Notes:
- Water Pollution Notes- Contaminant: Anything in the water deleterious to a particular end use regardless of its origin whether it occurs in the watershed source or in a water supply
- Pollutant: Anything in the water deleterious to a particular end use that is of anthropogenic origin
- Subset of contaminant
- Water Pollution: Any chemical, biological and physical change in water quality that has a harmful effect on living organisms or makes it unusable for agriculture
- Massive quantity of pollutants produced by humans, their machines, plants and animals
- Types of pollution
- Pollution of Streams and Lakes
- Agriculture: largest source of water pollution in U.S (64% streams, 57%lakes)
- Ocean pollution
- Groundwater pollution
- Drinking water quality
- Waste water treatment
- Water Legislation
- Sources of pollution
- Point-factories, sewage treatment plants, mines, oil wells, etc.
- Nonpoint-acid deposition, substances picked up in runoff, seepage into groundwater, etc.
- Sources of pollution
- Disease causing agents-pathogens
- Oxygen demanding agents-organic waste; manure
- Water soluble inorganic chemicals-acids, toxic metals
- Inorganic plant nutrients-nitrogen/phosphorus
- Organic chemicals-oil, pesticides, detergents
- Sediment-erosion and soil
- Radioactive Isotopes-radon/uranium
- Heat-electric and nuclear power plants
- Genetic Pollution
- Disease-causing Agens
- Waterborne Bacteria
- Escherichia coli
- Vibrio sp.
- Waterborne Protozoans
- Giardia sp.
- P. Darben
- Oxygen demanding agents
- Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
- Oxygen is removed from water when organic matter is consumed by bacteria
- Low oxygen may kill fish and other organisms
- Sources of organic matter
- Natural inputs: bogs, swamps, leaf fall
- Human inputs: pulp and paper mills, meat-packing plants
- Nonpoint inputs: runofffrom urban areas
- Water-soluble inorganic chemicals