Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future Richard T. Wright

1. Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future Richard T. Wright Water Pollution and Its Prevention PPT by Clark E. Adams

2. Water Pollution and Its Prevention Water pollution Eutrophication Sewage management and treatment Public policy

3. Pollution Pollution: “the presence of a substance in the environment that because of its chemical composition or quantity prevents the functioning of natural processes and produces undesirable environmental and health effects.”

4. Water Pollution Pollution essentials Water pollution: sources, types, criteria

6. Pollution Categories Air Particulates Acid-forming compounds Photochemical smog CO2 CFCs

7. Pollution Categories Water and land Nutrient oversupply Solid wastes Toxic chemicals Pesticides/herbicides Nuclear waste

8. Water Pollution Source 

9. Water Pollution Types Pathogens Organic Wastes Chemical Sediments Nutrients

10. Pathogens Carried by Sewage Disease-causing agents (Table 17.1) Safety measures Purification of public water supply Sanitary collection/treatment of sewage Sanitary practices when processing food

12. Organic Wastes Dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water is depleted during decomposition of organic wastes. Water quality test Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD): measure of the amount of organic material.

13. Testing Water for Sewage

14. Chemical Pollutants Inorganic chemicals Heavy metals, acids, road salts Organic chemicals Petroleum, pesticides, detergents

15. Effect of Sediments on Stream Ecology Loss of hiding/resting places for small fish Attached aquatic organisms scoured from the rocks and sand Poor light penetration

17. Eutrophication Different kinds of aquatic plants The impact of nutrient enrichment Combating eutrophication

18. Different Kinds of Aquatic Plants Benthic plants Emergent vegetation Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV)

19. Different Kinds of Aquatic Plants Phytoplankton Green filamentous and single cell Blue-green single cell Diatoms single cell

21. The Impacts of Nutrient Enrichment Oligotrophic: nutrient-poor water Eutrophic: nutrient-rich water

23. Eutrophication As nutrients are added from pollution, an oligotrophic condition rapidly becomes eutrophic.

24. Eutrophic or Oligotrophic? High dissolved O2 Deep light penetration High phytoplankton

25. Eutrophic or Oligotrophic? Turbid waters High species diversity Good recreational qualities High detritus decomposition

26. Eutrophic or Oligotrophic? Low bacteria decomposition Benthic plants Warm water High nutrient concentration BOD High sediments

27. Natural and Cultural Eutrophication Natural eutrophication aquatic succession occurs over several hundreds of years Cultural eutrophication driven by human activities occurs rapidly

28. Combating Eutrophication Attack the symptoms Chemical treatment Aeration Harvesting aquatic weeds Drawing water down

29. Combating Eutrophication Getting at root cause Controlling point sources Controlling nonpoint sources

30. Controlling Point Sources Ban phosphate detergents Sewage-treatment improvements

31. Controlling Nonpoint Sources Difficult to address runoff pollutants Urban Agricultural fields Deforested woodlands Overgrazed pastures

32. Controlling Nonpoint Sources Best Management Practices (BMP): Table 17-2 Agriculture Construction Urban

33. Collecting Pond for Dairy-Barn Washings

34. Sewage Management and Treatment Development of sewage collection and treatment systems The pollutants in raw sewage Removing the pollutants from sewage Treatment of sludge Alternative treatment systems

35. Development of Sewage Collection and Treatment Systems Storm drains for collecting runoff from precipitation Sanitary sewers to receive all the wastewater from sinks, tubs, and toilets

36. Development of Sewage Collection and Treatment Systems Through the 1970s sewage was discharged directly into waterways Clean Water Act of 1972

37. Pollutants in Raw Sewage 99.9% water to 0.1% waste Pollutants in sewage are: Debris and grit Particulate organic material Colloidal and dissolved organic material Dissolved inorganic material

39. Removing Pollutants from Sewage: Match Technology with Function

40. Trickling Filters for Secondary Treatment

41. Trickling Filters for Secondary Treatment

42. Biological Nutrient Removal Activated sludge: 3 zones Conversion of NH4 to NO3 NO3 converted to N gas and released PO4 taken up by bacteria and released with excess sludge

44. Sludge Treatment Anaerobic digestion Composting Pasteurization

46. Alternative Treatment Systems Individual septic systems Wastewater effluent irrigation Reconstructed wetland systems Beaumont, TX The waterless toilet

47. Dewatering Treated Sludge

48. Aerobic digestion of solids in septic tank Flow of liquids into drain field for evaporation, infiltration, or irrigation Septic Tank Treatment

49. Public Policy What was the legislative milestone in protecting natural waters and water supplies for each of the acts listed in Table 17-3?

50. End of Chapter 17