Core Case Study: Using Nature to
Purify Sewage
Ecologicalwastewater
purification by aliving
machine.
Uses the sun and a series
of tanks containing plants,
snails, zooplankton,
crayfish, and fish (that can
be eaten or sold for bait).
Figure 21-1
WATER POLLUTION: SOURCES,
TYPES, AND EFFECTS
Water pollution is any chemical, biological, or
physical change in water quality that has a
harmful effect on living organisms or makes
water unsuitable for desired uses.
Point source : specific location (drain pipes,
ditches, sewer lines).
Nonpoint source : cannot be traced to a single site
of discharge (atmospheric deposition,
agricultural / industrial / residential runoff)
Table 21-2, p. 495
Major Water Pollutants
and Their Effects
A fecal coliform
bacteria test is used
to indicate the likely
presence of
disease-causing
bacteria in water.
Figure 21-2
Major Water Pollutants
and Their Effects
Waterquality and dissolved oxygen (DO)
content in parts per million (ppm) at 20°C.
Only a few fish species can survive in water less
than 4ppm at 20°C.
Figure 21-3
Water
DO (ppm) at 20°C
Quality
Good 8–9
Slightly
polluted
6.7–8
Moderately
polluted 4.5–6.7
Heavily
polluted Below 4.5
Gravely
polluted Below 4
Fig. 21-3, p. 496
POLLUTION OF FRESHWATER
STREAMS
Flowing streams can recover from a
moderate level of degradable water
pollutants if they are not overloaded and their
flows are not reduced.
In a flowing stream, the breakdown of degradable
wastes by bacteria depletes DO and creates and
oxygen sag curve .
• This reduces or eliminates populations of organisms
with high oxygen requirements.
Water Pollution Problems in Streams
Dilution
and decay of degradable, oxygen-
demanding wastes and heat in a stream.
Figure 21-4
POLLUTION OF FRESHWATER
STREAMS
Most developed countries have sharply
reduced point-source pollution but toxic
chemicals and pollution from nonpoint
sources are still a problem.
Stream pollution from discharges of
untreated sewage and industrial wastes is a
major problem in developing countries.
Global Outlook: Stream Pollution in
Developing Countries
Water in many of
central China's rivers
are greenish black
from uncontrolled
pollution by
thousands of
factories.
Figure 21-5
Case Study: India’s Ganges River:
Religion, Poverty, and Health
Religiousbeliefs, cultural traditions, poverty,
and a large population interact to cause
severe pollution of the Ganges River in India.
Very little of the sewage is treated.
Hindu believe in cremating the dead to free the
soul and throwing the ashes in the holy Ganges.
• Some are too poor to afford the wood to fully cremate.
• Decomposing bodies promote disease and depletes
DO.
Case Study: India’s Ganges River:
Religion, Poverty, and Health
Daily, more than 1
million Hindus in
India bathe, drink
from, or carry out
religious ceremonies
in the highly polluted
Ganges River.
Figure 21-6
POLLUTION OF
FRESHWATER LAKES
Dilutionof pollutants in lakes is less effective
than in most streams because most lake
water is not mixed well and has little flow.
Lakes and reservoirs are often stratified and
undergo little mixing.
Low flow makes them susceptible to runoff.
Varioushuman activities can overload lakes
with plant nutrients, which decrease DO and
kill some aquatic species.
Cultural Eutrophication
Eutrophication : the natural nutrient
enrichment of a shallow lake, estuary or slow
moving stream, mostly from runoff of plant
nutrients from the surrounding land.
Cultural eutrophication : human activities
accelerate the input of plant nutrients (mostly
nitrate- and phosphate-containing effluents)
to a lake.
85% of large lakes near major population centers
in the U.S. have some degree of cultural
eutrophication.
POLLUTION OF GROUNDWATER
Groundwater can become contaminated with
a variety of chemicals because it cannot
effectively cleanse itself and dilute and
disperse pollutants.
The drinking water for about half of the U.S.
population and 95% of those in rural areas comes
from groundwater.
Polluted air
Pesticides
and fertilizers
Hazardous
waste
injection
Deicing well
Coal strip road salt Buried gasoline
mine runoff and solvent tanks
Pumping Gasoline station Cesspool,
well septic tank
Water
Waste lagoon pumping well Sewer
Landfill Leakage
from
Accidental faulty
casing
spills
u i fer Discharge
ter aq
sh wa Confined
d fre u i fer
n fi ne er aq aquifer
o t
Unc sh wa Groundwater
d fre flow
n fi ne
Co
Fig. 21-7, p. 501
POLLUTION OF GROUNDWATER
It cantake hundreds to thousand of years for
contaminated groundwater to cleanse itself
degradable wastes .
of
Nondegradable wastes (toxic lead, arsenic,
flouride) are there permanently.
