Water Pollution Identify Pollution !Chlorine, specific conductance !Acid, pH !Organic constituents, lab analysis !

s !Sediment, visual identification !Surfactants, visual identification Water Pollution Water pollution is any chemical, biological or physical change in water quality that has a harmful effect on living organisms or makes water unsuitable for desired uses. Toxicology The study of the interaction between chemical agents and biological systems. the relative ability of a substance to cause adverse effects in living organisms.

Harmful Toxic been known to kill organisms (usually humans) Hazardous refers to a compound which causes acute or chronic health problems, including, but not limited to, death. Point Source pollution that comes from a specific location: Industrial discharge Sludge from a copper mine. Nonpoint source pollution that occurs from multiple sources with no single polluter identified. What are they polluting

Types

Examples

Sources

Infectious agents Bacteria, viruses, Human and parasites animal waste Oxygendemanding waste Plant nutrients Organic chemicals Biodegradable animal waste & plant debris NO3, PO4, SO4 Sewage, animal feedlots, food processing plants, pulp mills Sewage, animal waste, fertilizers

Petroleum Industry, farms, products, plastics, households cleaners, etc.

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Types
Inorganic chemicals Sediment Thermal

Examples
Acids, salts, metal compounds Clay, sand, silt Heat

Sources
Industry, households, surface runoff Erosion, farms, industry Power plants, nuclear facilities, industry

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Effects of Pollution !exposure to infectious agents from contaminated drinking water; and, !not having enough water for effective sanitation. Waterborne Diseases

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Type of Organism Bacteria Virus Parasites Parasitic worms Disease Effects

Typhoid fever diarrhea, vomiting, inflamm Enteritis stomach pain, nausea, vomit Hepatitis B Dysentery Giardiasis Schistosomiasis fever, severe headache, jaundice, enlarged liver diarrhea, abdominal pain diarrhea, cramps, fatigue

Abdominal pain, rash, ane chronic fatigue

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Acts Drinking Water: Safe Drinking Water Act Surface Water: Clean Water Act Groundwater: CWA, RCRA as Solid Waste, CERCLA for clean-up Surface water Pollution !human activity !industrial activity !power plants Q Value Measurements of each parameter are taken and recorded and then are converted into a Q value

Water Quality Factor Weights Dissolved oxygen Fecal coliform pH Biochemical oxygen demand Temperature change Total phosphate Nitrates Turbidity Total solids

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0.17 0.16 0.11 0.11 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.08 0.07

Final Calculations The weighted Q values are added for all of the parameters and compared to a water quality index scale The Scale Water Quality !91 - 100 : Excellent Water Quality !71 - 90 : Good Water Quality !51 - 70 : Medium or Average Quality !26 - 50 : Fair Water Quality ! 0 - 25 : Poor Water Quality

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Dissolved Oxygen Oxygen gas is not very soluble in water. As the temperature of a liquid increases, the solubilities of gases in that liquid decrease. DO

DO in surface water comes from contact with the atmosphere. A high concentration of DO indicates high water quality River discharge is related to the climate of an area. During dry periods, flow may be severely reduced, and air and water temperatures are often higher. Both of these factors tend to reduce dissolved oxygen levels! Wet weather mix with atmospheric oxygen! significant ingredient in urban and agricultural runoff are fertilizers that stimulate the growth of algae and other aquatic plants!

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Changes in Aquatic Life! ! ! Species that cannot tolerate low levels of dissolved oxygen! become abundant in waters with low levels of dissolved oxygen.!

Calculate percent saturation!

To calculate percent saturation, first correct your dissolved oxygen value (milligrams of oxygen per liter) for atmospheric pressure. Look at the correction chart. Using either your atmospheric pressure (as read from a barometer) or your local altitude (if a barometer is not available), read across to the right hand column to find the correction factor. Multiply your dissolved oxygen measurement by this factor to obtain a corrected value.!

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)!

When organic matter decomposes, it is fed upon by aerobic bacteria. In this process, organic matter is broken down and oxidized!

Sources of Organic Matter!

organic material: enter lakes, rivers, swamps, bogs, and vegetation along the water! human sources of organic material!
Point sources of organic pollution include: ! ! ! ! ! pulp and paper mills; ! meat-packing plants; ! food processing industries; ! wastewater treatment plants. !

Nonpoint -> urban runoff of rain and melting snow carrying sewage from illegal sanitary sewer connections into storm drains! agricultural runoff, runoff from animal feedlots that carry fecal material into river! ! As organic pollution increases, the ecologically stable and complex relationships present in waters containing a high diversity of organisms is replaced by a low diversity of pollution-tolerant organisms. !

Cause and Effect!

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pH!

