Read: Case Study: Americas First River: A Success Story Summarize the story of the Hudson River and

PCBs: PCB causes liver cancer there are over 100 tons of it in the Hudson River. PCBs can be get rid of by a natural process of by dredging areas with PCB. In 2001 they started dredging and they say it will be done in 2015. 1: How is water pollution defined? Water pollution refers to degradation of water quality. 2: What are some of the common water pollutants? Common sources of water pollution is heavy metals, sediment, radioactive isotopes, heat and fecal coliform. 3: What is the primary water pollution problem in the world today? The primary water pollution problem in the world today is lack of clean, disease-free drinking water. 4: How many people are exposed to waterborne diseases worldwide? Several billion people are exposed to waterborne diseases worldwide every year.

5: Name 3 sources of Surface Water and 3 sources of Groundwater Pollution from the chart (19.1) Surface water- urban runoff, accidental spill of oil and sediment Groundwater- Leak from waste disposal sites, seepage from agricultural activities and seepage from accidental spills. A Closer Look 19.1: What is the Value of Clean Water to New York City? What is the main idea of this story? The main idea of the story is that people must not undervalue the power of natural ecosystems to give us a variety of important services such as improved water and air quality. 1: What is BOD and what are some sources of it? BOD is biological oxygen demand. Sources of BOD is dead organic matter, pathogens, drugs, organic chemicals and nutrients. 2: Where does approximately 33% of all BOD in streams come from? 33% of all BOD in streams results from agricultural activities. 3: What about in urban areas (BOD)? Urban areas considerably increase the BOD in streams. 4: What is the relationship between BOD and dissolved oxygen levels? (What happens when BOD is high?) When BOD is very high, dissolved oxygen levels of the water may become too low to support life in water.

5: Explain the 3 zones of BOD: * Pollution Zone: High BOD in this zone. When waste decomposes, microorganisms use the oxygen, decreasing dissolved oxygen. * Active Decomposition Zone: Dissolved oxygen reaches a minimum owing to rapid decomposition by microorganisms. * Recovery Zone: Dissolved oxygen increases and BOD is reduced because oxygen demanding organic waste has decomposed and natural stream processes are replenishing water's dissolved oxygen 1: What is Fecal Coliform Bacteria and where does it come from? Fecal Coliform Bacteria is a standard measure and indicator of disease potential. It comes from the fecal material of mammals or birds present. 1: How do urban streams get high concentrations of Nitrogen and Phosphorus? Urban streams get high concentrations of Nitrogen and Phosphorus because of fertilizers, detergents, and products of sewage treatment plants. 1: Define Eutrophication: Is the process by which a body of water develops a high concentration of nutrients like nitrogen or phosphorus. 2: What is the solution to artificial or cultural eutrophication? The solution to artificial or cultural eutrophication involves ensuring that high concentrations of nutrients from human sources don't enter lakes and other bodies of water by using phosphate-free detergents and controlling nitrogen-rich runoff. A Closer Look 19.2: Cultural Eutrophication in the Gulf of Mexico What is a dead zone and how is it created? A dead zone is a place where there is now concentration of dissolved oxygen. Most marine life would die at this zone. It is created because of cultural eutrophication. Algae bloom and their decomposition depletes the oxygen in the water. 1: Which Environmental Act was created after the Exxon Valdez disaster? After the Exxon Valdez disaster, the Oil Pollution Act was created. 1: Why is sediment pollution considered to be a two-fold problem? Sediment pollution results from erosion, which depletes a land resource and it reduces the quality of the water resource it enters. 2: What are some of the techniques employed by a sediment control program? Techniques employed by a sediment control programs is to minimize on-site erosion control. 1: Define Acid Mine Drainage and explain how it occurs: Acid Mine Drainage is water with a high concentration of Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4) it occurs when fool's gold

