This document discusses various types and sources of water pollution including infectious agents, oxygen-demanding waste, inorganic chemicals, radioactive materials, plant nutrients, organic chemicals, and eroded sediment. It describes how these pollutants affect water quality and aquatic ecosystems. It also outlines approaches to prevent and reduce various sources of water pollution from agricultural runoff, industrial waste, sewage, and contaminated groundwater.
3. Water Pollution: Types, Effects, and Sources
What is water pollution?
Major types of pollutants, sources and effects
Point and nonpoint sources
Is the water safe to drink?
5. Clean Zone
Decomposition
Zone
Septic Zone
Recovery
Zone
Clean Zone
Normal clean water organisms
(trout, perch, bass,
mayfly, stonefly)
Trash fish
(carp, gar,
leeches)
Fish absent,
fungi,
sludge
worms,
bacteria
(anaerobic)
Trash fish
(carp, gar,
leeches)
Normal clean water organisms
(trout, perch, bass,
mayfly, stonefly)
8 ppm
Dissolved
oxygen
(ppm)
Biological
oxygen
demand
8 ppm
Types of
organisms
Pollution in Streams
6. Benefits of Floodplains
Highly productive wetlands
Provide natural flood and erosion control
Maintain high water quality
Recharge groundwater
Fertile soils
Nearby rivers for use and recreation
Flatlands for urbanization and farming
7. Dangers of Floodplains and Floods
Deadly and destructive
Human activities worsen floods
Failing dams and water diversion
Bangladesh
9. Oxygen
released by
vegetation
Diverse
ecological
habitat
Evapotranspiration
Trees reduce soil
erosion from heavy
rain and wind
Agricultural
land
Steady
river flow
Leaf litter
improves
soil fertility
Tree roots stabilize soil
and aid water flow
Vegetation releases
water slowly and
reduces flooding
Forested Hillside
Flooding After Deforestation of a
Hillside
10. Tree plantation
Evapotranspiration decreases
Ranching accelerates soil
erosion by water and wind
Winds remove
fragile topsoil
Gullies and
landslides
Heavy rain leaches nutrients
from soil and erodes topsoil
Rapid runoff
causes flooding
After Deforestation
Roads
destabilize
hillsides
Agriculture land
is flooded and
silted up
Silt from erosion blocks rivers and
reservoirs and causes flooding downstream
Flooding After Deforestation of a
Hillside
12. Lake Pollution
Dilution less effective than with streams
Stratification in lakes and relatively little flow hinder rapid dilution of
pollutants
Lakes more vulnerable to pollutants than streams
How pollutants enter lakes
Eutrophication: causes and effects
Oligotrophic and eutrophic lakes
Cultural eutrophication
Preventing or removing eutrophication
14. Groundwater Pollution: Causes and Persistence
Sources of groundwater pollution
Slow flowing: slow dilution and dispersion
Consequences of lower dissolved oxygen
Fewer bacteria to decompose wastes
Cooler temperatures: slow down chemical reactions
Degradable and nondegradable wastes in groundwater
15. 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
Water
pumping well
Landfill
Polluted air
Groundwater Pollution
16. Extent of Groundwater Pollution
Not much is known about groundwater pollution
Organic contaminants, including fuel leaks
Arsenic
Protecting groundwater: Prevention is best
17. Pump nanoparticles of
inorganic compounds to
remove pollutants (may be the
cheapest, easiest, and most
effective method but is still
being developed)
Find substitutes for toxic
chemicals
Keep toxic chemicals out of the
environment
Install monitoring wells near
landfills and underground tanks
Require leak detectors on
underground tanks
Ban hazardous waste disposal
in landfills and injection wells
Inject microorganisms to clean
up contamination (less
expensive but still costly)
Store harmful liquids in
aboveground tanks with leak
detection and collection systems
Prevention Cleanup
Pump to surface, clean,
and return to aquifer
(very expensive)
Solutions
Groundwater Pollution
Preventing and Cleaning Up Pollution in
Groundwater
18. Ocean Pollution
How much pollution can oceans tolerate?
Some pollutants degrade and dilute in oceans
Ocean dumping controversies
19. Industry
Nitrogen oxides from
autos and smokestacks;
toxic
chemicals, and heavy
metals in effluents flow
into bays and estuaries.
Cities
Toxic metals and
oil from streets and
parking lots pollute
waters; sewage
adds nitrogen and
phosphorus.
Urban sprawl
Bacteria and viruses from sewers
and septic tanks contaminate
shellfish beds and close beaches;
runoff of fertilization from lawns
adds nitrogen and phosphorus.
Construction sites
Sediments are washed into waterways,
choking fish and plants, clouding
waters, and blocking sunlight.
Farms
Run off of pesticides, manure,
and fertilizers adds toxins and
excess nitrogen and phosphorus.
