Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution Notes- 4.6 and 8.5 to 8.8

Watersheds

an area of land where all the water that falls on it drains into a common outlet, such as a river, lake, or ocean.

Vegetation, soil composition, and slope play a large role in now watersheds

• more vegetation = more infiltration and groundwater recharge

• greater slope = faster velocity of runoff and more soil erosion

• permeability determines runoff vs infiltration rates

Major Nitrogen and Phosphorus sources

• discharge from sewage treatment plants (human waste)

• animal waste from CAFO’s

• synthetic fertilizers

• endocrine disrupters from sewage treatment

• sediment pollution

Eutrophication

The excessive growth of algae and other plants due to an increase in nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus) in a body of water, leading to harmful effects on aquatic ecosystems, such as an algal bloom

• Cultural eutrophication is the excessive nutrient enrichment of water bodies, primarily due to human activities like agriculture and wastewater discharge.

Oligotrophic Waters

Waterways with low nitrogen and phosphorus levels, stable algae populations, and high dissolved oxygen.

• can be due to a lack of nutrient pollution or the age of the water

Dissolved Oxygen and Dead-Zones

a "dead zone" refers to an area in a water body, like an ocean or lake, where low oxygen levels (hypoxia) or no oxygen (anoxia) prevent most marine life from surviving. This is directly linked to the amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water. 

Thermal Pollution

occurs when there is an increase in temperature in natural bodies of water due to human activities. It can negatively impact aquatic ecosystems by reducing oxygen levels and disrupting the balance of species living in the water.

Sources and Mitigation of Thermal Pollution

Sources:

• Power plants, particularly those using fossil fuels or nuclear fission

• industrial processes

• deforestation

• urban runoff

• natural events like volcanoes or geothermal vents

Mitigation:

• Reducing heat load

• Cooling towers - a structure used to dissipate waste heat from industrial processes, particularly power plants, to the atmosphere

• Implementing waste heat recover

POPS (persistent organic pollutants)

POPs are synthetic, toxic chemicals that persist in the environment for long periods of time and can bioaccumulate in living organisms. They can travel long distances through air and water, posing a threat to both human health and the environment.

• medication, biotoxins, DDT, PCBS, BPA, etc

• carried in wing and water

Biomagnification

The increase in concentration of toxins, such as POPs, as they move up the food chain.

Bioaccumulation

The process by which toxins, like POPs, build up in the tissues of organisms over time.