Water Pollution

• Degradation of water quality

• Water is considered polluted when it is rendered unsuitable for

a specific purpose

• Access to safe drinking water is the world’s major water

pollution issue

• The quality of water desired depends on its potential use

• The EPA has set limits for concentrations of certain pollutants

in water

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 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Signs of water pollution?
– Bad tasting drinking water
– Masses of aquatic weeds
– Disgusting odors
– Decreasing fish populations
– Floating oil and raw sewage
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Classification of water pollutants
– Oxygen-demanding wastes (ODW)
– Pathogenic organisms
– Plant nutrients
– Synthetic organic compounds (SOCs)
– Oil
– Sediments
– Heat
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Oxygen-Demanding Wastes (ODW)
– Dissolved Oxygen
• Aquatic organisms require oxygen for cellular
respiration
• Dissolved oxygen (DO) is often a limiting factor for
survival of aquatic organisms
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• ODW
– Dissolved Oxygen
• Factors that control DO levels:
– Water temperature
– Elevation above sea level
– Degree of turbulence
– Stream channel geometry
– Density of aquatic plants
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• ODW
– Dissolved Oxygen
• Water Temperature
– DO decreases with increasing water temperature

• Elevation Above Sea Level

– DO decreases with increasing elevation
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants

• ODW
– Dissolved Oxygen
• Turbulence
– DO increases with increasing turbulence caused by
waterfalls, rapids, etc

• Stream Channel Geometry

– Wide, shallow channel has greater DO than narrow, deep
channel
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• ODW
– Organic substances that cause depletion or
removal of DO
– Food source for aquatic bacteria
– DO is removed as bacteria feed on ODW
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• ODW
– Sources of ODW
• Sewage
• Paper mills
• Food processing
• Slaughterhouses
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• ODW
– Biochemical Oxygen Demand - the amount of
dissolved oxygen that bacteria require to
decompose ODW in a given volume of water
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• ODW
– Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
• Measurement
– 5-day test
– Incubation at 20 degrees C
– BOD = DO (day 0) - DO (day 5)
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• ODW
– Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
• Characteristic BOD Levels
– Untreated Sewage 100-400 mg/L
– Feedlots 100-10,000 mg/L
– Pure Water 1 mg/L
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• ODW
– Environmental Impacts of low DO
• Disappearance of plant and animal life
• Shift from aerobic to anaerobic conditions
• “Oxygen Sag”
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Pathogenic Organisms
– Types of pathogens:
• Viruses
• Bacteria
• Protozoa (unicellular)
• Parasitic worms
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Pathogenic Organisms
– Diseases caused by water-borne pathogens:
• Amoebic Dysentery
• Bacterial Dysentery
• Typhoid fever
• Cholera
• Hepatitis
• Schistosomiasis
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Plant Nutrients
– Plants require 15-20 nutrients for growth:
• Carbon
• Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Sulfur
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Plant Nutrients
– Nitrogen and phosphorus are limiting nutrients for
plant growth

– Eutrophication - the natural enrichment of water

with plant nutrients
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Plant Nutrients
– Eutrophic Ecosystem - ecosystems that are relatively
high in fertility and biological productivity

