Water Pollution Chapter 20

20-1 What Are the Causes and Effects of Water Pollution? Concept 20-1A Water pollution causes illness and death in humans and other species and disrupts ecosystems. Concept 20-1B The chief sources of water pollution are agricultural activities, industrial facilities, and mining, but growth in population and resource use make it increasingly worse.

Water Pollution Comes from Point and Nonpoint Sources Located at specific places Easy to identify, monitor, and regulate Examples (drain pipes, ditches, sewer lines). Nonpoint sources Broad, diffuse areas Difficult to identify and control Expensive to clean up Examples (atmospheric deposition, agricultural / industrial / residential runoff)

Water Pollution Comes from Point and Nonpoint Sources Agriculture activities: leading cause of water pollution Sediment eroded from the lands Fertilizers and pesticides Bacteria from livestock and food processing wastes Other sources of water pollution Parking lots Human-made materials - plastics Global Warming – ocean acidification

Point Source of Polluted Water in Gargas, France

Nonpoint Sediment from Unprotected Farmland Flows into Streams

Major Water Pollutants Have Harmful Effects The World Health Organization (WHO) 3 Million people die every year, mostly under the age of 5

Major Water Pollutants and Their Sources

Common Diseases Transmitted to Humans through Contaminated Drinking Water

Major Water Pollutants and Their Effects A fecal coliform bacteria test is used to indicate the likely presence of disease-causing bacteria in water.

Water Quality as Measured by Dissolved Oxygen Content in Parts per Million Fig 20-a

20-2 What Are the Major Water Pollution Problems in Streams and Lakes? Concept 20-2A While streams are extensively polluted worldwide by human activities, they can cleanse themselves of many pollutants if we do not overload them or reduce their flows. Concept 20-2B Addition of excessive nutrients to lakes from human activities can disrupt lake ecosystems, and prevention of such pollution is more effective and less costly than cleaning it up.

Dilution and Decay of Degradable, Oxygen-Demanding Wastes in a Stream Fig 20-5

Active Figure: Stream pollution

Natural Capital Degradation: Highly Polluted River in China

Trash Truck Disposing of Garbage into a River in Peru

Cultural Eutrophication Eutrophication: the natural nutrient enrichment of a shallow lake, estuary or slow moving stream, mostly from runoff of plant nutrients from the surrounding land. Cultural eutrophication: human activities accelerate the input of plant nutrients (mostly nitrate- and phosphate-containing effluents) to a lake. 85% of large lakes near major population centers in the U.S. have some degree of cultural eutrophication.

Cultural Eutrophication Is Too Much of a Good Thing Prevent or reduce cultural eutrophication Remove nitrates and phosphates Diversion of lake water Clean up lakes Remove excess weeds Use herbicides and algaecides; down-side? Pump in air

The Great Lakes of North America

20-3 Pollution Problems Affecting Groundwater, Other Water Sources Concept 20-3A Chemicals used in agriculture, industry, transportation, and homes can spill and leak into groundwater and make it undrinkable. Concept 20-3B There are simple ways and complex ways to purify drinking water, but protecting it through pollution prevention is the least expensive and most effective strategy.

POLLUTION OF GROUNDWATER It can take hundreds to thousand of years for contaminated groundwater to cleanse itself of degradable wastes. Nondegradable wastes (toxic lead, arsenic, flouride) are there permanently. Slowly degradable wastes (such as DDT, PCB, Polybrominated diphenylethers – PBDEs = flame retardant) are there for decades. EPA on PBDEs EPA on PCBs Ocean Futures Society on flame retardants

Principal Sources of Groundwater Contamination in the U.S. Fig 20-11

Groundwater Contamination from a Leaking Gasoline Tank Fig 20-12

POLLUTION OF GROUNDWATER Leaks from a number of sources have contaminated groundwater in parts of the world. According the the EPA, one or more organic chemicals contaminate about 45% of municipal groundwater supplies. The EPA has completed the cleanup of 297,000 of 436,000 underground tanks leaking gasoline, diesel fuel, home heating oil, or toxic solvents.

Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency Click for link

Ventura County Watershed Protection District In July 2000, the L.A. Regional Water Quality Control Board required Ventura County to control stormwater and urban runoff. The Ventura Countywide Stormwater Quality Management Plan allows the County to execute a number of pollution prevention related policies and Best Management Practices. The Plan has 6 sub-plans. The Plan develops Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). See link below for TMDL info Click for VCWPD information about Stormwater Quality Click for Stormwater Quality Management Program

Nitrate pollution in Oxnard

SOLUTIONS Groundwater Pollution Prevention Cleanup Find substitutes for toxic chemicals Pump to surface, clean, and return to aquifer (very expensive) Keep toxic chemicals out of the environment Install monitoring wells near landfills and underground tanks Inject microorganisms to clean up contamination (less expensive but still costly) Require leak detectors on underground tanks Figure 20.13 Methods for preventing and cleaning up contamination of groundwater (Concept 20-3B). Question: Which two of the preventive solutions (left) do you think are the most important? Why? Ban hazardous waste disposal in landfills and injection wells Pump nanoparticles of inorganic compounds to remove pollutants (still being developed) Store harmful liquids in aboveground tanks with leak detection and collection systems Fig. 20-13, p. 545

