- Contaminant: Anything in the water deleterious to a particular end use regardless of its origin whether it occurs in the watershed source or in a water supply
- Pollutant: Anything in the water deleterious to a particular end use that is of anthropogenic origin
o Subset of contaminant
- Water Pollution: Any chemical, biological and physical change in water quality that has a harmful effect on living organisms or makes it unusable for agriculture
o Massive quantity of pollutants produced by humans, their machines, plants and animals
- Types of pollution
o Pollution of Streams and Lakes
Agriculture: largest source of water pollution in U.S (64% streams, 57%lakes)
o Ocean pollution
o Groundwater pollution
o Drinking water quality
o Waste water treatment
o Water Legislation
- Sources of pollution
o Point-factories, sewage treatment plants, mines, oil wells, etc.
o Nonpoint-acid deposition, substances picked up in runoff, seepage into groundwater, etc.
- Sources of pollution
o Disease causing agents-pathogens
o Oxygen demanding agents-organic waste; manure
o Water soluble inorganic chemicals-acids, toxic metals
o Inorganic plant nutrients-nitrogen/phosphorus
o Organic chemicals-oil, pesticides, detergents
o Sediment-erosion and soil
o Radioactive Isotopes-radon/uranium
o Heat-electric and nuclear power plants
o Genetic Pollution
- Disease-causing Agens
o Waterborne Bacteria
Escherichia coli
Vibrio sp.
o Waterborne Protozoans
Giardia sp.
o P. Darben
- Oxygen demanding agents
o Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
Oxygen is removed from water when organic matter is consumed by bacteria
Low oxygen may kill fish and other organisms
Sources of organic matter
Natural inputs: bogs, swamps, leaf fall
Human inputs: pulp and paper mills, meat-packing plants
Nonpoint inputs: runofffrom urban areas
- Water-soluble inorganic chemicals
o Heavy metals
Metallic elements w/ density greater than 5g/cm3
Most are extremely toxic
Readily absorbed into plant or animal tissue
Combine with biomolecules (proteins/nucleic acids)
o Acid rain
Term to describe ways that acids fall out of atmosphere
Wet deposition refers to acidic rain, fog and snow
Dry deposition refers to acidic gas and particles
Causes
Sulfur dioxide SO2 and nitrogen oxide NOx
2/3 from sulfur dioxide and ¼ from nitrogen oxide from electric power from fossil fuels
Measured using pH scale
Affects sensitive bodies of water, located in watersheds
At pH 5, fish eggs cannot hatch
Lower pH, adult fish die
- Inorganic Plant Nutrients
o Phosphorus and Nitrogen
Human, animal and industrial waste
Storm water
Soil erosion
Excessive use of fertilizers
Eutrophication
- Organic Chemicals
o Biological Magnification
Concentrations increase at increasing levels in the food chain-PCBs, DDT,etc.
o Degradable: that can be chemically decomposed: decomposable plastic wastes
Phyto: decomposed by exposure to light
Bio: decomposed by biological agents, especially bacteria
- Sediment or Suspended Material
o Erosion
Sediment is #1 source of water pollution
Sediment loading effects
Destruction of spawning
Absorption and transport of other pollutants
Reduced light penetration
- Radioactive Isotopes
o China Sydrome
Reactor meltdown, uranium melt through bottom of reactor and sink 50 feet into earth
Molten uranium reacts with groundwater, producing large explosions
- Heat
o Thermal pollution
Water is withdrawn and used for cooling purposes, heated water returned to original source
Increase in temperature may alter aquac ecosystems
o Waste Heat
Pollutant as dangerous to waters as more tangible forms of waste
Industrial cooling waters is first order source of heat
Nuclear plants: waste even high proportion of heat
- Genetic pollution
o Hydrillia
Dense mats alter water quality
Grow with less light and fewer nutrients, can outcompete
Fish population negatively affected if hydrilla exceeds 30%-40% coverage of lake
- Pollution of Streams and Lakes
o Rivers
Easy targets for dumping of sewage
Many rivers so polluted that few species can live in them
o Flowing water can recover rapidly by dilution and decay
o Eutrophication
Accelerated with human input of nutrients
o Pollution of Streams and Lakes
Laws of 1970s increased quality of wastewater treatment plants
- Ocean Pollution
o Ocean Pollution
Half world lives within 100km of oceans
35% waste discharged untreated in ocean waters
Ocean is ultimate repository of waste
o Pollution in Coastal Waters
Coastal waters highly affected by pollution
Heavily used
Close to sources of pollution
Shallow-water bodies
Not well circulated
o Types of Ocean Pollution
Oil, sewage, DDT/PCB, Mercury
o Petroleum
Oil spills can be caused by tanker accidents, intentional dumping, drilling
- Groundwater Pollution
o Groundwater pollution
Greater threat to humans that much more visible surface water pollution
Groundwater renewed slowly
25% usable groundwater contaminated in U.S
Difficult to clean up contaminated groundwater
o Prevention
Reduce sources that feed into the aquifer
Monitor aquifers near landfills
Require leak detection systems
