APES Unit 8

Point Source

A distinct location which pollution is directly produced.

Point Source

What are smoke stack and water discharge pipes examples of?

Nonpoint Source

A diffuse area that produces pollution.

Nonpoint Source

A diffuse area that produces pollution

Nonpoint Source

A diffuse area that produces pollution.

Nonpoint Source

What is an urban storm runoff and pollution from an entire farming region examples of?

Water Pollution

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

Wastewater

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

Nutrient release, oxygen demand, and disease-causing organisms

What are the three problems with wastewater?

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.

Eutrophication

_____________ is caused by an increase in nutrients like fertilizers and can cause a rapid growth of algae with eventually dies, causing the microbes (decomposers) to increase the BOD

Biochemical Oxygen Demand BOD

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

False

A low BOD indicates that a body of water is highly polluted.

Step One

Which eutrophication step is this: Excessive nutrients enter water body (fertilizers)

Step Two

Which eutrophication step is this: Algal bloom occurs due to excessive nutrients

Step Three

Which eutrophication step is this: Algae covers waters preventing sunlight from penetrating water

Step Four

Which eutrophication step is this: Vegetation below surface die due to lack of sunlight

Step Five

Which eutrophication step is this: Microbes (decomposers) use O2 to break down dead algae vegetation.

Step Six

Which eutrophication step is this: DO (dissolved oxygen) decreases

Step Seven

Which eutrophication step is this: Heterotrophic animals like fish die due to lack of O2.

Oxygen Demand

What is this concept: When organic matter (dead organisms) enter a body of water, it is broken down by composers. Decomposers require O2 to break down this waste. The more waste that enters the water, more O2 that is needed by the decomposers to break the waste down. A low O2 level is a good indication that a body of water is highly polluted - HIGH BOD

Dead Zone

In a body of water, an area with extremely low O2 concentration and very little life. When decomposers use large amounts of O2 to break down waste, little O2 is left for living organisms. Low levels of O2 are deadly to organisms like fish and plants.

Range of Tolerance

All species have an ideal range of abiotic conditions such as temp., under which their members can survive, grow, and reproduce. Under more extreme conditions, their ability to perform these essential functions declines.

Oxygen Sag Curve

Shows changes that occur when organic wastes are added to an aquatic ecosystem; DO (dissolved oxygen) drops because of increased BOD resulting in a shift in biodiversity.

Clean Zone

Normal clean water organisms (trout, perch, bass, mayfly, stonefly). In second time, the DO eventually returns to normal.

Decomposition Zone and Recovery Zone

Trash, fish (carp, gar, leeches), Lowest DO (takes some time for bacteria to eat and respire

Clean zone, decomposition zone, septic zone, recovery zone, clean zone

What is the order of the oxygen sag curve?

Septic Zone

Fish absent, fungi, sludge worms, bacteria (anaerobic)

Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone

One of the most impressive dead zones in the world. Located where the Miss. R. dumps into the _____ of __.

41

The Miss. R. receives water from ___% of the land of the continental US. This water contains wastewater and fertilizer that causes large algal blooms followed by a substantial decrease in oxygenated water and massive die-offs of fish.

oxygen

When raw sewage and detergents are dumped directly into bodies of water, subsequent decomposition by microbes can consume all the _______ causing dead zones to develop.

human activity

Some dead zones can occur naturally but most are cause by _________ ___________.

algal blooms

Nitrogen and phosphorous contribute to dead zones by fueling massive ______ ________ through nutrient pollution. When these algae die and sink, bacteria decomposes them and consumers almost all DO.

Disease Causing Organisms

People use same water to drink, bathe, sewage. Wastewater has pathogens. This can be contracted with contact with contaminated water (Cholera, Typhoid Fever, Stomach flu, Diarrhea, Cholera, Hepatitis)

Indicator Species

A species that indicates whether or not disease-causing pathogens are likely to be present (ex. fecal coliform bacteria)

Fecal coliform bacteria

A group of generally harmless microorganisms in human intestines that can serve as an indicator species for potentially harmful microorganisms associated with contaminated sewage.

E. Coli

One of the most common strains of Fecal coliform bacteria that lives in human intestines. Detected it in drinking water indicates it has been contaminated by waste water.

Thermal Pollution

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

Septic Systems and Sewage treatment plants

What are the 2 common ways to handle human wastewater?

Septic System

A relatively small and simple sewage treatment system, made up of a septic tank and 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. Sinks to the bottom of the tank and must be pumped from the tank every 5-10 yrs.

Septage

A layer of fairly clear water found in the middle of a septic tank. Contains large quantities of bacteria. Bacteria breakdown organic matter in septage to CO2 and inorganic nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous. May also have pathogens

Leach Field

A component of a septic system, made up of underground pipes laid out below the surface of the ground. Through gravity, septage moves from the septic tank to the large perforated pipes in the _______ _______. Septage from the pipes slowly speech out into the _______ _______ and is absorbed and filtered by surrounding soil.

Municipalities (MUDs)

In developed countries ___________ use centralized sewage treatment plants that receive wastewater from hundreds or even thousands of households.

Primary Treatment

Physical removal or large objects, often through the use of screens and grates, followed by the settling of solid waste in the bottom of a tank. This is the first step of the phases of the traditional wastewater treatment plants.

Secondary Treatment

Biological process where bacteria break down organic matter into carbon dioxide and organic sludge, which settles in the bottom of the tank. The tank is aerated to increase rate the bacteria break down organic matter.

Tertiary Treatment

Phase to remove pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorous

disinfectants

Prior to discharge, the treated water is exposed to one or more _____________ (usually, chlorine, ozone, or UV light) to kill bacteria.

