Water & Water Pollution

Ground water pollution – source of organic pollutants

It takes a long time to clean up aquifers that are polluted Blob

Nitrates 10 ppm limit set by EPA for drinking water –Can cause blue baby syndrome –Possibly increase chances of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas Mostly from agriculture, but also raw sewage –Nitrogen containing fertilizers and manure –Denitrification with bacteria Moroni? 25 ppm

Phosphates Main source is fertilizers and sewage –Used to be detergents from fillers

Phosphates Main source is fertilizers and sewage –Used to be detergents from fillers –Most are now phosphate free Point sources and non-point sources

Phosphates Main source is fertilizers and sewage –Used to be detergents from fillers –Most are now phosphate free Point sources and non-point sources Cause algae to “bloom”

Toxic Waste Necessary evil Good practice used to be a landfill –Caused groundwater problems –Love Canal Superfund law – for cleanup of toxic waste sites –>1200 priority sites –Started at $1.6 billion → > $100 billion –Who pays?

Toxic Waste What do we do with it? –Recycle –Reuse ~7% disposed of by illegal methods –Why RCRA – 1976 (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) –Cradle to grave responsibility

Toxic Waste From Households: –100 Million in the US –Example: Used oil – 60% change their own 350 million gal/yr 35 times more than Exxon Valdez spill –What do we do? City council – hazardous waste day Oil collection points Buy with disposal in mind

H31 – C13 23, 25, 30, 31, 34, 35, 58, 61, 65, 67, 83