that leads to rapid dehydration

Clean Water Act

protects water by maintaining and restoring its natural chemical, physical, and biological properties

How is the clean water act enforced?

issues water quality standards; makes it unlawful to discharge pollution into waterways; requires technology to treat water before discharge

Who enforces the Clean Water Act?

The EPA (CWA)

Safe Drinking Water Act

sets the national standards for safe drinking water; establishes maximum containment levels from 77 elements or substances

How are bacteria used in wastewater treatment?

used to breakdown the organic matter into carbon dioxide and inorganic compounds and the harmful pathogens are outcompeted by nonharmful pathogens

How do you treat waste water in rural environment?

Gravity dependent septic tanks

septic tanks

large container that receives house’s wastewater and separates into 3 layers

Leach field

underground perforated pipes laid out below the surface where bacteria degrade effluent and recycle nutrients

how do you treat wastewater in urban environments

wastewater treatment plants; treats sewage and gray water

primary step of wastewater treatment

physically removal of large objects using screens or grates

Primary step of septic tanks

solid waste falls to the bottom of the settling tank

secondary step in wastewater treatment

biological treatment where organic matter is broken down into CO2 and sludge which settles to the bottom

Tertiary step in wastewater treatment

ecological or chemical treatments to remove remaining pollutants

what are some methods used in tertiary water treatment?

Chlorine, UV radiation, and ozone

what pollutants remain in the tertiary step?

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and bacteria

when are treatment plants are allowed to dump waste into bodies of water?

in periods of heavy rain

Wetlands

areas where water covers the soil for all or part of the time

Estuaries

the transition zone between rivers and the ocean; brackish water

What are some supporting services of wetlands?

high NPP area; biodiverse; habitat for fish nurseries

What is a provisioning service of wetlands?

food from fishing

what are some regulating services of wetlands?

Water purification, flood protection, carbon sequestration, and water infiltration

describe water purification

slow moving water allows sediment to settle at the bottom; excess nutrients are broken down by soil microbes or used by plants

describe flood protection

protecting shorelines with thick soil that can absorb water like a sponge

describe water infiltration

groundwater is recharged as water sits in the soils

describe carbon sequestration

absorbs the most carbon/hectare than almost any other ecosystem

Human impacts of wetlands

habitat loss, dams, introduction of invasive species, and runoff pollution

describe the impacts of dams

act as a sediment trap, decreasing nutrient supply; migration of fish is impacted

why are wetland susceptible to runoff pollution?

they are “outlet” points of a watershed; concentrations of pollutants increase exponentially from non-point sources to outlets