The Science and Mathematics of Natural Disasters Water Pollution: Watersheds

(SMP) 2 Institute Staff 2006 July 10 – July 14 July 24 – July 28 Dr. Sherry Herron, Dr. Shelia Brown, Dr. Sharon Walker, Dr. David Beckett Science Dr. Myron Henry, Mrs. Lida McDowell, Mrs. Mary Peters Mathematics

Objectives from the 2001 Mississippi Science Framework: Seventh Grade Determine how organisms co-exist in their environment. –Demonstrate that cells interact with their environment. Explore how environmental factors of population influence the formation of an ecosystem. –Investigate and research environmental concerns of the land, water, and air. –Analyze the importance of biological diversity in communities and ecosystems.

Objectives from the 2001 Mississippi Science Framework: Seventh Grade (Cont.) Explore the composition and changes of the Earth system –Distinguish between chemical and physical weathering. –Identify how forces such as erosion and deposition create landforms. –Compare properties and composition of salt water, fresh water, and brackish water. –Investigate the interactive forces that influence weather to include moisture, temperature, fronts, air masses, and cloud formations.

Objectives from the 2001 Mississippi Science Framework: Seventh Grade (Cont.) Investigate physical and chemical properties of matter. –Determine and measure experimentally: boiling point, melting point, density, and solubility. –Demonstrate understanding that chemical and physical properties determine a substance’s identity. –Compare common metals, nonmetals, and metalloids by name, symbol, and characteristics. –Recognize elements that will combine to form compounds. –Relate density to mass and volume. Investigate the sources of energy. –Investigate the sun as a major source of energy. –Compare and contrast how the three forms of thermal energy flow.

Objectives from the 2001 Mississippi Science Framework: Eighth Grade Determine the economic factors that influence the regulation and behavior of organisms. –Appraise the economic factors associated with regulations and protection of the environment. –Explain environmental degradation to include overpopulation, biodiversity, sea-level rise, and enhance greenhouse effect. Examine the physical factors of populations as they relate to the formation of ecosystems. –Analyze the adaptation of representative organisms to aquatic or terrestrial environments. –Evaluate the effects of urbanization on aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems.

Objectives from the 2001 Mississippi Science Framework: Eighth Grade (Cont.) Investigate atmospheric movements that affect the Earth’s system. –Analyze the cycles including nitrogen, water, carbon dioxide, and oxygen cycle. –Use weather maps for analyzing and predicting weather. –Determine experimentally how acid or basic a substance is using a pH scale indicator. –Introduce the factor label method for unit conversions the metric system. Investigate the Earth’s geological past. –Identify the components/stages of a geological timetable and discuss how the environment (including animals and landforms) has changed in each period. –Discuss Mississippi’s geological areas.

Objectives from the 2001 Mississippi Science Framework: Eighth Grade (Cont.) Investigate the Earth’s geological past. –Identify the components/stages of a geological timetable and discuss how the environment (including animals and landforms) has changed in each period. –Discuss Mississippi’s geological areas. Analyze the properties of matter. –Determine experimentally physical and chemical properties including density, conductivity, and reactions with water, acids, and bases. –Interpret information given on the periodic table to predict reactions between elements. –Write simple formulas for compounds. –Distinguish among atoms, ions, and molecules. Determine experimentally how acid or basic a substance is using a pH scale indicator.

Objectives from the 2001 Mississippi Science Framework: Eighth Grade (Cont.) Analyze the properties of matter (cont.) –Introduce the factor label method for unit conversions in the metric system. Investigate the transfer of energy. –Illustrate wave motion in different media. –Research and discuss energy transformation. –Convert one energy form to another.

Water Pollution: It Begins With You The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Ocean Springs, MS

Everyone Lives In a Watershed Watersheds drain rainfall and melting snow into the nearest waterbody that lies at the lowest point of the watershed Small watersheds, such as the watershed for the creek or stream near your house or school, drain into small bodies of water and cover small land areas.

Terms to Know Waterbody - Any river, lake, stream, ocean, pond or basin; waterbodies receive runoff waters from a watershed Watershed –A region or area draining to a particular watercourse or body of water

Everyone Lives In a Watershed The runoff from small water-sheds join together and their combined areas become a new, larger watershed. Large watersheds, like the Mississippi Basin, cover immense land areas

Mississippi River Watershed

All watersheds share a common property… they perform the same function of transporting water over the earth’s surface

Human Activities Affect Watersheds Dams limit the flow of water Roads and buildings can divert water and increase its flow Fertilizers can wash into streams and lakes causing an excess of nutrients in the water Improper disposal of household chemicals and illegal industrial “dumping” can pollute waters

How Do I Identify My Watershed ? You can identify your watershed area by using a map-based directory from the Environmental Protection Agency Obtain local watershed maps from state agencies Obtain topographic maps

Pascagoula River Watershed

There are two sources of water pollution: Point Source (PS) or Nonpoint Source (NPS)

Point Source Pollution  Point Source Pollution flows from pipes or comes from specific points Industrial Plants Sewage Treatment Plants Stormwater Drains

NonPoint Source Pollution  Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution generally results from land runoff, drainage or seepage, after a rain event  NPS pollution comes from many different human activities on and with the land, and occurs when rainfall (or melting snow) carries contaminants to the nearest waterbody  Nonpoint sources include: fertilizers and pesticides oils and grease trash animal waste