– Oligotrophic Ecosystem - ecosystems that are

relatively low in fertility and biological productivity
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Plant Nutrients
– Cultural Eutrophication - accelerated
eutrophication caused by human activities
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Plant Nutrients
– Signs and effects of cultural eutrophication:
• Dense growth of rooted plants
• Increased growth of blue-green algae
• Increased populations of trash fish
• Foamy layers on surface of water
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Plant Nutrients
– Sources of nutrients responsible for cultural
eutrophication:
• Domestic Sewage
• Urban Runoff
• Industrial Sources
• Agricultural Sources
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Plant Nutrients
– Management practices to minimize cultural
eutrophication:
• Two types of water pollution sources in a watershed:
– Point Source
– Non-Point Source Pollution
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Plant Nutrients
– Management practices to minimize cultural
eutrophication:
• Nutrient management
– Determine point and nonpoint sources of nutrients and the size of
each source
– On-site treatment of nutrients
– Rate and timing of nutrient application
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Synthetic Organic Compounds (SOCs)
– Examples:
• Fuels
• Plastics
• Pesticides
• Fertilizers
• Food additives
• Pharmaceuticals
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Synthetic Organic Compounds (SOCs)
– Pesticides
• Environmental Impacts
– Bioaccumulation
– Interference with reproduction
– Birth Defects
– Reduced biodiversity and productivity
– Tumors and convulsions
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Synthetic Organic Compounds (SOCs)
– Oil (Hydrocarbons)
• Sources
– Impervious surfaces
– Oil leaks
– Auto emissions
– Improper disposal of waste oil
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Synthetic Organic Compounds (SOCs)
– Oil (Hydrocarbons)
• Environmental Impacts
– Degrade appearance of water surfaces
– Limit air exchange between atmosphere and water
– Lowered DO levels
– Increased BOD
– Impair habitat
– Reduced biodiversity
– Death
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Sediment
– Most common of the nonpoint source pollutants

– Sediment load in waterways increases with

increasing urbanization and landuse intensity
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Sediment
– Factors controlling sediment loss:
• Chemical and physical characteristics of the soil
• Slope steepness
• Type and density of vegetation cover
• Rainfall
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Sediment
– Environmental Impacts
• Filling of channels and harbors with sediment
• Decreased biodiversity of aquatic animals
• Increased turbidity
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Heat (Thermal Pollution)
– Sources
• Cooling water in industrial processes
• Natural heating by sunlight
– Environmental Impacts
• Decreased DO
• Increased rates of chemical reactions
• False temperature cues to aquatic life
• Death to aquatic organisms
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Heat (Thermal Pollution)
– Environmental Impacts
• Decreased DO
– “Thermal Blanket”
» Warm water is less dense than cold water
» Warm layer forms “blanket” over cooler, more dense water
» Warm water cannot dissolve as much atmospheric oxygen as
cooler water
» Rate of exchange of oxygen between warm water and cooler water
is very slow
» Cooler water is “atmospherically unreplenished”
» Death to aquatic organisms
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Heat (Thermal Pollution)
– Environmental Impacts
• Increased rates of chemical reactions
– The rate of any chemical reactions approximately doubles with
every 10C increase in temperature
– In thermally polluted waters, fish require more DO because of
increased respiration rates
– Increased respiration occurs in response to higher water
temperature
 Water Quality - Classification of
Water Pollutants
• Heat (Thermal Pollution)
– Environmental Impacts
• False temperature cues given to aquatic life
– Fish spawn and migrate in response to temperature cues
– Optimum temperature range for fish species
Disease-Causing Agents

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 BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN
DEMAND (BOD)
• The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is the amount of oxygen required
for the bacterial decomposition of organic matter in water.

• Natural sources, agricultural runoff, and human sewage contribute to the

BOD of bodies of water.

• An excessive BOD causes water’s dissolved oxygen content to fall below the
level needed to support the entire biological community.

• A sudden discharge of organic matter, such as raw sewage, into a waterway

produces three zones: a pollution zone, an active decomposition zone, and a
recovery zone.

• Streams are naturally able to degrade organic waste; however, when this
capacity is exceeded, the stream’s recovery may be delayed and many
organisms destroyed. 38
Fig 21.3 Relationship between dissolved
oxygen and biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD) for a stream following the input of
sewage.

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 WATERBORNE DISEASE
• The global availability of clean drinking water is the
primary water pollution problem today

• Many serious human diseases and epidemics are

caused by waterborne pathogens.