Slowly degradable wastes (such as DDT) are
there for decades.
POLLUTION OF GROUNDWATER
Leaks from a number of sources have
contaminated groundwater in parts of the
world.
According the the EPA, one or more organic
chemicals contaminate about 45% of municipal
groundwater supplies.
By 2003, the EPA had completed the cleanup of
297,000 of 436,000 underground tanks leaking
gasoline, diesel fuel, home heating oil, or toxic
solvents.
Case Study: Arsenic in Groundwater -
a Natural Threat
Toxic Arsenic (As ) can naturally occur at high
levels in soil and rocks.
Drilling into aquifers can releaseAs into
drinking water supplies.
According to WHO, more than 112 million
people are drinking water withAs levels
5-100 times the 10 ppb standard.
Mostly in Bangladesh, China, and West Bengal,
India.
Solutions
Groundwater Pollution
Prevention Cleanup
Find substitutes for toxic Pump to surface,
chemicals clean, and return
to aquifer (very
Keep toxic expensive)
chemicals out of
the environment
Inject
Install monitoring microorganisms
wells near landfills and to clean up
underground tanks contamination (less
expensive but still
Require leak detectors costly)
on underground tanks
Pump
Ban hazardous nanoparticles of
waste disposal inorganic compounds
in landfills and to remove pollutants
injection wells (may be the cheapest,
easiest, and most
Store harmful liquids in effective method but
aboveground tanks with leak is still being
detection and collection developed)
systems
Fig. 21-9, p. 504
OCEAN POLLUTION
Oceans, if they are not overloaded, can
disperse and break down large quantities of
degradable pollutants.
Pollution of coastal waters near heavily
populated areas is a serious problem.
About 40% of the world’s population lives near on
or near the coast.
The EPA has classified 4 of 5 estuaries as
threatened or impaired.
Industry Cities Urban sprawl
Nitrogen oxides Toxic metals Bacteria and viruses Construction sites
from autos and and oil from from Sediments are washed into
smokestacks, streets and sewers and septic waterways, choking fish and
toxic chemicals, parking lots tanks contaminate plants, clouding waters, and
and heavy metals in pollute waters; shellfish beds blocking sunlight.
effluents flow into
bays and estuaries.
Farms
Runoff of pesticides, manure, and
fertilizers adds toxins and excess
nitrogen and phosphorus.
Red tides
Excess nitrogen causes
Closed explosive growth of
shellfish beds toxicmicroscopic algae,
Closed poisoning fish and
beach marine mammals.
Oxygen-depleted
zone
Toxic sediments
Chemicals and toxic
metals contaminate
shellfish beds, kill
spawning fish, and
accumulate in the
tissues of bottom
feeders.
Oxygen-depleted zone Healthy zone
Sedimentation and algae Clear, oxygen-rich
overgrowth reduce sunlight, waters promote growth
of plankton and sea grasses,
kill beneficial sea grasses, use and support fish.
Fig. 21-10, p. 505
OCEAN POLLUTION
Harmfulalgal blooms (HAB) are caused by
explosive growth of harmful algae from
sewage and agricultural runoff.
Figure 21-11
Oxygen Depletion in the Northern Gulf
of Mexico
A large zone of
oxygen-
depleted water
forms for half of
the year in the
Gulf of Mexico
as a result of
HAB.
Figure 21-A
OCEAN OIL POLLUTION
Most ocean oil pollution comes from human
activities on land.
Studies have shown it takes about 3 years for
many forms of marine life to recover from large
amounts of crude oil (oil directly from ground).
Recovery from exposure torefined oil (fuel oil,
gasoline, etc…) can take 10-20 years for marine
life to recover.
OCEAN OIL POLLUTION
Tanker accidents
and blowouts at
offshore drilling
rigs can be
extremely
devastating to
marine life
(especially diving
birds, left).
Figure 21-13
Solutions
Coastal Water Pollution
Prevention Cleanup
Reduce input of toxic pollutants Improve oil-spill cleanup
capabilities
Separate sewage and storm lines
Ban dumping of wastes and sewage
by maritime and cruise ships in Sprinkle nanoparticles over an oil or
coastal waters sewage spill to dissolve the oil or
sewage without
Ban ocean dumping of sludge and creating harmful by-products
hazardous dredged material (still under development)
Protect sensitive areas from
development, oil drilling, and Require at least secondary
oil shipping treatment of coastal sewage
Regulate coastal development
Recycle used oil Use wetlands, solar-aquatic,
or other methods to treat sewage
Require double hulls for oil tankers
Fig. 21-14, p. 509
PREVENTING AND REDUCING
SURFACE WATER POLLUTION
Thekey to reducing nonpoint pollution –
most of it from agriculture – is to prevent it
from reaching bodies of water.