Red tides
Excess nitrogen causes
explosive growth of toxic
microscopic algae, poisoning
fish and marine mammals.
Healthy zone
Clear, oxygen-rich waters
promote growth of plankton
and sea grasses, and support fish.
Toxic sediments
Chemicals and toxic metals
contaminate shellfish beds,
kill spawning fish, and
accumulate in the tissues
of bottom feeders.
Closed
shellfish beds
Closed
beach Oxygen-depleted
zone
Coastal Water Pollution
Oxygen-depleted zone
Sedimentation and algae overgrowth reduce sunlight,
kill beneficial sea grasses, use up oxygen, and
degrade habitat.
21. Chesapeake Bay
Largest US estuary
Pollution sink
Oxygen depletion
Chesapeake Bay
Program
22. Effects of Oil on Ocean Life
Crude and refined petroleum
Tanker accidents and blowouts
Exxon Valdez
Volatile hydrocarbons kill larvae
Tar-like globs coat birds and
marine mammals
Oil destroys insulation and
buoyancy
Heavy oil sinks and kills bottom
organisms
Coral reefs die
Slow recovery
Oil slicks ruin beaches
Limited effectiveness of clean up
methods
23. Prevention Cleanup
Ban dumping of wastes and
sewage by maritime and cruise
ships in coastal waters
Reduce input of toxic pollutants
Separate sewage and
storm lines
Regulate coastal
development
Recycle used oil
Require double hulls for oil tankers
Require at least secondary
treatment of coastal sewage
Use wetlands, solar-aquatic, or
other methods to treat sewage
Sprinkle nanoparticles over an
oil or sewage spill to dissolve
the oil or sewage without
creating harmful byproducts
(still under development)
Protect sensitive areas from
development, oil drilling, and oil
shipping
Ban ocean dumping of sludge and
hazardous dredged material
Improve oil-spill cleanup
capabilities
Solutions
Coastal Water Pollution
Preventing and Cleaning Up Pollution in
Coastal Waters
24. Preventing Nonpoint Source Pollution
Mostly agricultural wastes
Use vegetation to reduce soil erosion
Reduce fertilizer use
Use plant buffer zones around fields
Integrated pest management: Only use pesticides when necessary
Use plant buffers around animal feedlots
Keep feedlots away from slopes, surface water and flood zones
25. Laws for Reducing Point Source Pollution
Clean Water Act
Water Quality Act
26. Sewage Treatment Systems
Sewage treatment in rural and suburban areas
Septic tanks
Primary (physical) sewage treatment
Secondary (biological) sewage treatment
Urban sewage treatment (Clean Water Act)
Sewage treatment facilities in many cities fail to meet federal standards
Bleaching and disinfection
Disinfectants: chlorine, ozone, and ultraviolet radiation
27. Typical Septic Tank System
Household
wastewater
Perforated pipe
Distribution box
(optional)
Septic tank with manhole
(for cleanout)
Drain
field
Vent pipe
Nonperforated pipe
Gravel or
crushed
stone
28. Primary and Secondary Sewage Treatment
Raw sewage
from sewers
Bar screen Grit chamber Settling tank Aeration tank Settling tank
Chlorine
disinfection tank
Sludge
Sludge
digester
Activated sludge
Air pump
(kills
bacteria)
To river,
lake,
or ocean
Sludge drying bed
Disposed of
in landfill or
ocean or
applied to
cropland,
pasture, or
rangeland
Primary Secondary
29. Improving Sewage Treatment
Systems that exclude hazardous wastes
Non-hazardous substitutes
Composting toilet systems
Working with nature to treat sewage
Using wetlands to treat sewage
31. Should the Clean Water Act be
Strengthened?
Yes: environmentalists No: farmers, libertarians,
manufacturers, and
developers
State and local officials want more discretion
32. Drinking Water Quality
Purification of urban drinking water
Purification of drinking water in developing
countries
Bottled water
33. Solutions
Water Pollution
Prevent groundwater contamination
Greatly reduce nonpoint runoff
Reuse treated wastewater for
irrigation
Find substitutes for toxic pollutants
Work with nature to treat sewage
Practice four R's of resource use
(refuse, reduce, recycle, reuse)
Reduce resource waste
Reduce air pollution
Reduce poverty
Reduce birth rates
What Can You Do?
Water Pollution
Fertilize your garden and yard plants
with manure or compost instead of
commercial inorganic fertilizer.
Minimize your use of pesticides.
Never apply fertilizer or pesticides near
a body of water.
Grow or buy organic foods.
Compost your food wastes.
Do not use water fresheners in toilets.
Do not flush unwanted medicines
down the toilet.
Do not pour pesticides, paints,
solvents, oil, antifreeze, or other
products containing harmful chemicals
down the drain or onto the ground.