Water Pollution: Quantity and Quality www.assignmentpoint.com

What is Water Pollution? any physical (temperature, oxygen), chemical (mercury), or biological (disease, sewage) change to water that adversely effects its use by living things www.assignmentpoint.com

Cuyahoga River, Ohio November 1952 Some river! Chocolate-brown, oily, bubbling with subsurface gases, it oozes rather than flows. "Anyone who falls into the Cuyahoga does not drown," Cleveland's citizens joke grimly. "He decays.” Time Magazine, August 1969 November 1952 www.assignmentpoint.com

Groundwater Pollution www.assignmentpoint.com

Types of Water Pollution Measured in: Percent (%) Parts per thousand (‰) Parts per million (ppm) Parts per billion (ppb) Biological Chemical Physical www.assignmentpoint.com

Biological Water Pollution Direct (microbes in water): Typhoid, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis… Infectious Disease (Pathogens) Oxygen-Demanding Waste Entamoeba histolytica www.assignmentpoint.com

Biological Water Pollution Indirect (Water breeding carriers): malaria, yellow fever, west nile virus… Infectious Disease (Pathogens) Oxygen-Demanding Waste The treehole mosquito (Aedes triseriatus) transmits the virus that causes La Crosse encephalitis. Treehole mosquito (carried La Crosse ensephalitis) www.assignmentpoint.com

Water Borne Disease www.assignmentpoint.com The map shows the percentage of diseases caused by unsafe water. India and Africa have abysmal showing, while US and Europe provide far safer water to it's citizens. www.assignmentpoint.com

U.S. Water Borne Disease www.assignmentpoint.com

Coliform Test Detection: Solutions: Sewage treatment Immunization -$13 billion to immunize all world’s Children against 6 major diseases (US spends $31 billion/year on beer) www.assignmentpoint.com

Biological Water Pollution Infectious Disease (Pathogens) Oxygen-Demanding Waste www.assignmentpoint.com

Dissolved Oxygen Added by: turbulent water and photosynthesis Removed by: Increased temperature (exsolution) and respiration/decomposition Good: > 6 ppm (mosquitoes can survive in 1 ppm) (also measured in % of maximum - Good = 60-80%) www.assignmentpoint.com

Dissolved Carbon Dioxide Added by: respiration/decomposition & weathered rock Removed by: Increased temperature (exsolution) and photosynthesis Good: 1-10 ppm (usually about 1 ppm) www.assignmentpoint.com

Oxygen Sag www.assignmentpoint.com

Measuring DO and other chemical properties www.assignmentpoint.com

Chemical Water Pollution Nutrients (Fertilizers) Toxic Inorganic Materials Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP’s) Nitrogen, phosphorous www.assignmentpoint.com

Eutrophication & Blue Baby Syndrome Dissolved inorganic nitrogen in Baltic Sea www.assignmentpoint.com

Nitrates Typically: 0.1-4 ppm Unpolluted usually below 1 ppm Sewage pollution increase up to 20 ppm www.assignmentpoint.com

Chemical Water Pollution Heavy metals mercury,lead, tin… Super Toxic Elements Arsenic, selenium… Acids, salts, chlorine Radioactive Isotopes Nutrients (Fertilizers) Toxic Inorganic Materials Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP’s) www.assignmentpoint.com

Arsenic in U.S. Waters www.assignmentpoint.com

Some We Will Measure Copper natural, fungicides, insecticides, copper pipes can be lethal to some at 0.1 ppb, algae – 1-10 ppb, fish 500ppb water standard 0.3 ppm Acidity (pH) 6.5-8.2 normal (rainwater is usually a little acidic) >9 – harmful to fish (inc. salmon) <5.5 releases metals in seds, bacteria die and organics don’t decay <5 insects die and fish eggs don’t hatch <4 lethal to adult salmon www.assignmentpoint.com

Some We Will Measure Salinity Saltwater 3.5% Freshwater 1-500 ppm usually >100 ppm is bad for freshwater organisms >250 ppm tastes salty (max for drinking water) Total Dissolved Solids (Ca,Mg,Hco3, NH4, NO3, PO4, SO4, Na, Cl, Na, K) from dissolved rock, fertilizer, urban runoff, irrigation, acid rainfall “watchdog” – high numbers or rapid changes may indicate problem typically 50-250 ppm Drinking water must be below 500 ppm www.assignmentpoint.com

Chemical Water Pollution Nutrients (Fertilizers) Toxic Inorganic Materials Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP’s) www.assignmentpoint.com

Artificial Chemicals www.assignmentpoint.com

The Dirty Dozen www.assignmentpoint.com

Physical Water Pollution Sediment Thermal Pollution Solid Waste Yellow River, China Chattahoochee River, GA www.assignmentpoint.com

Measured in: Normal levels: 1-50 NTU Drinking Water: 0.5-1 NTU NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units) Normal levels: 1-50 NTU Drinking Water: 0.5-1 NTU Visible: >5 NTU Higher during storms www.assignmentpoint.com

Physical Water Pollution Causes: industry dams removal of vegetation Sediment Thermal Pollution Solid Waste Optimum – Fish 5-20°C (salmon <12°C) www.assignmentpoint.com

Physical Water Pollution Sediment Thermal Pollution Solid Waste www.assignmentpoint.com

Pollution Sources: Point Source Sewage pipes Leaky gas tanks Industrial sites Injection wells www.assignmentpoint.com

Pollution Sources: Nonpoint Source Agriculture (soil, fertilizer,pesticides) Urban runoff (from pavement) Construction sites Air Pollution www.assignmentpoint.com