WATER POLLUTION WATER POLLUTION: Any biological, physical or chemical change in surface or groundwater quality that harms life or makes water unsuited for specific uses. Analyzing Water Quality? Direct sampling / Tissue sampling Measuring colonies of fecal coliform bacteria (CFU s >200 bad / MPN per 100ml >400 bad) Measure dissolved oxygen and biological oxygen demand Chemical analysis to determine presence / concentration of organic and inorganic chemicals, ph, temperature Quantify living organisms indicator species vertebrate and invertebrates Measuring sediment content / turbidity / TDS NONPOINT SOURCES Nonpoint Sources: no clear outflow site, contaminants are difficult to trace to specific site. Run off from cities, farms, feedlots etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcy9vxlzuea 10 Cities very Rural homes Urban streets Cropland Suburban development POINT SOURCES Animal feedlot Factory Wastewater treatment plant Point Sources: definite, easily located sites: pipes, sewers, septic systems, ditches, oil platforms. Relatively easy to monitor and enforce. SOME COMMON TYPES OF WATER POLLUTION 1. Infectious Agents 2. Organic Chemicals 3. Inorganic Chemicals 4. Radioactive Materials 5. Sediment 6. Plant Nutrients 7. Oxygen Demanding Waste 8. Thermal 9. Genetic Study examples of each of these. Also focus on their source and harmful effects. 10. Ocean Debris, Plastic, Styrofoam, Garbage It s not all bad news https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vtw8rki3 c4 1
INFECTIOUS AGENTS: Bacteria, Viruses, Parasitic Protozoa. SOURCES: Human and animal excreta / fecal material Developed Countries: ~90% have adequate sewage disposal, ~95% clean drinking water. In Developing Countries ~1.4 billion people lack adequate sanitation. MAJOR feedlots have many 1,000 s of animals with no provisions for capturing runoff. HARMFUL EFFECTS: causes disease, health problems Common Diseases Transmitted to Humans Through Contaminated Drinking Water Type of Organism Disease Table 22 2 Effects Bacteria Typhoid fever Diarrhea, severe vomiting, enlarged Page 493spleen, inflamed intestine; often fatal if untreated Cholera Diarrhea, severe vomiting, dehydration; often fatal if untreated Bacterial dysentery Diarrhea; rarely fatal except in infants without proper treatment Viruses Parasitic protozoa Parasitic worms Enteritis Infectious hepatitis Amoebic dysentery Giardiasis Schistosomiasis Severe stomach pain, nausea, vomiting; rarely fatal Fever, severe headache, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, jaundice, enlarged liver; rarely fatal but may cause permanent liver damage Severe diarrhea, headache, abdominal pain, chills, fever; if not treated can cause liver abscess, bowel perforation, and death Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, flatulence, belching, fatigue Abdominal pain, skin rash, anemia, chronic fatigue, and chronic general ill health Estimated by 2025 that ~3 bill people in 90 countries will face serious water stress Santa Cruz County Beaches water quality data 2013 ORGANIC CHEMICALS: Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS) DDT, PCB s, PAH s SOURCES: Associated with the production of: Oil, Gasoline, Pesticides, Plastics, Paints, Detergents Industrial and household waste, farms, roads, golf courses. Also flame retardants, pesticides, burning fossil fuels 1,000 s of organic (and inorganic) chemicals used to produce plastics, pharmaceuticals, pigments, paints HARMFUL EFFECTS: causes health problems, contaminates groundwater & surface water, harms fish, wildlife sccounty01.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/eh/environmental_water_quality Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS) absorb into plastic marine debris. They are Hydrophobic Organo-Chlorine Pesticides They include DDT which was a major pesticide used in agriculture until it was banned. Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) They re mixtures of up to 209 individual chlorinated compounds used as coolants, flame & heat retardants. A synthetic organic chemical compound of chlorine attached to biphenyl, which is a molecule composed of two benzene rings. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH s) PAH s are a group of over 100 different chemicals that are formed during the incomplete burning of coal, oil and gas, garbage, or other organic substances like tobacco or charbroiled meat. PAHs are found in coal tar, crude oil, creosote, and roofing tar, plastics, and pesticides. Nurdles: a pre production plastic resin pellet ~60 billion lbs manufactured in US/Yr Estimated Nurdles ~10% plastic debris in the oceans, often over 90% of plastic on beaches. Nurdles attract or accumulate POP s Plastic Pollution: Nurdles http://www.speakupforblue.com/everything-ocean/plastic-pollution-nurdles Web Link 2