Sewage Treatment Plant

In large municipalities, great volumes of wastewater are handled by separating the sludge from the water and then using bacteria to break down both components.

Manure

________ from concentrated animal feeding operations is a problem because of volume. It can also contain hormones and antibiotics that are given to the animals

Manure Lagoon

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

fertilizers

After the manure is broken down by bacteria, it is spread onto fields as _________.

Endocrine disruptor

A chemical that interferes with the normal functioning of hormones in an animal’s body.

Endocrine disruptors

_____________ _________ like reproductive hormones can be found in wastewater. Wastewater can contain hormones from feedlots, birth control pills, and pesticides

fish, reptiles, amphibians

Scientists are increasingly finding ____, ________, ____________ being affected by these hormones in waterways.

Endocrine Disruptors

_____________ ___________ can lead to birth defects, developmental disorders, and gender imbalances in fish and other species.

Lead

Found in pipes and other materials in older construction. Exposure causes nervous system damage, reduced IQ, attention problems, and kidney damage

Lead

Which heavy metal has declined dramatically in the US since banning of this type of gasoline, paint, pipes, and solder

Flint

This city in Michigan used water from Flint River. The water was high in chloride concentrations, which is corrosive to lead pipes. The lead pipes corroded, and lead leached into the city’s water supply.

Arsenic

occurs naturally through human activity such as mining and industry. Exposure is associated with cancers of the skin, kidneys, lung, and liver

Mercury

occurs naturally and through human activity, primarily through burning coal, also incineration of garbage, hazardous waste, and medical and dental supplies.

Mercury

In wetlands and lakes, bacteria converts the inorganic version of this into methylmercury, which is highly toxic to humans. Methylmercury damages the central nervous system, particularly in young children and in developing embryos of pregnant women. Human are exposed primarily through eating fish in which the compound has bioaccumulated.

Arsenic

Which heavy metal concentrations are found typically in the upper Midwest and the West?

Mercury

This heavy metal emissions from human activities vary greatly among regions of the world.

Oil Pollution

Petroleum products are highly toxic to many marine organisms including birds, mammals, and fish, as well as to algae and microorganisms that form the base of the aquatic food chain.

drilling

One source of oil in the water comes from ___________ undersea oil using offshore platforms.

spills

Oil and other petroleum products can also enter the oceans as _____ from oil tankers.

Oil Pollution

____ ____________ in the ocean also occurs naturally from seeps.

Oil Spills

____ _______ in marine waters cause organisms to die from the hydrocarbons in oil. Oil that floats on the surface can coat bird feathers and marine mammal fur. Some components of oil sink to the ocean floor, killing some bottom-dwelling organisms

economic

Oil that washes up on the beach can have __________ consequences on the fishing and tourism industries

Booms

______ keep the floating oil from spreading, then boats equipped with giant oil vacuums suck up as much oil as possible. Chemicals break up the oil on the surface, making it disperse before it hits the shoreline.

Bacteria

________ consume oil; scientists are currently trying to genetically engineer the bacterium to consume oil even faster

Non chemical water pollution

Solid waste/trash/litter pollution, sediment pollution, thermal pollution, noise pollution

Litter Pollution

This reaches aquatic ecosystems, besides being unsightly, can create intestinal blockage and choking hazards for wildlife and introduce toxic substances to the food chain.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Large area of solid waste, composed mostly of plastic floating on the North Pacific.

Sediment Pollution

pollution that consists of soil particles that are carried downstream.

30 70

____ percent of all sediments in our waterways comes from natural sources while ____ percent comes from human activities

Thermal Pollution

this occurs when an industry removes cold water from a natural body of water, uses it to absorb heat that is generated in the manufacturing process, and returns the heated water back to natural supply. This change in temperature leads to thermal shock which kills species

Thermal pollution

what is water being used to cool power plants discharged into surface water an example of?

Thermal Shock

A dramatic change in water temperature that can kill organisms.

Noise Pollution

Sounds emitted by ships and submarines can interfere with animal communication. Loud sonar could negatively affect species such as whales that rely on low-frequency communication

Persistent Organic Pollutants

The persistence of a chemical refer to the length of time a chemical remains in the environment.

Persistence

depends on several factors including temp., pH, whether the chemical is in water or soil, and whether it can be degraded by sunlight or broken down by microbes. Scientists measure things by observing the half-life of the chemical

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Synthetic carbon-based mlcs. that have a long half-life and break down very slowly are known as ______________ __________ ______________

POPs

_____ can travel over long distances via wind and water before being redeposited

Persistent Organic Pollutants

this can be toxic to organisms because they are fat-soluble, which allows them to accumulate in fatty tissues of organisms. This leads to bioaccumulation and biomagnification.

Bioaccumulation

increased concentration of a chemical within an organism over time

Biomagnification

The increase in chemical concentration in animal tissues as the chemical that moves up the food chain.

DDT

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane has half life of 30 yrs and is no longer used and Polychlorinated biphenyls has half-life of 8-15 years (PCB)

Biomagnification of DDT

initial exposure to this is in low trophic groups. Consumption leads to upward movement of chemical where it is accumulated in the bodies at each trophic level. s39

biomagnified

Some effects that can occur in an ecosystem when a persistent substance is __________ in a food chain include eggshell thinning a developmental deformities in top carnivores of the higher trophic levels.

biomagnification

Humans experience harmful effects from ________________ including issues with the reproductive, nervous, and circulatory systems.

Wetlands

__________ are areas where water covers the soil, either part or all the time. They provide a variety of ecological services, including water purification, flood protection, water filtration, and habitat

mangroves

Threats to wetlands and ___________ include commercial development, dam construction, overfishing, and pollutants from agriculture and industrial waste.