Ban or strictly regulate disposal of wastes
- Drinking Water Quality
o Drinking Water Quality
Much of drinking water is contaminated
U.S Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 requires EPA to est. national drinking water standards
Bottled water is more contaminated than tap water
o Water Quality Standards
EPA sets Maximum Contaminant Levels for drinking water
Standards for numerous contaminants, two cause immediate health threat
Coliform Bacteria: indicate presence of disease causing organisms
Nitrate: Cause “blue baby syndrome” nitrate reacts with blood and blood can’t carry oxygen
o Water Treatment Stages
Screening, aeration, pH correction, Coagulation, sedimentation, pre-chlorination and dechlorination, ltration, disinfection, pH adjustment
Screening: removal of any coarse floating objects
Aeration: dissolving oxygen into water to remove smell and taste
pH correction: preparing for coagulation and to precipitate metals
Coagulation: causes agglomeration and sedimentation of suspended solids through the addition of a coagulating agent
Sedimentation: floc settles out and is scraped and vacuumed othe bed of large sedimentation tanks
Pre/dechlorination: kill algae that clog water filters
Disinfection: water completely free of suspended sediment is treated with oxidizing agent, usually chlorine
- Waste Water Treatment
o Treatment Objectives
Wastewater treatment systems take human and industrial liquid wastes and make them safe
o Sewage or Wastewater treatment
Composed of sewage or wastewater from
Domestic used water and toilet waste
Rain
Industrial effluent
Livestock wastes
o Wastewater Treatment
Septic Tanks: treat small volumes of waste
WWTPs: treat larger volumes of municipal or industrial waste
- Water Legislation
o Water Quality Standards
Standards are a function of
Ability to detect and remove contaminants
Understanding of actual or possible impacts
U.S
EPA recorded 700 contaminants that have been found in drinking water
EPA requires monitoring and reporting of 83 variables and set MCLs
o Legal Attempts to Control Water Pollution
Clean Water Act 1977
Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Ac 1987
Federal Water Pollution Control Act 1972
Safe Drinking Water Act, 1974 amended 1996
London Dumping Convention, 1975 is the international treaty regulation disposal of wastes
MARPOL 73/78 implemented in the U.S by Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships under lead of U.S Coast Guard
- Pollutant: Anything in the water deleterious to a particular end use that is of anthropogenic origin
o Subset of contaminant
- Water Pollution: Any chemical, biological and physical change in water quality that has a harmful effect on living organisms or makes it unusable for agriculture
o Massive quantity of pollutants produced by humans, their machines, plants and animals
- Types of pollution
o Pollution of Streams and Lakes
Agriculture: largest source of water pollution in U.S (64% streams, 57%lakes)
o Ocean pollution
o Groundwater pollution
o Drinking water quality
o Waste water treatment
o Water Legislation
- Sources of pollution
o Point-factories, sewage treatment plants, mines, oil wells, etc.
o Nonpoint-acid deposition, substances picked up in runoff, seepage into groundwater, etc.
- Sources of pollution
o Disease causing agents-pathogens
o Oxygen demanding agents-organic waste; manure
o Water soluble inorganic chemicals-acids, toxic metals
o Inorganic plant nutrients-nitrogen/phosphorus
o Organic chemicals-oil, pesticides, detergents
o Sediment-erosion and soil
o Radioactive Isotopes-radon/uranium
o Heat-electric and nuclear power plants
o Genetic Pollution
- Disease-causing Agens
o Waterborne Bacteria
Escherichia coli
Vibrio sp.
o Waterborne Protozoans
Giardia sp.
o P. Darben
- Oxygen demanding agents
o Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
Oxygen is removed from water when organic matter is consumed by bacteria
Low oxygen may kill fish and other organisms
Sources of organic matter
Natural inputs: bogs, swamps, leaf fall
Human inputs: pulp and paper mills, meat-packing plants
Nonpoint inputs: runofffrom urban areas
- Water-soluble inorganic chemicals
o Heavy metals
Metallic elements w/ density greater than 5g/cm3
Most are extremely toxic
Readily absorbed into plant or animal tissue
Combine with biomolecules (proteins/nucleic acids)
o Acid rain
Term to describe ways that acids fall out of atmosphere
Wet deposition refers to acidic rain, fog and snow
Dry deposition refers to acidic gas and particles
Causes
Sulfur dioxide SO2 and nitrogen oxide NOx
2/3 from sulfur dioxide and ¼ from nitrogen oxide from electric power from fossil fuels
Measured using pH scale
Affects sensitive bodies of water, located in watersheds
At pH 5, fish eggs cannot hatch
Lower pH, adult fish die
- Inorganic Plant Nutrients
o Phosphorus and Nitrogen
Human, animal and industrial waste
Storm water
Soil erosion
Excessive use of fertilizers
Eutrophication
- Organic Chemicals
o Biological Magnification
Concentrations increase at increasing levels in the food chain-PCBs, DDT,etc.
