Measuring Water Pollution

Measuring Water PollutionMeasuring Water Pollution

A Quick OverviewA Quick Overview

How do you measure the How do you measure the quality of a moving, ever quality of a moving, ever changing fluid medium?changing fluid medium?

Two Basic Approaches:Two Basic Approaches: TECHNOLOGY-TECHNOLOGY-

BASED LIMITS: Use BASED LIMITS: Use a certain treatment a certain treatment technology (BPT, technology (BPT, BAT, MACT, BPJ) to BAT, MACT, BPJ) to achieve a given achieve a given quality of effluent quality of effluent (work backward (work backward from effluent from effluent chemistry)chemistry)

WATER QUALITY-WATER QUALITY-BASED LIMITS: BASED LIMITS: Quantitative Quantitative relationship relationship between inputs and between inputs and quality (LDquality (LD5050, , NOEL)--dose/responNOEL)--dose/response risk assessment, se risk assessment, hydrology, mass hydrology, mass balancebalance

The “Conventional” The “Conventional” Pollutant Measures:Pollutant Measures:

Oxygen (BOD, COD, DO)Oxygen (BOD, COD, DO) Solids content (TSS, Conductivity, Solids content (TSS, Conductivity,

Secchi disk, settleable solids)Secchi disk, settleable solids) Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen) Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

/Algae/Eutrophication/Algae/Eutrophication Acidity (pH)Acidity (pH) Bacteria (e.g., fecal coliform)Bacteria (e.g., fecal coliform) TemperatureTemperature

Oxidizing (Oxygen-Using)Oxidizing (Oxygen-Using)ReactionsReactions

FireFire

Metabolism of Metabolism of humans and humans and animalsanimals

Fate of pollutants Fate of pollutants in waterin water

C in fuel combines C in fuel combines with atmospheric Owith atmospheric O22

carbon-bearing carbon-bearing organic compounds organic compounds oxidized to oxidized to COCO22,water, energy,water, energy

pollutants are pollutants are oxidized, depleting oxidized, depleting OO2 2 in waterin water

““Assimilative capacity”: Assimilative capacity”: ability of a waterbody to ability of a waterbody to convert a pollutant into convert a pollutant into something harmless (to something harmless (to

whom or what?)whom or what?)

Measures of oxygen in Measures of oxygen in water:water:

Dissolved oxygen (DO)--time and Dissolved oxygen (DO)--time and space variables, dilutionspace variables, dilution

Biological oxygen demand, five Biological oxygen demand, five days (BODdays (BOD55))

Chemical oxygen demand (COD)Chemical oxygen demand (COD) Sediment oxygen demand (SOD)Sediment oxygen demand (SOD)

Oxygen and other Oxygen and other pollutants may vary pollutants may vary

according to:according to: Fluctuations in inputs (lagged)Fluctuations in inputs (lagged) Time of day (day-night)Time of day (day-night) Time of year (summer-winter)Time of year (summer-winter) Water temperature (thermal Water temperature (thermal

stratification)stratification) Stream flowStream flow

– Which in turn varies with land Which in turn varies with land clearing/impervious cover, storm events, clearing/impervious cover, storm events, seasonal variations, channel structure, etc.seasonal variations, channel structure, etc.

SedimentsSediments

Effects of sediment Effects of sediment loadingloading

Destruction of spawning bedsDestruction of spawning beds Adsorption and transport of other Adsorption and transport of other

pollutantspollutants Reduced light penetration, aquatic Reduced light penetration, aquatic

vegetationvegetation Greater nutrients loadings, oxygen Greater nutrients loadings, oxygen

demanddemand Interference with navigation, flood control, Interference with navigation, flood control,

recreation, industryrecreation, industry

Effects of nutrient loadingsEffects of nutrient loadings (N, P measured by (N, P measured by

Chlorophyll a, Secchi, algal Chlorophyll a, Secchi, algal species)species)

Algae bloomsAlgae blooms DO changes, fish killsDO changes, fish kills Shift of trophic status toward Shift of trophic status toward

eutrophiceutrophic Drinking water impairment (direct and Drinking water impairment (direct and

indirect)indirect) Aesthetics (color, clarity, smell)Aesthetics (color, clarity, smell) Uptake and release of toxicsUptake and release of toxics

Effects of acidificationEffects of acidification(measured in pH--log (measured in pH--log

scale)scale) Direct kill of living thingsDirect kill of living things Shift toward acid-tolerant speciesShift toward acid-tolerant species Mobilization (dilution, desorption) Mobilization (dilution, desorption)

of metals and other toxicsof metals and other toxics

Toxics and Toxics and BioaccumulationBioaccumulation

Impacts of toxicsImpacts of toxics Acute mortality (instant death)Acute mortality (instant death) Chronic illnesses (e.g., cancer)Chronic illnesses (e.g., cancer) Toxicity at low doses (e.g., dioxin)Toxicity at low doses (e.g., dioxin) Reproductive and developmental toxicity Reproductive and developmental toxicity

(“hormone mimics”)(“hormone mimics”) Persistence over space (toxaphene) and Persistence over space (toxaphene) and

time (PCBs); or transformation (DDT to time (PCBs); or transformation (DDT to DDE, PCB dechlorination, methyl mercury)DDE, PCB dechlorination, methyl mercury)

Storage in reservoirs (sediment sinks)Storage in reservoirs (sediment sinks)

Some approaches to Some approaches to toxics parameterstoxics parameters

Chemical levels (water, sediment)Chemical levels (water, sediment) Ability to support designated usesAbility to support designated uses Ability to support beneficial usesAbility to support beneficial uses Fish advisoriesFish advisories Historical baselinesHistorical baselines Background levelsBackground levels ““Narrative criteria” (no toxics in toxic Narrative criteria” (no toxics in toxic

amounts)amounts)

Traditional sampling: Traditional sampling: “grab samples”“grab samples”

Automated Measurements:Automated Measurements:Sondes (Hydrolab or YSI)Sondes (Hydrolab or YSI)

Automated Automated sampling of basic sampling of basic conventional conventional parametersparameters

Fine-grained (e.g., Fine-grained (e.g., every 15 minutes)every 15 minutes)

Download to Download to laptop for analysislaptop for analysis

IndicesIndices

Bring diverse measurements Bring diverse measurements together into a single-number together into a single-number

valuevalue

Ecosystem approachesEcosystem approaches Look at interactions of living and Look at interactions of living and

nonliving parts of the ecosystem nonliving parts of the ecosystem (what’s an ecosystem?)(what’s an ecosystem?)

Try to identify stresses and Try to identify stresses and responsesresponses

Holistically integrate physical, Holistically integrate physical, biological, and social aspects of the biological, and social aspects of the area in questionarea in question

Institutional Context: Institutional Context: Remedial Action PlanRemedial Action Plan

Great Lakes Great Lakes Water Quality Water Quality AgreementsAgreements

““Areas of Areas of Concern”Concern”

Plan to restore Plan to restore “beneficial uses”“beneficial uses”

Beneficial UsesBeneficial Uses Restrictions on Fish Restrictions on Fish

ConsumptionConsumption Restrictions on Restrictions on

DredgingDredging Added costs to Added costs to

agriculture or agriculture or industryindustry

Tainting of fish flavorTainting of fish flavor Restrictions on Restrictions on

drinking water drinking water consumptionconsumption

Degraded fish or Degraded fish or wildlife populationswildlife populations

Degraded benthosDegraded benthos Eutrophication or Eutrophication or

undesirable algaeundesirable algae Loss of fish or Loss of fish or

wildlife habitatwildlife habitat Fish tumors or Fish tumors or

deformitiesdeformities