• A. OUTBREAK IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

– As the Cryptosporidium epidemic illustrates, modern water
treatment facilities cannot guarantee pathogen-free water
supplies.
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 WATERBORNE DISEASE
B. FECAL COLIFORM BACTERIA
• A fecal coliform bacteria count is the standard measure of
microbial pollution and disease potential in a source of
drinking water.

• Though not themselves pathogenic, the presence of fecal

coliform bacteria indicates that water is contaminated with
human and/or animal waste that may carry pathogens.

C. OUTBREAK IN WALKERTON, ONTARIO

• This episode reminds us that vigilant testing of water supplies
is necessary to protect public health.
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 NUTRIENTS
• Excessive levels of nutrients, particularly
nitrogen and phosphorus, can lead to serious
water pollution problems such as
eutrophication.

A. MEDICAL LAKE: AN EXAMPLE

• While not directly harmful to aquatic life,
excess nutrients can severely disrupt and
damage an aquatic ecosystem
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 NUTRIENTS
B. EUTROPHICATION
• Eutrophication is the process by which excess
nutrients stimulate the growth of aquatic
plants, which then decompose; this bacterial
decomposition raises the BOD and may lead to
a die-off of many aquatic species.

• Eutrophication may be a natural process or

cultural in origin.
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Fig 21.7 The
eutrophication of
a lake.

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© 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers
 Oil
• Oil enters the ocean from tanker and offshore
drilling accidents, normal shipping activities, and
land runoff.

A. EXXON VALDEZ: PRINCE WILLIAM

SOUND, ALASKA
• Most of the components of crude oil are
biodegradable, so although the acute effects of spills
can be disastrous, it is not certain what long-term
threats to ecosystems they may pose.
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 ACID MINE DRAINAGE
• Acid mine drainage is water, high in sulfuric
acid, draining from coal and metal mines into
waterways.

• Acid drainage runoff can pollute both surface

and underground water systems.

• In some areas of the U.S., acid mine drainage

is the most serious water pollution problem..
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 SURFACE-WATER
POLLUTION
• Surface waters become polluted when their capacity
to dilute, remove, or convert a harmful substance to
tolerable levels is exceeded.

• Point sources of water pollutants are distinct, discrete

outlets such as pipes or wells.

• Nonpoint sources of pollution are diffuse and

intermittent and may be influenced by a variety of
natural and human land-use factors; these sources
include urban runoff, agriculture, mining, and
forestry.
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 SURFACE-WATER
POLLUTION
• Because of their diffuse nature, nonpoint sources are
generally more difficult to monitor and control than
are point sources.

• Water pollution can be addressed by source

reduction or treating polluted water to remove or
convert pollutants.

• Running water such as in rivers and streams

generally responds more quickly and completely to
cleanup efforts than does still water such as in lakes
and ponds.
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 GROUNDWATER POLLUTION

• Groundwater, a vital source of drinking water in the

U.S., can be contaminated by any number of toxins as
a result of land-use and waste disposal practices.

• Bacterial breakdown of pollutants does not generally

occur in the anaerobic environment of groundwater.

• Because groundwater (versus surface water) moves

slowly, pollutants that reach it may remain
concentrated for long periods. 49
 GROUNDWATER POLLUTION

• A. PRINCIPLES OF GROUNDWATER
POLLUTION: AN EXAMPLE
• The cleanup of groundwater contaminated by leaking
underground storage tanks illustrates the complexity
of remediation efforts.

• B. LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK

• Saltwater intrusion and aquifer pollution from urban
runoff and landfill leachate threaten the water
supplies of many urban and coastal areas. 50
 WASTEWATER TREATMENT

• By law, wastewater must be treated to meet federal

standards before discharge into waterways.

A SEPTIC-TANK DISPOSAL SYSTEMS

• In many rural areas, individual residences discharge

sewage directly to in-ground septic systems, where
microbial digestion of solid and liquid nutrients occurs;
treated wastewater is then fed into a drain field which
slowly releases the water to the soil.

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