Water contains both H+ (hydrogen) ions and OH- (hydroxyl) ions. The pH test measures the H+ ion concentration of liquids and substances. ! natural water is usually between 6.5 and 8.5! nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO-2), primarily from automobile and coal-fired power plant emissions, are converted to nitric acid and sulfuric acid in the atmosphere.!

pH values (e.g., 9.6 or 4.5) the water becomes unsuitable for most organisms!

Nitrates! Nitrogen is a much more abundant nutrient than phosphorus in nature!

 Blue-green algae use N2 and convert it into forms of nitrogen that plants can take up through their roots and use for growth: ammonia (NH ) and nitrate (NO -).!
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As aquatic plants and animals die, bacteria break down large protein molecules into ammonia. ! ammonia -> oxidized (combined with oxygen) by bacteria -> iterates (NO2) and nitrates (NO-3)! Eutrophication promotes more plant growth and decay, which in turn increases biochemical oxygen demand. ! Sewage is the main source of nitrates added by humans to rivers and lakes. ! septic system drainfields are placed too close to the water table, nutrients and bacteria are able to percolate down into the groundwater where they may contaminate drinking water supplies. !

Water containing high nitrate levels can cause a serious condition called methemoglobinemia if used in infant formula!

Temperature Influences! ! the amount of oxygen that can be dissolved in water; ! ! the rate of photosynthesis by algae and larger aquatic plants; ! ! the metabolic rates of aquatic organisms; ! ! the sensitivity of organisms to toxic wastes, parasites, and diseases. ! cool water can hold more oxygen than warm water, because gases are more easily dissolved in cool water.! Thermal pollution is an increase in water temperature caused by adding relatively warm water to a body of water. ! tree cutting, soil erosion also mess with temperature As water temperature rises, the rate of photosynthesis and plant growth also increases. ! ! ! ! More plants grow and die. ! As plants die, they are decomposed by bacteria that consume oxygen. ! Therefore, when the rate of photosynthesis is increased, the need for oxygen in the water (BOD) is also increased. Turbidity Turbidity is a measure of the relative clarity of water: the greater the turbidity, the murkier the water. High turbidity may be caused by soil erosion, waste discharge, urban runoff, abundant bottom feeders (such as carp) that stir up bottom sediments, or algal growth.!

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Fecal Coliform Bacteria! Fecal coliform bacteria are found in the feces of humans and other warmblooded animals. ! not dangerous -> naturally occur in human digestive tract! monitored, because of the correlation between fecal coliform counts and the probability of contracting a disease from the water! Phosphorus is usually present in natural waters as phosphate! eutrophication occurring today is human-caused! Phosphorus from natural sources generally becomes trapped in bottom sediments or is rapidly taken up by aquatic plants! several sources: human wastes, animal wastes, industrial wastes, and human disturbance of the land and its vegetation.! ! Storm sewers sometimes contain illegal connections to sanitary sewers

Phosphorus! Eutrophication!

Sources of P! Erosion is a source!

! removal of natural vegetation for farming or construction exposes soil to the eroding action of rain and melting snow.! ! Draining swamps and marshes for farmland or construction projects releases phosphorus that has remained dormant in years of accumulated organic deposits. ! ! Drained wetlands no longer function as filters of silt and phosphorus, allowing more runoff -and phosphorus- to enter waterways.! ! Aquatic ecosystems have the capacity to recover if the opportunity is provided by:! ! Reducing our use of lawn fertilizers; ! ! Encouraging better farming practices; ! ! Preserving natural vegetation whenever possible, particularly near shorelines; preserving wetlands to absorb nutrients and maintain water levels; enacting strict ordinances to prevent soil erosion; ! ! Supporting measures (including taxes) to improve phosphorus removal by wastewater treatment plants and septic systems; treating storm sewer wastes if necessary; encouraging homeowners along lakes and streams to invest in community sewer systems;!

Groundwater Migration! Groundwater migration models use hydrology, geology and soil science to predict the flow of the aquifer and the subsequent contamination. ! ! Methods are very complex.! ! Computer based models are used to predict the potential reach of the contaminated plume.!

Groundwater Laws

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Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulates storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, and emphasizes prevention of releases through management standards in addition to other waste management activities. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund. regulates the cleanup of abandoned waste sites or operating facilities that have contaminated soil or groundwater. CERCLA was amended in 1986 to include provisions authorizing citizens to sue violators of the law.!

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NOAAs Role! Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) works with the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture and other federal and state agencies to develop ways to control runoff pollution.! NOAA's Coastal Zone Management Program is helping to create special nonpoint source pollution control plans for each participating coastal state. When runoff pollution does cause problems, NOAA scientists help track down the exact causes and find solutions.!

Water Pollution Solutions! Prevent groundwater contamination! reduce non point runoff! reuse treated wastewater for irrigation! find substitutes for toxic pollutants! work with nature to treat sewage! practice four Rs refuse, reduce, recycle, reuse! reduce air pollution! reduce poverty! reduce birth rates!

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