Water Pollution

1. Water Pollution By: Isabella Iacona, Micaiah Battle, and Rebecca Freedman

2. What is the problem? • If the the pollution is coming from just one source: single source pollution • Many sources: non-point pollution • 7 types of water pollution: surface water pollution, oxygen depleting pollution, ground water pollution, nutrient pollution, microbiological pollution, suspended matter pollution, and chemical pollution

3. Surface Water Pollution • Found on the exterior of the earth’s crust, surface waters are natural resources on earth: • Lakes • Oceans • Rivers • When these waters become polluted, it becomes surface water pollution

4. Oxygen Depleting • Microorganisms in the water eat biodegradable substances • Too much biodegradable material added to the water, amount of microorganisms increase, using up all the oxygen • When oxygen levels are lowered, aerobic microorganisms die and anaerobic microorganisms’ population increases • They are harmful to people, animals, and the environment, due to harmful toxins they produce

5. Ground Water Pollution • A large amount of earth’s water is found in aquifers under ground • To get access to these aquifers, you have to build wells • It becomes ground water pollution when this water becomes polluted • Caused by pesticide contamination from soil, causes health problems by infecting drinking water

6. Nutrient Pollution • Nutrients are essential for development and plant growth • Many are found in fertilizers and wastewater, causing excessive algae and weed growth • This can: • Clog filters • Contaminate drinking water • Algae uses up the oxygen, leaving none for the other marine life

7. Microbiological Pollution • Natural form of water pollution caused by microorganisms • Usually only affect health of people in poorer countries, due to the lack of treatment of water • Microorganisms in water cause animals, fish, and humans to become ill • Microorganisms include: • Bacteria • Viruses • Protozoa

8. Suspended Matter Pollution • Some pollutants can’t dissolve in water and are too big to mix between the water molecules • Suspended particles settle at bottom. Harmful to marine life that lives on the floor of lakes and/or rivers • Biodegradable substances increase the amount of anaerobic microorganisms, which decreases oxygen • Toxic chemicals suspended in water can effect the development and survival of marine life

9. Chemical Pollution • Solvents and metals from industrial work are poisonous to aquatic life and slow development and cause infertility mainly in rivers and lakes • Pesticides from farms run-off into the water and poison aquatic life. Birds, humans, and other animals can be effected if they eat infected fish • Petroleum comes from oil spills and can cause the death of many fish. They also stick to feathers of seabirds, causing them to lose the ability to fly

10. What is causing it? • There are 8 main causes of water pollution: • Sewage and wastewater • Marine dumping • Industrial waste • Radioactive waste • Oil pollution • Underground storage leakages • Atmospheric deposition • Global warming • Eutrophication

11. Sewage and wastewater • Water that contains feces, urine, and laundry waste • Sewage contaminates the environment and causes disease • Sewage is carried away from the home and put through sewage pipes • It is then treated and the waste is put into the sea

12. Marine dumping • Litter takes large amounts of times to degrade • Quick Facts: • Newspaper: 6 weeks to degrade • Styrofoam: 80 years to degrade • Plastic packing: 400 years to degrade • Glass takes so long to degrade that scientists are still unknown about how long it takes

13. Industrial waste • Many industrial facilities use fresh water to take away the waste, putting it in rivers, lakes, and oceans • Pollutants include: • Lead • Mercury • Oils • Phosphates

14. Radioactive waster • Produced from scientific, medical, and industrial processes • Nuclear-fuel reprocessing plants in northern Europe have the biggest source of man-made nuclear waste

15. Oil pollution • Oceans are polluted by oil almost everyday • Oil spills make up 12% or oil in the ocean • Oil spills are usually localized, and are terrible for the surrounding marine life • Oil cannot dissolve in water and forms thick sludge

16. Underground storage leaks • Often, a tank underground hold petroleum and is harmful to the environment that surrounds it • Overtime, the steel corrodes and causes leaks

17. Global warming • The death of aquatic life is due to the increase in temperature • Coral bleaching is caused by a rise in water temperature • Creates damage to the reef, which is what much of the aquatic life depends on

18. Eutrophication • When the environment becomes rich with nutrients, becomes eutrophication • Causes algal blooms in lakes

19. Atmospheric Deposition • Pollution of water caused by air pollution • Example: Acid Rain

20. How do human interferences connect? • “"Acid rain" is a broad term referring to a mixture of wet and dry deposition (deposited material) from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. The precursors, or chemical forerunners, of acid rain formation result from both natural sources, such as volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and man-made sources, primarily emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides resulting from fossil fuel combustion” (“What Is Acid Rain?”)

21. Acid rain continued • So basically, acid rain happens due to the emissions from cars. • These gases react in the atmosphere with oxygen, water, and other chemicals. • It results in sulfur acid and nitric acid, which is carried by the wind, occasionally blowing hundreds of miles

22. Dangers of water pollution • Harmful to health of animals and humans • It disrupts the food chain by poisoning marine life that humans and animals consume • It harms our water supply, which we need to live and plants need to survive

23. Water pollution in China • Many rivers that are needed for water and fishing are constantly contaminated by nearby factories and dumping by locals • “This March, more than 2,000 dead pigs were found floating in a Shanghai river, a main water source for the city's 23 million residents.” • “Polluted water sources have been linked to a rise in "cancer villages," or areas where cancer rates are high among people who live along tainted waterways.”

24. Pictures of China

25. What if it continues? • If water pollution continues, many species could be wiped out • The chemicals could kill many of the aquatic marine life • A vital food source would also be lost due to the large amount of fish deaths • Many animals would lose their source of food and water

26. The water cycle • The most obvious cycle that would be effected is the water cycle • If the water cycle starts out with polluted water in rivers, lakes, and oceans, those chemicals could circulate throughout the earth • They could eventually get into the water we drink and get us sick

27. Ways you can help • Turn off your water. This reduces the amount of water that needs treatment • Don’t throw litter and oils down the drain • Don’t overuse pesticides and fertilizers because it will cause run-offs • And obviously, don’t throw littler into rivers, lakes, and oceans

28. Websites • "What Is Acid Rain?" EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 01 June 2013. • "Water Pollution." Water Pollution. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 June 2013. • "If You Think China's Air Is Bad, You Should See The Water." Business Insider. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 June 2013. • "Ocean Waves Wallpaper - HD Wallpaper." Ocean Waves Wallpaper. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 June 2013.