There Are Many Ways to Purify Drinking Water Reservoirs and purification plants Process sewer water to drinking water Expose clear plastic containers to sunlight (UV) Nanofilters The LifeStraw

The LifeStraw: Personal Water Purification Device

Using Laws to Protect Drinking Water Quality 1974: U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act Sets maximum contaminant levels for any pollutants that affect human health Need plan to develop “best management practices”. Health scientists: strengthen the law Water-polluting companies: weaken the law

Is Bottled Water the Answer? Some bottled water is not as pure as tap water and costs much more. 1.4 million metric tons of plastic bottles are thrown away. Fossil fuels are used to make plastic bottles. The oil used to produce plastic bottles in the U.S. each year would fuel 100,000 cars.

20-4 What Are the Major Water Pollution Problems Affecting Oceans? Concept 20-4A The great majority of ocean pollution originates on land and includes oil and other toxic chemicals and solid wastes, which threaten aquatic species and other wildlife and disrupt marine ecosystems. Concept 20-4B The key to protecting the oceans is to reduce the flow of pollutants from land and air and from streams emptying into these waters.

Ocean Pollution Is a Growing and Poorly Understood Problem 2006: State of the Marine Environment 80% of marine pollution originates on land Sewage Coastal areas most affected Deeper ocean waters Dilution Dispersion Degradation

Ocean Pollution Is a Growing and Poorly Understood Problem U.S. coastal waters Raw sewage Sewage and agricultural runoff: NO3- and PO43- Harmful algal blooms Oxygen-depleted zones

Residential Areas, Factories, and Farms Contribute to Pollution of Coastal Waters Fig 20-15

A Large Zone of Oxygen-Depleted Water in the Gulf of Mexico Due to Algal Blooms Fig20-b

SOLUTIONS Coastal Water Pollution Prevention Cleanup Reduce input of toxic pollutants Improve oil-spill cleanup capabilities Separate sewage and storm lines Use nanoparticles on sewage and oil spills to dissolve the oil or sewage (still under development) Ban dumping of wastes and sewage by ships in coastal waters Ban ocean dumping of sludge and hazardous dredged material Figure 20.17 Methods for preventing and cleaning up excessive pollution of coastal waters (Concept 20-4B). Question: Which two of these solutions do you think are the most important? Why? Require secondary treatment of coastal sewage Regulate coastal development, oil drilling, and oil shipping Use wetlands, solar-aquatic, or other methods to treat sewage Require double hulls for oil tankers Fig. 20-17, p. 551

20-5 How Can We Best Deal with Water Pollution? Concept 20-5 Reducing water pollution requires preventing it, working with nature to treat sewage, cutting resource use and waste, reducing poverty, and slowing population growth.

We Need to Reduce Surface Water Pollution from Nonpoint Sources Reduce erosion Keep cropland covered with vegetation Reduce the amount of fertilizers Plant buffer zones of vegetation Use organic farming techniques Use pesticides prudently Control runoff Tougher pollution regulations for livestock operations Deal better with animal waste

Sewage Treatment Reduces Water Pollution Septic tank system Wastewater or sewage treatment plants Primary sewage treatment Physical process Secondary sewage treatment Biological process Tertiary or advance sewage treatment Bleaching, chlorination

Solutions: Septic Tank System Fig 20-18

Solutions: Primary and Secondary Sewage Treatment Fig 20-19

Tertiary Wastewater Treatment General Industrial RO Systems Ultraviolet (UV) Disinfection Equipment Link to SIEMEMS for technology

Oxnard GREAT Project Tertiary Water Treatment Treat waste water and salty groundwater. Offset the amount of potable water needed for irrigating crops, golf courses and lawns. Seawater intrusion barrier $200 million to build. Produce 28,000 acre feet per year. Click for Oxnard GREAT program

Solutions: Ecological Wastewater Purification by a Living Machine, RI, U.S.

Reducing Water Pollution through Sewage Treatment Natural and artificial wetlands and other ecological systems can be used to treat sewage. California created a 65 hectare wetland near Humboldt Bay that acts as a natural wastewater treatment plant for the town of 16,000 people. The project cost less than half of the estimated price of a conventional treatment plant.

Standard definitions used in Oxnard report that follows. Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) = The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. Primary MCLs are set as close to the PHGs (orMCLGs) as is economically and technologically feasible. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) = The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs are set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Using Laws to Protect Drinking Water The U.N. estimates that 5.6 million Americans drink water that does not meet EPA standards. 1 in 5 Americans drinks water from a treatment plant that violated one or more safety standard. Industry pressures to weaken the Safe Drinking Act: Eliminate national tests and public notification of violations. Allow rights to pollute if provider cannot afford to comply.

Solutions: Water Pollution, Methods for Preventing and Reducing Water Pollution Fig 20-20

What Can You Do? Water Pollution, Ways to Help Reduce Water Pollution Fig 20-21