Water Pollution
point source
non-point source
Point versus non-point
point source pollution
discharge from factories, sewage treatment
plants, mines, power plants
easy to identify, monitor, regulate
we have done a good job controlling, and has
resulted in much improved water quality
(National Pollution Discharge Elimination
System, NPDES)
non-point source
agricultural runoff, storm-water, atmospheric
deposition
broadly scattered, difficult to regulate and
control
Water Pollutants
organic wastes
pathogens
chemical pollutants (metals,
mercury)/ oil
sediments
nutrients
hormone disruptors and drugs
Organic Wastes
known as oxygen demanding wastes
most are biodegradable, but dissolved
O2 used up
measure as BOD, biochemical oxygen
demand (typically 5 day)
raw sewage, paper mill discharge,
food waste, dead animals
Dissolved oxygen versus
temperature
Biochemical Oxygen Demand
amount of oxygen required for
biochemical decomposition process
microbial decomposition
depletes stream O2 concentrations
three zones
pollution zone
active decomposition zone
recovery zone
Organic Waste Added to Stream
Pathogens
outbreaks of waterborne diseases
Milwaukee, WI
Cryptosporidium in 1993, (400,000 people)
Fecal Coliform bacteria (E. coli)
standard measure, indicates fecal material is
present
these bacteria usually harmless
Walkerton, ON example of where cow
manure got into drinking water (5 died, many
more sick)
Sediments
still a major problem despite 75 years of
programs
important water quality problem in Illinois
bare soil and intense rainfall leads to
erosion, and sediments entering streams
smothers organisms
adds oxygen demand
leads to poor aquatic habitats
turbidity
Embarras River - Camargo
Nutrients
eutrophication
enrichment of aquatic system nutrients
leading to growth of plant and
phytoplankton (algal blooms, periphyton,
blue-green algae)
cultural eutrophication
when eutrophication is accelerated by
human processes that add nutrients to a
body of water
Lake
Eutrophication
US EPA TMDLs
EPA want states to address non-point
source pollution
total maximum daily loads - largest amount
of a nutrient a stream can receive without
causing degradation
focused on nitrogen and phosphorus
P usually limiting nutrient to algal growth in
freshwaters
most degradation in US now thought to be
nutrients from agriculture
Nutrient Standards
all states being required to develop, including
Illinois
must show that nutrients cause problems for
aquatic life
in Illinois concentration high nearly everywhere
habitat problems (sediments)
how to demonstrate?
sewage treatment plants versus agriculture
Copper Slough
Sangamon River Fisher
North Fork Salt Creek
Big Ditch Outlet
Jordan Creek
North Fork Vermilion
Common Substrate Study
Phosphorus in detergents
used to be present in all detergents
many states banned in 1970s to 1980s
in hand dish detergent, laundry detergents
still no nationwide ban, but not in any. Why?
was still present in ADDs until July 2010
automatic dishwasher detergents
16 states banned phosphate recently in ADDs
were 3 to 8% P, now < 0.5%
Hormone Disruptors and Drugs
estrogens
phthalates (plasticizers)
Endocrine disruptors?
caffeine to ibuprofen
typically from sewage effluent
now at low concentrations in most
large rivers
long-term exposure effects?
From Kolpin et al.
(2002)
Environmental
Science &
Technology
36:1202-1211
Cited >3100 times
already
Groundwater Pollution
often long-term problem
chemicals/pollutants can
accumulate/move over many years,
difficult to remove
bioremediation one approach
utilizes microorganisms in the ground to
consume or break down pollutants
Water Pollution Today
much better than before Clean Water
Act of 1972
still problems with nutrients and many
new chemicals
easy problems fixed (point sources),
non-point more difficult
sewage treatment has helped
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