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16. Water Pollution 1
Introduction to Environmental Science 12:008/159:008Spring 2002
Water Pollution
Ohio1950’s-1970’s
• Organic flammable compounds were commonly disposed in rivers (sewer systems).
• 1960’ common children pastime was to set small fires on the water.
• 1968 Cuyahoga River, flowing through Cleveland set on fire destroying seven bridges
• Many areas of the Great Lakes (rivers, channels, bays) heavily polluted as the Cuyahoga.
LOVE CANAL (Niagara Falls, NY)
• Canal excavated in 1892 by W. T. Love for commercial purposes. Canal not completed.
• Served as a recreation area after failure.
LOVE CANAL (Niagara Falls, NY)
• 1930 - 1950’s Hooker Chemical (Occidental) used ditch to dump chemical wastes in barrels (over 80 different chemicals, 20,000 tons)
• 1953 Land sold to city for $1• City develops area, builds schools and houses
around area, playgrounds over the site.
LOVE CANAL•• Winter 1976 Winter 1976 -- 77 Heavy rain/snow 77 Heavy rain/snow
–– vegetation dies, rubber disintegratesvegetation dies, rubber disintegrates–– dogs develop soresdogs develop sores–– appearance of puddles of toxic or appearance of puddles of toxic or
noxious substance, basement floodednoxious substance, basement flooded–– claims of miscarriages, birth defects, claims of miscarriages, birth defects,
blood and liver abnormalitiesblood and liver abnormalities–– Beverly Beverly PaigenPaigen does systematic study, does systematic study,
and find link between and find link between ““wetwet”” homes and homes and the abovethe above
16. Water Pollution 2
Introduction to Environmental Science 12:008/159:008Spring 2002
LOVE CANAL
• 1978 State identified numerous toxic and noxious chemicals – benzene, dioxin,
dichloroethylene, chloroform
• 1978 State identified numerous toxic and noxious chemicals – benzene, dioxin,
dichloroethylene, chloroform
LOVE CANAL
• Families (600) demand state to relocate them (at state expense).
LOVE CANAL
• State and Federal government buy and destroy over 200 homes.
• By 1990 $275 million spent in cleanup
• Site lined with thick plastic and covered with impermeable clays. Barriers to prevent groundwater movement built around site.
• Contaminated soil and sediment removed and treated.• Area considered clean. Homes back in the market.• Area being monitored permanently.
LOVE CANAL - Remediation
• Life of container not known. Integrity of containers holding chemicals was compromised
• Bureaucracy lost track of site history.• Construction practices increased infiltration accelerated
problem.
LOVE CANAL - What went wrong? Love Canal - Benefits
• Raised citizen awareness about hazardous waste• Triggered or aided critical environmental legislation
(superfund sites - CERCLA: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act)
• Brought attention to the numerous potential problem sites and need for sound and safe waste management practices.
• You can now buy a house there for a really cheap price ;)
16. Water Pollution 3
Introduction to Environmental Science 12:008/159:008Spring 2002
Water Pollution• Pollutant
– Any substance that does not belong in the natural system and disrupts the natural balance
• Water Pollution– Degradation of water quality in a manner
that disrupts/prevents its intended or original use.
• Surface Water• Groundwater
HAZARDOUS WASTE
1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)• A waste/combination of wastes, which b/c of its concentration,
quantity, or physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics may1. Cause or significantly contribute to an increase in
mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating reversible illness, or
2. Pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS -HAZMAT
• Listed waste (recognized as hazardous by prior legislation/testing.)
• Characteristic waste that exhibits one or more of the following:– FLAMABLE– EXPLOSIVE– IRRITANT OR SENSITIZER– ACIDIC OR CAUSTIC– TOXIC
• Mixture of nonhazardous and hazardous waste• Not specifically excluded from regulation
(i.e. if we don’t know we assume it to be hazardous).
