1. Water Pollution Major Types of Pollutants
Chapter 14
Major Types of Pollutants
1) Infectious Agents (bacteria, parasites)
- sources = human/animal wastes
- effects = diseases
2) Oxygen-Demanding Wastes (bacteria-creating wastes)
- sources = sewage, livestock, paper/food plants
- effects = lowers dissolved oxygen in water habitats
3) Inorganic Chemicals (acids, metals, salts)
- sources = industry, homes
- effects = harms organ systems of organisms

2. 4) Organic Chemicals (fossil fuels, pesticides)
- sources = industry, homes, farms
- effects = harms organ systems of organisms
5) Plant Nutrients (nitrates, phosphates)
- sources = sewage, farms, lawns
- effects = lowers dissolved oxygen in aquatic habitats
6) Sediment (silt)
- sources = erosion
- effects = clog streams, reduce clarity & photosynthesis
7) Radioactive Wastes (radon, uranium)
- sources = nuclear plants, mining
- effects = cancers, mutations, birth defects

3. 8) Heat (thermal pollution)
- sources = power plants, industry
- effects = lowers DO, abrupt temp. changes

4. Measuring Water Quality
- accomplished by looking at:
1) Fecal Coliform Bacteria
- causes many diseases
- drinking water = 0 coliform
- swimming water = 200 colonies/100ml
2) Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
- indicates presence of excess nutrients
- can measure DO or biological oxygen demand (BOD)
3) Chemical Analysis
- identifies organic & inorganic chemicals
4) Indicator Species
- analyzing health of organisms

5. Water Quality DO (ppm) at 20˚C
Good
8-9
Slightly
polluted
6.7-8
Moderately
polluted
Heavily
polluted
Below 4.5
Gravely
polluted
Below 4

6. Point & Nonpoint Source Pollutants
NONPOINT SOURCES
Urban streets
Suburban development
Wastewater treatment plant
Rural homes
Cropland
Factory
Animal feedlot
POINT SOURCES
Point & Nonpoint Source Pollutants

7. Dissolved oxygen (ppm) Stream Pollution & Recovery
Normal clean water organisms
(trout, perch, bass,
mayfly, stonefly)
Fish absent, fungi,
sludge worms,
bacteria
(anaerobic)
Trash fish
(carp, gar,
leeches)
Trash fish
(carp, gar,
leeches)
Normal clean water organisms
(trout, perch, bass,
mayfly, stonefly)
8 ppm
Types of
organisms
Dissolved oxygen (ppm)
8 ppm
Biological oxygen
demand
Clean Zone
Recovery Zone
Septic Zone
Decomposition
Zone
Clean Zone
Stream Pollution & Recovery
Recovery occurs if:
1) no pollution overload
2) no reduced stream flow

8. Lake Pollution - 2 main concerns: 1) Biological Magnification
- build-up of fat-soluble chemicals at
higher trophic levels in a food web
- examples: DDT, PCB’s, mercury
2) Eutrophication
- lowering of DO due to increase of
nutrients causing excessive algae
growth, leading to excessive algae
death, increasing aerobic decomposers

9. Biological Magnification
Water
ppm
Biological Magnification
Herring gull
124 ppm
Phytoplankton
ppm
Herring gull eggs
124 ppm
Zooplankton
0.123 ppm
Lake trout
4.83 ppm
Rainbow smelt
1.04 ppm

11. Sources of Eutrophication Nutrients
Nitrogen compounds
produced by cars
and factories
Discharge of untreated
municipal sewage
(nitrates and phosphates)
Discharge of
detergents
( phosphates)
Natural runoff
(nitrates and
phosphates
Inorganic fertilizer runoff
(nitrates and phosphates)
Manure runoff
from feedlots
(nitrates, phosphates,
ammonia)
Discharge of treated
municipal sewage
(primary and secondary
treatment:
nitrates and phosphates)
Runoff from streets,
lawns, and construction
lots (nitrates and
phosphates)
Lake ecosystem
nutrient overload
and breakdown of
chemical cycling
Dissolving of
nitrogen oxides
(from internal combustion
engines and furnaces)
Runoff and erosion
(from cultivation,
mining, construction,
and poor land use)
Sources of Eutrophication Nutrients

12. Groundwater Pollution
- sources include:
- waste lagoons, septic tanks, landfills,
hazardous waste dumps, deep injection wells
- chemicals causing health issues are:
- petrochemicals, organic solvents, pesticides,
arsenic, lead
- more easily contaminated because:
1) slow movement of water
2) less decomposing bacteria
3) colder temperatures

13. Groundwater Pollution
Coal strip mine runoff
Pumping well
Waste lagoon
Accidental spills
Groundwater flow
Confined aquifer
Discharge
Leakage from faulty casing
Hazardous waste injection well
Pesticides
and fertilizers
Gasoline station
Buried gasoline and solvent tank
Sewer
Cesspool septic tank
De-icing road salt
Unconfined freshwater aquifer
Confined freshwater aquifer
Water pumping well
Landfill
Polluted air
Groundwater Pollution

14. Groundwater Pollution
Solutions
Groundwater Pollution
Prevention
Cleanup
Find substitutes for toxic chemicals
Pump to surface, clean, and return to aquifer
Install monitoring wells
Require leak detectors on underground tanks
Inject microorganisms to clean up contamination
Ban hazardous waste disposal
in landfills and injection wells
Pump nanoparticles of inorganic compounds to remove pollutants
Store harmful liquids in aboveground tanks with leak detection

15. Ocean Pollution Urban sprawl Construction sites Industry Farms .
Cities
Farms
Red tides
Closed
shellfish beds
Closed
beach
Oxygen-depleted
zone
Toxic sediments
Healthy zone
Oxygen-depleted zone

16. Coastal Water Pollution
Solutions
Coastal Water Pollution
Prevention
Cleanup
Ban dumping of wastes by ships in coastal waters
Improve oil-spill cleanup
capabilities
Ban ocean dumping of sludge
Sprinkle nanoparticles over an oil spill to dissolve the oil
Protect sensitive areas
Require treatment of coastal sewage
Regulate coastal development
Recycle used oil
Require double hulls for oil tankers

17. Surface Water Solutions
- nonpoint source:
1) reduce fertilizer use
2) plant buffer zones
3) reduce pesticide use
4) preserve riparian zones
5) practice soil conservation
- point source:
1) Legislation
- Clean Water Act, Water Quality Act,
Safe Drinking Water Act
2) Technology
- septic tanks
- sewage treatment plants

18. Septic Tank Septic tank with manhole (for cleanout) Household
wastewater
Nonperforated pipe
Distribution box (optional)
Gravel or
crushed
stone
Drain
field
Vent pipe
Perforated pipe
Septic Tank

19. Sewage Treatment Primary Secondary Grit chamber Chlorine
disinfection tank
Bar screen
Settling tank
Aeration tank
Settling tank
To river, lake,
or ocean
Raw sewage
from sewers
(kills bacteria)
Sludge
Activated sludge
Air pump
Sludge digester
Sludge drying bed
Disposed of in landfill or
ocean or applied to cropland,
pasture, or rangeland

20. Prevent groundwater contamination Reduce nonpoint runoff
Solutions
Water Pollution
Prevent groundwater contamination
Reduce nonpoint runoff
Reuse treated wastewater for irrigation
Find substitutes for toxic pollutants
Practice four R's of resource use
Reduce resource waste
Reduce air pollution
Reduce poverty
Reduce birth rates