Water Pollution Point Source vs Nonpoint Source Pollution

Water Pollution Point Source vs. Nonpoint Source Pollution

Water pollution �Bacteria, Viruses, Protozoa, Parasitic worms �Oxygen demanding substances �Inorganic plant nutrients �Organic chemicals �Sediment or suspended matter �Thermal pollution �Genetic pollution

How great is our water? ? ? Dissolved Oxygen levels in water Water Quality Do (ppm) at 20˚C Good 8 -9 Slightly polluted 6. 7 -8 Moderately polluted Heavily polluted Gravely polluted 4. 5 -6. 7 Below 4. 5 Below 4 Pg. 535

Point Source Pollution • comes from a specific source, like a pipe • factories, industry, municipal treatment plants • can be monitored and controlled by a permit system Basically, a source you can directly “point” to!

Nonpoint Source Pollution • Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution is pollution associated with stormwater or runoff • NPS pollution cannot be traced to a direct discharge point such as a wastewater treatment facility When you can’t pinpoint any one particular source.

Examples of NPS • • • oil & grease from cars • sewage & cleaners from boats fertilizers • household cleaning animal waste products grass clippings • litter septic systems

“People Pollution”

Point and Nonpoint Sources NONPOINT SOURCES Rural homes Cropland Urban streets Animal feedlot Suburban development POINT SOURCES Wastewater treatment plant Factory

Leaking tank Aqu ife r Water table Bedr ock Groundwater flow Free gasoline dissolves in Gasoline groundwater leakage plume (dissolved (liquid phase) Migrating vapor phase Contaminant plume moves with the groundwater Water well Fig. 20 -12

Global Outlook: Stream Pollution in Developing Countries �Water in many of central China's rivers are greenish black from uncontrolled pollution by thousands of factories. Figure 20 -7

Case Study: India’s Ganges River: Religion, Poverty, and Health �Daily, more than 1 million Hindus in India bathe, drink from, or carry out religious ceremonies in the highly polluted Ganges River.

Point Source or Nonpoint Source? Point Source

Point Source or Nonpoint Source? Nonpoint Source

Point Source or Nonpoint Source? �A factory dumping extremely hot water into a river? Point Source

Point Source or Nonpoint Source? �Oil dripping from cars on a road and flowing into the storm drain. Nonpoint Source

Roger Rosenblatt �It is a hard truth to swallow, but nature does not care if we live or die. We cannot survive without the oceans, for example, but they can do just fine without us.