o Degradable: that can be chemically decomposed: decomposable plastic wastes
Phyto: decomposed by exposure to light
Bio: decomposed by biological agents, especially bacteria
- Sediment or Suspended Material
o Erosion
Sediment is #1 source of water pollution
Sediment loading effects
Destruction of spawning
Absorption and transport of other pollutants
Reduced light penetration
- Radioactive Isotopes
o China Sydrome
Reactor meltdown, uranium melt through bottom of reactor and sink 50 feet into earth
Molten uranium reacts with groundwater, producing large explosions
- Heat
o Thermal pollution
Water is withdrawn and used for cooling purposes, heated water returned to original source
Increase in temperature may alter aquac ecosystems
o Waste Heat
Pollutant as dangerous to waters as more tangible forms of waste
Industrial cooling waters is first order source of heat
Nuclear plants: waste even high proportion of heat
- Genetic pollution
o Hydrillia
Dense mats alter water quality
Grow with less light and fewer nutrients, can outcompete
Fish population negatively affected if hydrilla exceeds 30%-40% coverage of lake
- Pollution of Streams and Lakes
o Rivers
Easy targets for dumping of sewage
Many rivers so polluted that few species can live in them
o Flowing water can recover rapidly by dilution and decay
o Eutrophication
Accelerated with human input of nutrients
o Pollution of Streams and Lakes
Laws of 1970s increased quality of wastewater treatment plants
- Ocean Pollution
o Ocean Pollution
Half world lives within 100km of oceans
35% waste discharged untreated in ocean waters
Ocean is ultimate repository of waste
o Pollution in Coastal Waters
Coastal waters highly affected by pollution
Heavily used
Close to sources of pollution
Shallow-water bodies
Not well circulated
o Types of Ocean Pollution
Oil, sewage, DDT/PCB, Mercury
o Petroleum
Oil spills can be caused by tanker accidents, intentional dumping, drilling
- Groundwater Pollution
o Groundwater pollution
Greater threat to humans that much more visible surface water pollution
Groundwater renewed slowly
25% usable groundwater contaminated in U.S
Difficult to clean up contaminated groundwater
o Prevention
Reduce sources that feed into the aquifer
Monitor aquifers near landfills
Require leak detection systems
Ban or strictly regulate disposal of wastes
- Drinking Water Quality
o Drinking Water Quality
Much of drinking water is contaminated
U.S Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 requires EPA to est. national drinking water standards
Bottled water is more contaminated than tap water
o Water Quality Standards
EPA sets Maximum Contaminant Levels for drinking water
Standards for numerous contaminants, two cause immediate health threat
Coliform Bacteria: indicate presence of disease causing organisms
Nitrate: Cause “blue baby syndrome” nitrate reacts with blood and blood can’t carry oxygen
o Water Treatment Stages
Screening, aeration, pH correction, Coagulation, sedimentation, pre-chlorination and dechlorination, ltration, disinfection, pH adjustment
Screening: removal of any coarse floating objects
Aeration: dissolving oxygen into water to remove smell and taste
pH correction: preparing for coagulation and to precipitate metals
Coagulation: causes agglomeration and sedimentation of suspended solids through the addition of a coagulating agent
Sedimentation: floc settles out and is scraped and vacuumed othe bed of large sedimentation tanks
Pre/dechlorination: kill algae that clog water filters
Disinfection: water completely free of suspended sediment is treated with oxidizing agent, usually chlorine
- Waste Water Treatment
o Treatment Objectives
Wastewater treatment systems take human and industrial liquid wastes and make them safe
o Sewage or Wastewater treatment
Composed of sewage or wastewater from
Domestic used water and toilet waste
Rain
Industrial effluent
Livestock wastes
o Wastewater Treatment
Septic Tanks: treat small volumes of waste
WWTPs: treat larger volumes of municipal or industrial waste
- Water Legislation
o Water Quality Standards
Standards are a function of
Ability to detect and remove contaminants
Understanding of actual or possible impacts
U.S
EPA recorded 700 contaminants that have been found in drinking water
EPA requires monitoring and reporting of 83 variables and set MCLs
o Legal Attempts to Control Water Pollution
Clean Water Act 1977
Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Ac 1987
Federal Water Pollution Control Act 1972
Safe Drinking Water Act, 1974 amended 1996
London Dumping Convention, 1975 is the international treaty regulation disposal of wastes
MARPOL 73/78 implemented in the U.S by Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships under lead of U.S Coast Guard