Plastics Absorb Persistent Organic Pollutants INORGANIC CHEMICALS: Acids, Bases, Metals (Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn, Sn, Cd, As,) and Salts http://chemistry.about.com/od/bases/tp/names-of-10-bases.htm http://chemistry.about.com/od/acids/tp/names-of-10-acids.htm SOURCES: Industrial effluents, processing fossil fuels / petroleum distillation, mining, household chemicals, farming / road salt, surface runoff One plastic pellet can have up to 1 million times higher concentration of POPs than an equal volume of seawater. (Takada, 2001) HARMFUL EFFECTS: causes health problems such as cancer and nervous system damage, pollutes groundwater, harms aquatic life, lowers crop yields, accelerate corrosion of metals, vehicles & roads Water boatman Whirligig Effects on Aquatic Ecosystems Yellow perch Lake trout Brown trout Salamander (embryonic) Mayfly Smallmouth Bass Mussel ph 6.5 6.0 5.5 5.0 4.5 4.0 3.5 RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS: U, Th, Ra (Radium), Rn (Radon) SOURCES: Mining and Processing Ores, REE s, Weapons Production, Power Plants HARMFUL EFFECTS: causes health problems such as cancer, birth defects, miscarriages and mutations SEDIMENT: Sand, silt, clay, soil SOURCES: Deforestation, logging, mining mineral resources, urban construction HARMFUL EFFECTS: Harms aquatic organisms and food webs, reduces biological production / photosynthesis, carries pesticides & bacteria, clogs / smothers lakes, reservoirs, streams and harbors Can a lack of sediment be harmful? Ex?? 3
PLANT NUTRIENTS: Nitrates, Phosphates and Ammonia Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi R. Delta SOURCES: Agriculture and Urban Fertilizers, (lawns and golf courses), Sewage, Manure. HARMFUL EFFECTS: Cultural Eutrophication ecosystem disruption, HAB s, health problems Eutrophication: An increase in nutrient levels and biological activity; excessive growth of algae Cultural Eutrophication : Over nourishment from human activities Excessive nutrient runoff Agricultural and urban sources Red Tides of algae Poisons fish and marine mammals Coral species particularly effected Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in Florida Bay OXYGEN DEMANDING WASTES: Animal wastes, sewage, plant debris, Pulp (paper) SOURCES: Septic Tanks, Untreated Sewage, Agriculture Runoff, Food Processing Plants, Paper Mills HARMFUL EFFECTS: lowers dissolved oxygen as bacteria decomposes, harms aquatic life, ecosystem disruption Water Quality DO (mg/l) at 20 C SOME COMMON TYPES OF WATER POLLUTION Good 8-9 Slightly Moderately 4.5-6.7 6.7-8 THERMAL: Heat SOURCES: Power Plants / Industrial Cooling, Loss of Riparian Flora Heavily Gravely Below 4.5 Below 4 HARMFUL EFFECTS: lowers dissolved oxygen content, harms aquatic life, ecosystem disruption 4
Hudson River highlights temperature changes caused by discharge of 2.5 billion gallons of water/day from the Indian Point Power Plant, located in upper right. Two additional outflows from the Lovett Coal Fired Power Plant are also visible. Natural temperature of the water is green and blue GENETIC: SOURCES: Accidental or deliberate introduction of nonnative species ie. Zebra Mussels in Great Lakes HARMFUL EFFECTS: ecosystem disruption, clogs pipes, out-competes native species Aquatic Invasive Species or AIS (web link) http://www.oar.noaa.gov/oceans/t_invasivespecies.html Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) (web link) http://nas.er.usgs.gov/ Ocean Debris, Plastics, Styrofoam, Garbage SOURCES: ~80% land based; runoff from streets, cities, ~20% ships at sea Since 1988! HARMFUL EFFECTS: ecosystem disruption, harms aquatic life, plankton, fish, mammals, birds. Examples: Great Pacific Garbage Patch The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Kamilo Beach, Hawaii 2006 5
So why bad? Aesthetics. Breaks down, gets into food web. Animals / Birds ingest. Concentrates POP s. Human health at risk. Acts as transport for invasive species. Host for invasive species: non-biodegradables cross oceans Solutions? Educate the general public. Plastics don t litter, people litter Produce more bio degradable plastics Industry and producer responsibility Structural Controls: ie. river booms, catch basins, screens Have beach cleanups. Great, but not the answer Clean Oceans International Web Link http://cleanoceansinternational.org/ Cabrillo College Oceanography s 24 th Coastal Cleanup, May 1 st 2010 108 people, 1,050lbs of Trash, 20 Lg Pizzas & more Estimated total haul for 14 years is over 12 tons Problem: the trash keeps coming back Algalita Marine Research Foundation http://www.algalita.org/index.php SOME COMMON TYPES OF WATER POLLUTION 1. Infectious Agents 2. Organic Chemicals Study examples of each of 3. Inorganic Chemicals these. Also focus on their source 4. Radioactive Materials and harmful effects. 5. Sediment 6. Plant Nutrients 7. Oxygen Demanding Waste 8. Thermal 9. Genetic 10. Ocean Debris, Plastic, Styrofoam, Garbage 6