Farmers can reduce runoff by planting buffers
and locating feedlots away from steeply sloped
land, flood zones, and surface water.
PREVENTING AND REDUCING
SURFACE WATER POLLUTION
Most developed countries use laws to set
water pollution standards, but such laws
rarely exist in developing countries.
The U.S. Clean Water Act sets standards fro
allowed levels of key water pollutants and
requires polluters to get permits.
EPA is experimenting with adischarge trading
policy similar to that for air pollution control.
Reducing Water Pollution through
Sewage Treatment
Septic tanks and various levels of sewage
treatment can reduce point-source water
pollution.
Figure 21-15
Reducing Water Pollution through
Sewage Treatment
Raw sewage reaching a municipal sewage
treatment plant typically undergoes:
Primary sewage treatment : a physical process
that uses screens and a grit tank to remove large
floating objects and allows settling.
Secondary sewage treatment : a biological
process in which aerobic bacteria remove as
much as 90% of dissolved and biodegradable,
oxygen demanding organic wastes.
Reducing Water Pollution through
Sewage Treatment
Primary and Secondary sewage treatment.
Figure 21-16
Reducing Water Pollution through
Sewage Treatment
Advanced or tertiary sewage treatment:
Uses series of chemical and physical processes
to remove specific pollutants left (especially
nitrates and phosphates).
Water is chlorinated to remove coloration and
to kill disease-carrying bacteria and some
viruses (disinfect).
Reducing Water Pollution through
Sewage Treatment
Sewage sludge can be used as a soil
conditioner but this can cause health
problems if it contains infectious bacteria
and toxic chemicals.
Preventing toxic chemicals from reaching
sewage treatment plants would eliminate
such chemicals from the sludge and water
discharged from such plants.
Reducing Water Pollution through
Sewage Treatment
Natural
and artificial wetlands and other
ecological systems can be used to treat
sewage.
California created a 65 hectare wetland near
Humboldt Bay that acts as a natural wastewater
treatment plant for the town of 16,000 people.
• The project cost less than half of the estimated price
of a conventional treatment plant.
Reducing Water Pollution through
Sewage Treatment
Water pollution laws have significantly
improved water quality in many U.S. streams
and lakes but there is a long way to go.
Some want to strengthen the U.S. Clean
Water Act (CWA) to prevent rather than
focusing on end-of-the-pipe removal.
Many farmers and developers see the CWA
as limiting their rights as property owners to
fill in wetlands.
DRINKING WATER QUALITY
Centralized water treatment plants and
watershed protection can provide safe
drinking water for city dwellers in developed
countries.
Simpler and cheaper ways can be used to
purify drinking water for developing countries.
Exposing water to heat and the sun’s UV rays for 3
hours can kill infectious microbes.
Using Laws to Protect Drinking Water
While most developed countries have
drinking water quality standards and laws,
most developing countries do not.
The U.S Safe Drinking Water Act requires the
EPA to establish national drinking water
standardsmaximum
( contaminant levels ) for
any pollutant that may have adverse effects
on human health.
Using Laws to Protect Drinking Water
The U.N. estimates that 5.6 million
Americans drink water that does not meet
EPA standards.
1 in 5 Americans drinks water from a
treatment plant that violated one or more
safety standard.
Industry pressures to weaken the Safe
Drinking Act:
Eliminate national tests and public notification of
violations.
Allow rights to pollute if provider cannot afford to
comply.
Is Bottled Water the Answer?
Some bottled water is not as pure as tap
water and costs much more.
1.4 million metric tons of plastic bottles are
thrown away.
Fossil fuels are used to make plastic bottles.
• The oil used to produce plastic bottles in the U.S. each
year would fuel 100,000 cars.
Solutions
Water Pollution
• Prevent groundwater contamination
• Reduce nonpoint runoff
• Reuse treated wastewater for irrigation
• Find substitutes for toxic pollutants
• Work with nature to treat sewage
• Practice four R's of resource use (refuse,
reduce, recycle, reuse)
• Reduce air pollution
• Reduce poverty
• Reduce birth rates
Fig. 21-18, p. 517
What Can You Do?
Water Pollution
• Fertilize garden and yard plants with manure or
compost instead of commercial inorganic fertilizer.
• Minimize your use of pesticides.
• Do not apply fertilizer or pesticides near a body of water.
• Grow or buy organic foods.
• Do not drink bottled water unless tests show that your tap
water is contaminated. Merely refill and reuse plastic
bottles with tap water.
• Compost your food wastes.
• Do not use water fresheners in toilets.
• Do not flush unwanted medicines down the toilet.
• Do not pour pesticides, paints, solvents, oil, antifreeze, or
other products containing harmful chemicals down the drain
or onto the ground. Fig. 21-19, p. 517
