Water Quantity and Quality

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

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

Groundwater Pollution

Types of Water Pollution 1.Biological 2.Chemical 3.Physical Measured in: Percent (%) Parts per thousand (‰) Parts per million (ppm) Parts per billion (ppb)

Biological Water Pollution 1.Infectious Disease (Pathogens) 2.Oxygen-Demanding Waste Direct (microbes in water): Typhoid, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis… Entamoeba histolytica

Biological Water Pollution 1.Infectious Disease (Pathogens) 2.Oxygen-Demanding Waste Indirect (Water breeding carriers): malaria, yellow fever, west nile virus… Treehole mosquito (carried La Crosse ensephalitis)

Water Borne Disease

U.S. Water Borne Disease

Coliform Test Detection: Solutions: Sewage treatment Immunization

Biological Water Pollution 1.Infectious Disease (Pathogens) 2.Oxygen-Demanding Waste

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%)

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

Oxygen Sag

Measuring DO and other chemical properties

Chemical Water Pollution 3.Nutrients (Fertilizers) 4.Toxic Inorganic Materials 5.Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP’s) Nitrogen, phosphorous

Eutrophication Dissolved inorganic nitrogen in Baltic Sea & Blue Baby Syndrome

Nitrates Typically: ppm Unpolluted usually below 1 ppm Sewage pollution increase up to 20 ppm

Chemical Water Pollution 3.Nutrients (Fertilizers) 4.Toxic Inorganic Materials 5.Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP’s) 1.Heavy metals  mercury,lead, tin… 2.Super Toxic Elements  Arsenic, selenium… 3.Acids, salts, chlorine 4.Radioactive Isotopes

Arsenic in U.S. Waters

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) 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

Some We Will Measure Salinity Saltwater 3.5% Freshwater 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 ppm Drinking water must be below 500 ppm

Chemical Water Pollution 3.Nutrients (Fertilizers) 4.Toxic Inorganic Materials 5.Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP’s)

Artificial Chemicals

The Dirty Dozen

Physical Water Pollution 6.Sediment 7.Thermal Pollution 8.Solid Waste Chattahoochee River, GA Yellow River, China

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

Physical Water Pollution 6.Sediment 7.Thermal Pollution 8.Solid Waste Causes:  industry  dams  removal of vegetation Optimum – Fish 5-20°C (salmon <12°C)

Physical Water Pollution 6.Sediment 7.Thermal Pollution 8.Solid Waste

Pollution Sources: Point Source 1.Sewage pipes 2.Leaky gas tanks 3.Industrial sites 4.Injection wells

Pollution Sources: Nonpoint Source 1.Agriculture (soil, fertilizer,pesticides) 2.Urban runoff (from pavement) 3.Construction sites 4.Air Pollution

Controlling Water Quality What can we do?

Solutions 1.Legislation 2.Source Reduction 3.Improved Land Use Practices 4.Remediation 5.Sewage Treatment

Clean Water Act Established water quality standards 2.System for ID’ing point sources 3.Pretreatment for industry 4.Federal funding for sewage treatment 5.Provided for enforcement Worked well for point sources Nonpoint sources still a problem

Solutions 1.Legislation 2.Source Reduction 3.Improved Land Use Practices 4.Remediation 5.Sewage Treatment 1.Remove lead from gasoline 2.Reduce road salting 3.Decrease erosion 4.Banning phosphates in detergents 5.Reduce fertilizer use, etc.

Solutions 1.Legislation 2.Source Reduction 3.Improved Land Use Practices 4.Remediation 5.Sewage Treatment 1.Stormwater treatment 2.Reduce clearcutting 3.Preserve wetlands 4.Better construction practices

Solutions 1.Legislation 2.Source Reduction 3.Improved Land Use Practices 4.Remediation 5.Sewage Treatment

Solutions 1.Legislation 2.Source Reduction 3.Improved Land Use Practices 4.Remediation 5.Sewage Treatment Water hyacinths absorb arsenic

Solutions 1.Legislation 2.Source Reduction 3.Improved Land Use Practices 4.Remediation 5.Sewage Treatment West Point Treatment Plant, Seattle

Sewage in King County