Is There Water Pollution Near US?Is There Water Pollution Near US?http://www.catawbariverkeeper.org/issues/current-issues

/

Types and Sources of Water Pollution1. disease-causing agents (pathogens)2. oxygen demanding3. water soluble inorganic chemicals4. inorganic plant nutrients5. organic chemicals6. sediment7. water-soluble radioactive isotopes8. heat9. genetic pollution

Coal Ash

Scale of Biologic Contaminant Scale of Biologic Contaminant ProblemProblem

• Major cause of infant deaths in third Major cause of infant deaths in third worldworld

• Diarrhea kills 4-15 million Diarrhea kills 4-15 million children/yearchildren/year

• Bacteria, viruses, parasitesBacteria, viruses, parasites

// http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/envh10.sci.life.eco.deadzone/

MississippiRiver Basin

MissouriRiver

OhioRiver

MississippiRiver

LOUISIANAMississippi

River

Depleted

Oxygen

Gulf of Mexico

HypoxiaHypoxia

Pollution of LakesPollution of LakesEutrophication Eutrophication

Fig. 22-7 p. 499

Case Study: The Great Case Study: The Great LakesLakes

Minamata Diseasehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihFkyPv1jtU

Mercury Poisoning

Lead Poisoning

Dangers of Lead Poisoninghttp://on.aol.com/video/learn-about-the-dangers-of-lead-poisoning-227680681

Sources Sources of Water Pollutionof Water Pollution

Point Sources Point Sources Non Point Sources

Point and Nonpoint SourcesPoint and Nonpoint Sources

NONPOINT SOURCES

Urban streets

Suburban development

Wastewater treatment plant

Rural homes

Cropland

Factory

Animal feedlot

POINT SOURCES

Fig. 22-4 p. 494

Love CanalLove Canal• Landfill near Niagara Falls, NYLandfill near Niagara Falls, NY• Hooker Chemicals and Plastics Corporation put Hooker Chemicals and Plastics Corporation put

wastes in abandoned canal, covered it, deeded wastes in abandoned canal, covered it, deeded 16 acres to Niagara Falls Board of Education in 16 acres to Niagara Falls Board of Education in 1953.1953.

• Elementary school built on site; houses built Elementary school built on site; houses built around schoolaround school

• 1976—chemicals leaking into basements1976—chemicals leaking into basements• Environmental emergency declared in 1978Environmental emergency declared in 1978• State and federal gov’ts bought >500 State and federal gov’ts bought >500

contaminated houses in 1980; 1989 people contaminated houses in 1980; 1989 people began toreturnbegan toreturn

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXSE9kcBQCIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXSE9kcBQCI

Solutions: Preventing and Solutions: Preventing and Reducing Surface Water PollutionReducing Surface Water Pollution

Nonpoint SourcesNonpoint Sources Point SourcesPoint Sources

Reduce runoff Reduce runoff

Buffer zone vegetation

Buffer zone vegetation

Reduce soil erosion Reduce soil erosion

Clean Water Act Clean Water Act

Safe Drinking Water Act Safe Drinking Water Act

Hazardous and Solid Waste amendments to CERCLA of 1984

Monitoring water qualityMonitoring water quality

• Number of colonies of fecal coliform Number of colonies of fecal coliform bacteriabacteria

• Measure biological oxygen demand Measure biological oxygen demand (BOD)(BOD)

• Chemical analysisChemical analysis

• Indicator speciesIndicator species

• Genetic development of indicator Genetic development of indicator organismsorganisms

Biological Oxygen Demand Biological Oxygen Demand Curve (BOD)Curve (BOD)

Using Macroinvertebrates to Using Macroinvertebrates to determine water qualitydetermine water quality

Guess Who!Guess Who!

Solutions

Water Pollution

•Prevent groundwater contamination

•Greatly reduce nonpoint runoff

•Reuse treated wastewater for irrigation

•Find substitutes for toxic pollutants

•Work with nature to treat sewage

•Practice four R's of resource use

(refuse, reduce, recycle, reuse)

•Reduce resource waste

•Reduce air pollution

•Reduce poverty

•Reduce birth rates

Federal Water LegislationFederal Water Legislation

• Federal Water and Pollution Control Act of Federal Water and Pollution Control Act of 19561956

• Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958consider wildlife in water projectsconsider wildlife in water projects

• National Environmental Policy Act of 1969National Environmental Policy Act of 1969require environmental impact require environmental impact

statementsstatements

Legislation, continuedLegislation, continued• Water Quality Improvement Act of 1970Water Quality Improvement Act of 1970

----control of oil pollution; work to eliminate control of oil pollution; work to eliminate acid mine drainage, pollution of Great Lakesacid mine drainage, pollution of Great Lakes

• CLEAN WATER ACT OF 1972CLEAN WATER ACT OF 1972----billions of $ to clean up nation’s waters; billions of $ to clean up nation’s waters; modern sewage treatment plants—huge modern sewage treatment plants—huge affectaffect

• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA)(CERCLA)---superfund!---superfund!

