Water Pollution Types and Sources of Water Pollution

Water Pollution

Types and Sources of Water Pollution Ø #1 problem - Eroded soils Ø Organic wastes, disease-causing agents Ø Chemicals, nutrients Ø Radioactive stuff, heat

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

Major Problem: Drinking Water Ø 1/2 of world’s people drink polluted water Ø Safe Drinking Water Act Ø EPA: Maximum contaminant levels (municipal, but not rural and private)

Pollution of Surface Water: Streams Ø D. O. , B. O. D. , fecal coliform bacteria count

Pollution of Surface Water: Lakes Ø Cultural eutrophication Ø Slow turnover ØAccumulation of nutrients, excessive plant growth, algae blooms

Case Study: The Great Lakes

Mississippi River Basin Ohio River Missouri River LOUISIANA Mississippi River Depleted Dead Zone Oxygen Gulf of Mexico

Thermal Pollution Suffocated fish Altered food web Low dissolved oxygen Decreased fish population

Groundwater Pollution: Sources Ø Cold temperatures Ø Low flow rates Ø Few bacteria Hazardous waste injection well Coal strip mine runoff Pesticides De-icing road salt Pumping well Waste lagoon Buried gasoline and solvent tank Cesspool septic tank Gasoline station Water pumping well Landfill Accidental spills Sewer ifer aqu Leakage from faulty casing Discharge r ate r w e h uif res Confined aquifer q f a r ed e t n i a f con shw Groundwater e n r U df e flow n nfi o C

Groundwater Pollution Prevention Ø Monitoring aquifers - expensive Ø Leak detection systems Ø Strictly regulating hazardous waste disposal Ø Protecting recharge areas - aquifer classifications

Ocean Pollution: dumping and oil

Oil Spills Ø Sources: offshore wells, tankers, pipelines and storage tanks Ø Effects: death of organisms, loss of animal insulation and buoyancy, smothering Ø Significant economic impacts Ø Short-term cleanup problems - beaches, wildlife Ø Long-term cleanup problem - persistence (decades)

Solutions: Preventing and Reducing Surface Water Pollution Nonpoint Sources Ø Reduce runoff Ø Buffer zone vegetation Ø Reduce soil erosion Point Sources Ø Water Pollution Control Act (1972) Ø Clean Water Act (1977) - set effluent standards - secondary treatment

Technological Approach: Sewage Treatment Ø Mechanical and biological treatment

Technological Approach: Septic Systems Ø Require suitable soils and maintenance

Technological Approach: Using Wetlands to Treat Sewage

Air Pollution Ø Harmful to life or materials Ø Materials - soiled, corrosion of metals Ø Plants - stunting, damage (crops, forests) Ø Animals - respiratory, nervous system damage Ø Humans - eye irritation, headache, dizziness, bronchitis, emphysema, cancer - young, old, heart and lung patients susceptible

Air Pollution Ø Primary pollutants Ø Secondary pollutants

Natural Sources - most primary pollutants Ø Decay processes, winds, volcanic eruptions, sea spray Ø Widely dispersed - do not reach harmful levels

Human Sources - more important Ø Concentrated where the people are 1) Stationary fuel 2) combustion 3) 2) Industry 4) 3) Transportation

Air pollution problems influenced by: Ø Topography (thermal inversions) Ø Climate (cool-moist, warm-dry)

Temperature Inversions Ø Especially in valleys Ø Los Angeles, Denver, Winona

Industrial Smog Ø Cool, moist Ø Primary pollutants Ø Worst in winter, at night Ø Chicago, London

Photochemical Smog Ø Warm, dry Ø Secondary pollutants Ø Worst in summer, midday Los Angeles NO from cars

Widespread Secondary Air Pollution: Acid Deposition Ø Wet deposition Ø Dry deposition

Acid Deposition in the U. S.

Acid Deposition and Aquatic Systems Ø Fish declines Ø Undesirable species Ø Aluminum toxicity Ø Acid shock

Acid Deposition, Plants, and Soil Ø Nutrient leaching Ø Heavy metal release Ø Weakens trees

Industrial Smog Control sulfur dioxide and particulates Ø Burn less fossil fuels Ø Use alternative energy sources Ø Burn low-sulfur coal Ø Remove sulfur from coal (chemicals) Ø Stack scrubbers, electrostatic precipitators

Photochemical Smog Control nitrous oxide emissions Ø Use mass transit Ø Develop new engines Ø Develop new fuels Ø Develop new emission controls

Solutions: Preventing and Reducing Air Pollution Ø Clean Air Acts (1970, 1977) 1) Industrial emissions standards 2) Automotive emissions standards 3) Deadlines for meeting standards Ø Standards becoming stricter, requests to extend deadlines - better technology needed

Waste Management Ø Industrial and agricultural waste Ø Municipal solid waste Ø Hazardous wastes

Solid Waste in U. S. >300 lbs/person/day Ø Agriculture - 13% Ø Mining wastes - 75% Ø Industries - 9. 5% (fly ash) Ø Municipal - 1. 5% (4. 6 lbs. person, 70% paper, food, yard wastes) ØSewage sludge - 1%

U. S. Municipal Wastes Ø Multi-billion dollar industry Ø Resource Conservation and Recovery Act - 1976 - outlawed open dumping

Managing Today’s Wastes Ø Sanitary landfill - 54% Ø Recycling and composting - 30% Ø Incineration - 16% (dioxin)

Sanitary Landfill 1) Synthetic liner 2) 2) Earth cover 3) 3) Leachate 4) collection system 5) 4) Methane venting

Changing Landfills Ø Filling up rapidly Ø Difficult finding new sites - restrictions - NIMBY - NOT IN MY BACK YARD!

Recycling Ø Easily isolated from other wastes Ø Large quantities (6080% of wastes) Ø Valuable

Recycling Aluminum, Wastepaper, and Plastics Ø 40% of aluminum recycled in US Ø Recycled aluminum uses over 90% fewer resources Ø Paper: preconsumer vs. postconsumer recycling Ø 10% or less of plastic recycled in US Ø Plastics can be very difficult to recycle

Burning Wastes Ø Mass burn incineration Ø Air pollution Ø Waste to energy

Hazardous Wastes Ø U. S. - >1 ton/person/year

Today’s Management 1) reduce, reuse, recycle (5%)

Today’s Management 2) detoxification, incineration (5%) Ø Physical reactions Ø Chemical reactions Ø Landfarming Ø Burning

Today’s Management 3) Land disposal (90%) Ø Landfills, pits, lagoons, injection wells, “midnight dumping”, sewage systems, surface waters

Hazardous Waste Regulation in the United States Ø Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Ø EPA identifies hazardous wastes, sets standards for management Ø Superfund - established to clean up hazardous waste sites Ø Love Canal - Hooker Chemical plant in suburban Niagara Falls, NY