(FeS2) is disseminated in rock and coal and comes into contact with oxygen and water. It weathers and the product is sulfuric acid. 2: What is the general equation for acid mine drainage? 4 Pyrite + 15Oxygen + 14Water= 4 Ferric Hydroxide (Fe (OH)3) + 8 sulfuric acid 3: What site was once designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the nations worst hazardous waste site? Tar Creek in Oklahoma was once designated by the EPA as nation's worst hazardous waste site. 1: What are some point sources of surface water pollution? Point sources of surface water pollution are pipes from industrial and municipal sites that empty into streams or rivers. 2: What are some non-point sources of surface water pollution? Non-point sources of surface water pollution are runoff from streets or fields. 3: What are the 2 approaches to dealing with surface water pollution? 2 approaches to dealing with surface-water pollution are to reduce sources and to treat the water to remove pollutants or convert them to forms that can be disposed of safely. 1: 75% of the 175,000 known waste disposal sites in the United States may be producing plumes of hazardous chemicals that are migrating into groundwater resources. 2: What is bioremediation? Bioremediation is a technique of waste management using microorganisms underground. 3: What are the 5 important points about groundwater pollution? 5 important points about groundwater pollution are that pollutants are lighter than water, so they float Pollutants have multiple phases: liquid, vapor and dissolved Pollutants are heavier than water and sink to the ground Method used to treat water pollutant must take into account the physical and chemical properties of the pollutants Emphasis of environmental damage should be on preventing pollutants from entering the groundwater in the first place 4: What is saltwater intrusion of well water? Saltwater intrusion is where subsurface salty water migrates to wells being pumped. 1: Summarize how Septic Tank Sewage Disposal Systems work. Sewer line from house leads to underground septic tank. The tank separates solids from liquids and store organic matter through a period of detention. It allows all clean water to discharge into the drain field from a piping system where sewage seeps into the surrounding soil. Wastewater moves through

soil, is further treated by natural processes of oxidation and filtering. 2: What happens during primary treatment of sewage? In primary treatment, sewage enters municipal sewer line and passes through a series of screens to remove large floating organic material. It enters a girt chamber and goes through a primary sedimentation tank where matter forms sludge. It is removed and transported to a digester. 3: What happens during secondary treatment of sewage? Wastewater from primary sedimentation tanks enters aeration tank, where it is mixed with air. The sludge consumes BOD in the waste. 4: When is advanced wastewater treatment used? It is used when Primary and Secondary treatment do not remove all of the pollutants. 5: What are some of the risks associated with Chlorine treatment of wastewater that is later discharged? There are risks of cancer and other health effects. The degree of risk is controversial and is being debated. 1: Explain the process of wastewater renovation and conservation cycle. Wastewater renovation is when wastewater moves through gardens which is eventually discharged into the environment. 1: How can applying treated sewage to wetlands be helpful to the wetland ecosystem? Wetlands can be effective in treating municipal wastewater, stormwater runoff, industrial wastewater, agricultural wastwater, mining waters and groundwater seeping from landfills. 1: What is the difference between indirect and direct water reuse? Indirect water reuse is when treated wastewater has been applied to numerous sites to recharge groundwater and then reused for agricultural and municipal purposes. Direct water reuse is when wastewater is piped directly from a treatment plant to the next user. Environmental Laws Make sure to memorize the following laws: Clean Water Act Federal Safe Drinking Water Act Water Quality Act How safe do you believe the drinking water is in your home? How did you reach your conclusion? Are you worried about low-level contamination by toxins in your water? What could the sources of contamination be? I think the drinking water in my home is safe, because we've been drinking it for a long time and nothing bad has happened from it. I am a little worried about the contamination by toxins in my water, sources of contamination could be from fecal coliform and piping (lead). 1: Why was pig farming such a controversy in North Carolina during this time? Pig farming was such a controversy because after the flood, the carcasses rot and the bacteria would

leak into groundwater and surface water. 2: What did pig farmers do with the pig waste? Why was this allowed? Pig farmers put the pig waste in a pit, it was allowed because there wasn't enough incinerators to burn carcasses. 3: What is the lesson learned from North Carolinas Bay of Pigs? We are vulnerable to environmental catastrophes caused by large-scale industrial culture. 4: What legislation has been created as a result of this catastrophe? The legislation created was to ban construction or expansion of new waste lagoons and encouraged pig farms to treat pig waste. 1: Do you think outbreaks of waterborne diseases will be more common or less common in the future? Why? Where are outbreaks most likely to occur? I think outbreaks of waterborne diseases would be less common, because there would be better technology in the future to treat the water. Outbreaks are most likely to occur in third-world countries that won't have this new technology. 2: How does water that drains from coal mines become contaminated with sulfuric acid? Why is this an important environmental problem? When water runs through mines, it creates sulfuric acid. It is an important environmental problem because it it causes damage to biological productivity, ecological damage and fish and aquatic life may day. 3: Do you think our water supply is vulnerable to terrorist attacks? Why? Why not? How could potential threats be minimized? Yes, because water is something that is used by everyone in the United States, so if terrorists aim for water, it can harm all of America. Potential threats could be minimized if we filter out all the bacteria and the pollutants and toxins. 4: How would you design a system to capture runoff where you live before it enters a storm drain? I would use a system that filters out the heavy metals, pollutants and toxins. After, I would use the grit chamber to get rid of sediment, sand and small stones. I would also use chlorine to get rid of the pathogens that are responsible for outbreaks. After, I would have plants that would get rid of the rest of the bacteria and pollutants.