More legislationMore legislation

• Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments to CERCLA of 1984to CERCLA of 1984--regulates underground storage tanks--regulates underground storage tanks

• Water Quality Act of 1987Water Quality Act of 1987----national policy for controlling nonpoint national policy for controlling nonpoint sources of water pollutionsources of water pollution

• Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996--risk-based water quality standards, --risk-based water quality standards, consumer awarenessconsumer awareness

Ocean PollutionOcean Pollution

Fig. 22-11 p. 504

Dumping wastes in the Dumping wastes in the oceansoceans• Dumping industrial wastes off US coasts has Dumping industrial wastes off US coasts has

stopped, but dredge products are legally stopped, but dredge products are legally dumped at 110 sites in Atlantic, Pacific, and dumped at 110 sites in Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf CoastsGulf Coasts

• US has banned dumping sewage sludge in US has banned dumping sewage sludge in ocean since 1992ocean since 1992

• 50 countries rep ~80% of world’s shipping 50 countries rep ~80% of world’s shipping fleet have agreed not to dump sewage and fleet have agreed not to dump sewage and garbagegarbage

• London Dumping Convention of 1972; 1994London Dumping Convention of 1972; 1994

Oil SpillsOil Spills Sources: offshore wells, tankers,

pipelines and storage tanks Sources: offshore wells, tankers,

pipelines and storage tanks

Effects: death of organisms, loss of animal insulation and buoyancy, smothering

Effects: death of organisms, loss of animal insulation and buoyancy, smothering

Significant economic impacts Significant economic impacts

Mechanical cleanup methods: skimmers and blotters

Mechanical cleanup methods: skimmers and blotters

Chemical cleanup methods: coagulants and dispersing agents

Chemical cleanup methods: coagulants and dispersing agents

Exxon ValdezExxon Valdez

• 1989; contaminated about 1500 km of 1989; contaminated about 1500 km of coastline; Prince William Soundcoastline; Prince William Sound

• $8 billion cost to Exxon$8 billion cost to Exxon

• 2006—17 years later, still toxic 2006—17 years later, still toxic patches of oil along some parts of patches of oil along some parts of shorelineshoreline

• Still—largest source of oil pollution is Still—largest source of oil pollution is runoff from land!runoff from land!

Gulf of Mexico BP Oil SpillGulf of Mexico BP Oil Spill

• How big was the BP Oil Spill?How big was the BP Oil Spill?

• http://www.teachersdomain.org/http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/envh10.health.oilspillsize/resource/envh10.health.oilspillsize/

• Health RiskHealth Risk

• http://www.teachersdomain.org/http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/envh10.sci.life.eco.spillrisks/resource/envh10.sci.life.eco.spillrisks/

Prevention Cleanup

Ban dumping of wastes and sewage by maritime and cruise ships in coastal waters

Reduce input of toxic pollutants

Separate sewage and storm lines

Regulate coastal development

Recycle used oil

Require double hulls for oil tankers

Require at least secondary treatment of coastal sewage

Use wetlands, solar-aquatic, orother methods to treat sewage

Sprinkle nanoparticles over an oil or sewage spill to dissolve the oil or sewage without creating harmful byproducts(still under development)

Protect sensitive areas from development, oil drilling, and oil shipping

Ban ocean dumping of sludge and hazardous dredged material

Improve oil-spill cleanup capabilities

SolutionsCoastal Water Pollution

Technological Approach: Septic Technological Approach: Septic SystemsSystems

Require suitable soils and maintenance Require suitable soils and maintenance

Fig. 22-15 p. 510

Sewage TreatmentSewage Treatment

Physical and biological treatment Physical and biological treatment

Advanced (Tertiary) Sewage Advanced (Tertiary) Sewage TreatmentTreatment

Uses physical and chemical processes Uses physical and chemical processes

Removes nitrate and phosphate Removes nitrate and phosphate

Expensive Expensive

Not widely used Not widely used

Technological Approach: Using Technological Approach: Using Wetlands to Treat SewageWetlands to Treat Sewage

Fig. 22-18 p. 513

Virtues of WetlandsVirtues of Wetlandshttp://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/lsps07.sci.life.eco.wehttp://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/lsps07.sci.life.eco.wetlands/tlands/

• Home to wildlife and floraHome to wildlife and flora

• Flood protectionFlood protection

• Cycling and storage of chemical and Cycling and storage of chemical and biological substancesbiological substances

• Found at heads of riversFound at heads of rivers

• Remove toxins from sewageRemove toxins from sewage

Protecting, Sustaining, and Protecting, Sustaining, and Restoring WetlandsRestoring Wetlands

Regulations Regulations

Mitigation banking Mitigation banking

Wetlands protection Wetlands protection

Wetlands restoration Wetlands restoration

Control of invasive species

Control of invasive species