11-3 Water Pollution

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A. Introduction

• 1. Water pollution is the introduction to chemical, physical or biological agents into water that degrade water quality.

B. Point-Source Pollution

• 1. one source of pollution.

B. Point-Source Pollution

• 2. Examples include factory or water treatment plant.

C. Nonpoint Source Pollution

• 1. Also known as runoff pollution.

C. Nonpoint Source Pollution

• 2. comes from many different sources; difficult to identify.

D. Wastewater

• 1. water containing waste from homes and/or industry.

D. Wastewater

• 2. needs to be treated by water treatment plants.

D. Wastewater

• 3. the solid material left behind is called sewage sludge which is burned and the ashes are buried in the landfill.

E. Artificial Eutrophication

• 1. Eutrophication= increase in the amount of nutrients.

E. Artificial Eutrophication

• 2. Artificial Eutrophication= increase in nutrients due to sewage or fertilizer runoff.

F. Thermal pollution

• 1. occurs when power plants and other industries use water in their cooling systems and release the warm water into lakes/rivers.

F. Thermal pollution

• 2. As a result, a significant amount of aquatic organisms die off; ecosystem is disrupted.

G. Groundwater Pollution

• 1. pollution in the surface water percolates (spreads) down into the soil and collects as groundwater.

H. Ocean Pollution

• 1. Ships may legally dump waste in some parts of the oceans.

H. Ocean Pollution

• 2. Oil spills cause major disruptions in ecosystems.

H. Ocean Pollution

• 3. Surprisingly, most oil pollution occurs from nonpoint sources on land.