Water pollution

Any physical or chemical change in water that adversely affects the health of humans and other organisms

Sewage

Release of waste water from drains or sewers and includes human waste, soaps, and detergents

Sewage

Problem-disease causing agents present

Sewage

Problem-enrichment

Enrichment

Fertilization of a body of water by presence of high levels of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus

Cellular respiration

Microorganisms can decompose sewage into CO2 water and other materials through process of

Biological oxygen demand

BOD

BOD

The amount of oxygen needed by microorganisms to decompose the waste into CO2, water, minerals

High BOD

Large amounts of sewage=high amount of bacteria=

Disease causing agents

Infectious organisms that cause disease

Disease causing organisms

Come from wastes of infected individuals

Fecal Coliform Test

Monitors disease causing agents, water filtered and then filter is put on petri dish and incubated

Sediment pollution

Excessive amounts of suspended soil particles that settle out and accumulate on the bottom of a body of water due to decrease in water velocity

Causes of sediment pollution

Logging, erosion, overgrazing, etc

Problems of sediment pollution

Reduces light penetration, bring pollutants into water, reservoir filling, channel changing

Inorganic plant and algal nutrients

Chemicals such as nitrogen and phosphorous that stimulate growth the growth of plants and alagae

Sources of inorganic and algal nutrients

Human and animal waste, plant residues, atmospheric deposition, fertilizer runoff

Problems with inorganic plant and algal nutrients

Excessive growth of alagae and aquatic plants disrupting the natural balance between producers and consumers

Organic compounds

Chemicals that contain carbon atoms (mostly synthetic)

Organic compounds

Pesticides, solvents, plastics, industrial chemicals

Organic compounds

Come from seeping landfills, leaching, runoff, dumping

Inorganic chemicals

Contaminants that contain elements other than carbon (acids, salts, heavy metals)

Minimata incident

Company in Japan put Mercury in water effected town

Radioactive substances

Contain atoms of unstable isotopes that emit radiation

Sources of radioactive substances

Mining and processing radioactive minerals, nuclear plants, industries, medical and scientific facilities

Thermal pollution

Heat, heat water produced during certain industrial processes is released into water ways

Chemical effects of thermal pollution

Decomposition of waste occurs faster depleting oxygen of water, less oxygen dissolves in warm water

Biological effects of thermal pollution

Less oxygen dissolved, less animals or animal stress, reproductive, digestion rates, and respiration rates are affected

Eutrophic lake

BAD enrichment of water causes algal blooms, high BOD, fish populations

Oligotrophic lake

Slow flowing steams with minimal nutrients, clear water, supports small populations

Point source pollution

Pollution discharged into the environment through pipes, sewers, or ditches from specific sites

Non point source pollution

Caused by land pollutants that enter bodies of water over large areas rather than a single point

Non point source pollution

Agricultural runoff, mining wastes, municipal wastes, construction sediment

Municipal water pollution

Contains salts, asbestos, chlorides, copper, cyanides, grease, lead, zinc, hydrocarbons, motor oil, organic wastes, phosphates, sulfuric acid

Combined sewer system

Human and industrial waste mixed with water/urban run off, not treated put in lakes/streams

Industrial water pollution

High BOD, toxic compounds, sludge
Some cleaning water before they discharge