TOXIC MATERIALS
• A material is said to be toxic if it is in one of the following categories:– Allergens and immune system depressants– Neurotoxins– Mutagens– Teratogens– Carcinogens
• Ricin, a protein found in castor beans, is the most toxic substance known
Hazardous Substances• Heavy Metals
(neurotoxins)– Lead, MercuryMercury, ArsenicArsenic,
Cadmium, Tin, Chromium, Zinc, Copper
••ArsenicArsenic••Skin numbness, thickening, Skin numbness, thickening, discoloration, cancerdiscoloration, cancer
Hazardous Substances• Non-biodegradable Synthetic and
Natural Organic Chemicals– Most troublesome are Halogenated
Hydrocarbons. Contain: Chlorine, Fluorine, Bromine, or Iodine. Chlorinated hydrocarbons most common.
•Developmental problems dueto their ability to mimicHormones, or disrupt metabolic pathways.
16. Water Pollution 4
Introduction to Environmental Science 12:008/159:008Spring 2002
Water pollution contaminant types• Infectious agents• Oxygen-demanding Wastes• Plant nutrients and cultural
eutrophication• Toxic tides• Inorganic Pollutants
– Metals, nonmetallic salts, acids and bases
• Organic Chemicals• Sediment• Thermal Pollution and thermal shocks
MCL and secondary MCL• MCL=Maximum Contaminant Level
– The highest concentration of a pollutant allowed in drinking water by law
– Concentration above which adverse health affects are believed to occur
• Secondary MCL– Concentration of a pollutant above which
the water is unpleasant in odor or taste– May not be hazardous to your health at
that level
Hormesis
Threshold
Linear
Pollution Sources• Point-source
– Smokestack / industrial effluent
– Oil Tanker spill
• Non point source– Atmospheric
deposition– Farm field runoff
Surface Water • Sustains numerous ecosystems
that fulfill important roles in biogeochemical cycles and the water cycle.
• Source (major?) of food.• Major source of drinking water.• Recreational/aesthetic value
16. Water Pollution 5
Introduction to Environmental Science 12:008/159:008Spring 2002
Surface Water
• Photosynthetic organisms (light is essential).– Phytoplankton - microscopic,
floaters.• green algae, diatoms, cyanobacteria.
– Benthic Plants• Submerged (plant fully under water)
– pond weed, muskgrass• Emergent (plants partial above water)
– water lilies, cattails
Surface Water• Non photosynthetic organism -
consumers. Includes floating, swimmers, benthic.– Zooplankton - microscopic, floaters– Fish, Amphibians (froggies..), Reptiles
(Crocs, Turtles, Snakes)– Mollusks (snails, clams), Crustaceans
(crayfish)– Birds (ducks, geese, swans, etc.)– Mammals (otters, raccoons,
muskrats..…)
Essentials• Light - essential for primary
producers.• Oxygen - essential for all
consumers.• Nutrients - in balanced quantities
to maintain equilibrium between populations.
Light• Photic or Euphotic Zone
–Depth to which adequate light for photosynthesis can penetrate.
–Controlled by amount of particulate matter (sediment, plankton, and organic debris) in the water column.
16. Water Pollution 6
Introduction to Environmental Science 12:008/159:008Spring 2002
Oxygen• Dissolved Oxygen – DO
– Amount of oxygen available in the water.– Oxygen in water maintained by
• exchange with the atmosphere• Production of oxygen by photosynthetic organisms
(vegetation)• Circulation of water (essential to maintain oxygen
levels in deeper portions)– Oxygen consumed by decaying organic
matter and oxygen breathing organism.
BOD• Biochemical Oxygen Demand
–Measure of the amount of oxygen required for the aerobic degradation of organic and non-organic compounds in the water.
–Highly polluted waters have very high BOD implying that oxygen is consumed rapidly.
Note: this diagram is specifically for a point source on a stream
Nutrients• Supplied by
–Recycled internally through decay of the organic matter.
–Sediments and particulate matter from land sources.
Oligotrophic Condition• Under normal conditions (pre-
anthropogenic perturbation) most surface water are:
1. low in nutrients (particularly phosphorous and nitrogen)
2. well oxygenated3. have few particulates in the
water column
16. Water Pollution 7
Introduction to Environmental Science 12:008/159:008Spring 2002
Pollution Effects• Excess suspended sediments and
particulate matter, and nutrient rich runoff (rich in phosphorous and nitrogen) upset balance of surface water.
