Niagara Falls on the US-Canadian border: well worth seeing.
A Terrestrial Aquatic Ecosystem 2
Human Disruption of Ecosystems 1. Habitat destruction Tropical rainforests: 20th century Illinois prairie: 19th century 0.1% remains Eastern forests, 18th century 1 square mile of never-cut forest remains Micro-damage Large Blue butterfly (Maculinae arion) in England Song birds in the US? Amphibians world-wide Salmon in the Northwest 3
Human Disruption of Ecosystems 2. Selective destruction of species Hunting Fishing Examples: Passenger pigeon Carolina parakeet Doesn’t work with pests Imported fire ant Etc, etc, etc 4
Human Disruption of Ecosystems 3. Importing new species Perennial pests: gypsy moth, Japanese beetle… Current villains: Asian longhorn beetle, garlic mustard, purple loosestrife, … Diseases: Dutch elm disease Chestnut blight Dogwood anthracnose Oak wilt … 5
Burmese python: Everglades Feral pig damage: Hawaii 6
Human Disruption of Ecosystems 4. Xenobiotics Efffects of Chemicals on Ecosystems Distribution to air soil water Transformation Uptake by organisms Effects on individual organisms toxicity persistence bioaccumulation Possible effects on populations Reproduction Food Behaviour Possible effects on ecosystems Alter food web Remove predator Remove prey species Alter energy flow 7
Xenobiotics 4. Xenobiotics DDT PCBs Mercury Lead Dieldrin … Atrazine? Phthalates? 8
Xenobiotics and Ecosystems Chemical identity Persistence Duration of effects Bioaccumulation Number of applications Single Multiple Ubiquity of contamination Ecosystem structure Complexity of food webs Most sensitive species Other stresses Immigration 9
Operation Cat Drop: A Fable For Our Times 10
Articles About “Operation Cat Drop” O’Shaughnessy, PT, 2008. Parachuting Cats and Crushed Eggs: The Controversy over the use of DDT to control malaria. Am. J Public Health 98:1940–1948. On the web: http://catdrop.com http://catdrop.com/links.htm http://the-sieve.com/2013/10/20/operation-cat-drop-history-or-hoax/
Partial List of Ecologically Harmful Chemicals Persistent but not bioaccumulative: Aldicarb Lead DES Unduly Toxic Fenthion Parathion Compound 1040 Endocrine disruptors Vinclozolin Phthalates Atrazine? ….. etc Persistent and bioaccumulative: DDT and its congeners Cycodienes Aldrin Dieldrin Endrin Heptachlor Chlordane Mirex Chlordecone (Kepone) PCBs PBBs PFOS & PFOA Cadmium Selenium Organic mercury compounds Organic tin compounds Hexachlorobenzene 12
from Wikipedia: The phrase "Better Living Through Chemistry" is a variant of a DuPont advertising slogan, "Better Things for Better Living...Through Chemistry." DuPont adopted it in 1935 and it was their slogan until 1982 when the "Through Chemistry" part was dropped. Since 1999, their slogan has been "The miracles of science".[1] The phrase "Better Living Through Chemistry" was used on products that were not affiliated with DuPont to circumvent trademark infringement.[citation needed] This transmutation is now more commonly used than the original. This statement is used for commentary on several different topics, from the promotion of prescription or recreational drugs, to the praise of chemicals and plastics, to the sarcastic criticism of the same.
Water, Earth and Air: Water Use, Sources of Pollution, And then ….?
Water, Soil and Air Interconnect Adsorption on solids; Absorption of gases bubbles Fields, parking lots, Roofs, roads Municipal water sources Wells - private & public
* > 500 feet deep Often communicate with surface
Where Illinois gets its water *
Local Issues: Water in Champaign-Urbana 100 million gallons a day (MGD) is pumped 45% consumed by the public, 29% by industry, and 18% by commercial users
Clean Water and Public Health
Clean Water and Public Health: John Snow and the Broad Street Pump London, 1849 cholera epidemic John Snow epidemiology study preceded Pasteur Ended epidemic by removing pump handle
Mapping Cholera Cases to Pump Locations
Clean Water and Public Health Types of pollutants Organic Bacteria Viruses Protozoans, etc Chemicals Water purification Chlorination Ozonation Other Population density Affects levels of pathogens Water-borne diseases Cholera Typhoid Amoebic dysentery Giardia Hepatitis A Schistosomiasis Requires snail vector Prevent contamination Siting of wells relative to Sewage outflows Industry
Coagulation Removes solids Sedimentation Disinfection Removes pathogens Disinfectants Chlorine or hypochlorite trihalomethanes haloacetic acids Chloramine More stable Fewer byproducts Ozone Bromate? No residual disinfection Purifying Water Before Use: Designed to destroy pathogens -- But are there risks?
Processes for Cleaning Water after Use: also designed to destroy pathogens Chemical pollution Pre-World War II Organic waste Biodegradation Elemental wastes persist forever Metals Human & animal waste Filtration Biodegradation A river cleans itself Mississippi water is drunk 7x
5x106 T 1985: 100x106 T
Clean Water and Public Health Consider: Source of water Spring River Reservoir Shallow well Deep well
What Happens When the Water Runs Out?
Summary: Water and Water Pollution Case histories of specific pollutants - Effects of (persistent/bioaccumulative) water pollutants in ecosystems How does water become polluted? Water treatment Classical, for pathogens Other Chemicals may be removed by reverse osmosis, etc Radioisotopes can be removed by aeration Where Illinois water comes from And how that affects pollution Running out of (clean, unsalted) water
Water, Air and Soil as Media for Pollutants
Horseshoe Falls: The best views of the falls are from the Canadian side.