• Suspended sediments and particulate matter cutoff light to benthic photosynthetic plants and diminish oxygen production at depth.
Pollution Effects• Excess nutrients in runoff and
incoming water stimulates high production of plankton. Turbidity of water increases further decreasing light penetration. Benthic plants die and epiphytic algae are the only bottom plant.
• Plankton productivity results in excess accumulation of organic matter at the bottom.
Pollution Effects• Oxygen is not replenished and
oxygen breathing organism die off.• Excess organic matter in the bottom
causes bacteria population to increase further limiting oxygen availability.
• Water is only capable of sustaining phytoplankton/algae, bacteria and few organism which do not require oxygen or light.
Eutrophic Condition• Caused by the excess nutrient and
sediments (sequence of event outlined in prior slides).
• Major cause is the use of fertilizers, excess erosion from farmland or nutrient rich soils (deforestation), and disposal of phosphate bearing compounds (many detergents) through sewer systems.
16. Water Pollution 8
Introduction to Environmental Science 12:008/159:008Spring 2002
Chemical impact
Ecological impact
Indirect effect
Direct effect
Pollutant
DO fallsBOD rises
Kills benthic plants and algae decays
Blocks light to the bottom
Causes algae to bloom
Nutrients
DO fallsBOD rises
Less photosynthesis and more decay of organic material
Kills benthic plants
Blocks light to the bottom
Sediment
Eutrophication in a nutshellReducing Eutrophication
• Reduce nutrients and sediments
• Chemical Treatment• Aeration• Harvesting plants• Dredging
Sediment Pollution• Sediment carried at bottom of rivers
(bedload) and deposited in bottom of water bodies greatly modify bottom characteristics.
• High bedloads or high sedimentation rates prevent a diverse bottom dwelling fauna and flora.
• Sediment pollution is the major environmental problem in rivers and lakes.
Aggradation
16. Water Pollution 9
Introduction to Environmental Science 12:008/159:008Spring 2002
Acid Mine Drainage
01 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14
Batteryacid
Lemonjuice
VinegarCola
Normalrain
Distilledwater
Bakingsoda
Ammonia
Bleach
Largest variety of animals (trout, mayfly nymphs,Stonefly nymphs, caddisfly larvae)
Snails, clams, mussels
Bass, bluegill, crappie
Carp, suckers, catfish, some instects
Bacteria
pH tolerance ofvarious organisms
Yellowboy Artificial wetland construction
16. Water Pollution 10
Introduction to Environmental Science 12:008/159:008Spring 2002
Water Color• Clear may or may not be of high quality, but other
colors may indicate certain conditions• Brown usually due to eroded soil• Green often indicates lots of algae• Oily Sheen can be caused by petroleum or chemical
pollution• Reddish or orange usually due to iron oxides often in
areas of historic acid mine drainage• Blackish may look bad, but is common in the fall with
leaf fall. Leached pigments from leaf packs can make the water look murky
• Chalky usually caused by salts or detergents in the water
Ocean pollutants• Toxins
–PCB’s and heavy metals–Petroleum
• Sewage• Solid waste• Sediment
16. Water Pollution 12
Introduction to Environmental Science 12:008/159:008Spring 2002
Groundwater pollutant types
• Aqueous dissolved pollutants
• DNAPL– Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid
• LNAPL – Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid
Environmental Legislation
• Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA)- 1965. Regulate municipal waste, protect health, reduce waste.
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Creates NEQ council, and later EPA
• Ports and Waterways Safety Act. (1972)• Clean Water Act (1985 Amendment to
SDWA).
16. Water Pollution 13
Introduction to Environmental Science 12:008/159:008Spring 2002
Environmental Legislation
• Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) - 1970. Protection of health and safety of employees in the workplace.
• Clean Air Act (CAA) - 1963 (amended in 70, 77, 90).
• Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) -1974, amended in 1986. Sets MCL’s (Maximum Contaminant Level)
Environmental Legislation
• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) - 1980. Superfund.
• Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) - 1986.