CHAPTER 4.3 Water, Air and Land Resources

Freshwater Pollution

Pg 109 Table 2 Major Types of Water Pollution

SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION

Point-Source Pollution = comes from one specific source.Easier to identify, so easier to control.

FactoriesDishwater from homesLeaking Underground Oil or Gas TanksPower Plants Dumping Heated WaterMistakes at Wastewater Treatment PlantsDamaged Wastewater pipes

NON-Point-source pollution = specific source can’t be identified or comes from too many places.

Hard to identify, so hard to control.

Acid RainMercury from Coal Burning PlantsOil, Debris and Salts from Roads

Silt and Soil from FarmsFertilizer runoff caused this ALGAL

BLOOM on the James River in Virginia.

Fertilizers and Weed Killers on Golf Courses

Fertilizing Crops

Flash: Endless Voyage: Dirty Water

HUGHES POND

There’s been a death at Hughes’ Pond! Did Wild Willie die from drinking unhealthy pond water or was he MURDERED! Let’s look at the suspects!

Bathing Bertha

Farmer John

Speedy SamMr. Bubbles

Professor Acid R. Base

C. E. Owe

EOD LESSON 21 Evaluating Water System Health

HUGHES POND

Bob’s Mission: Determine if Wild Willie’s death was the result of drinking unhealthy pond water or a MURDER!

Meet Detective Bob.

HUGHES POND

PHYSICAL INDICATORS

Temperature: First Bob must examine the temperature of the pond. Bob knows that the temperature must be cool for the pond to be healthy.

Cool water can hold more oxygen than warm water. More oxygen means healthier water. Hot water will also indicate that Bathing Bertha killed Willie!

Temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and water clarity.

Good! The water is cool.

HUGHES POND

pH: Next Bob must examine the pH of the pond. Bob knows that pH measures the acid or base .

The pH should be neutral. Neutral is 7.0 on the pH scale. Anything higher or lower would indicate an unhealthy pond … and Professor Acid R. Base!

Perfect! We appear to have a nice pH of 7.0.

HUGHES POND

Dissolved Oxygen: Next Bob must examine how much oxygen is dissolved in the water of the pond. Bob knows that the pond must have adequate dissolved oxygen to be healthy.

Low water temperature should mean we have high dissolved oxygen content. Mr. Bubbles could have sucked all the dissolved oxygen out AND murdered Wild Willie!

High Oxygen content. Excellent!

Turbidity: Now Bob must examine the turbidity (clarity) of the pond. Bob knows that high turbidity is very unhealthy.

HUGHES POND

I see a bit of algae which can cause high turbidity…Or SpeedySam could have stirred up the pond!

But it doesn’t appear to be an ALGAL BLOOM so I think we’re ok.

HUGHES POND

CHEMICAL INDICATORS:

Nitrates = nitrogen compounds that plants use for growth.

If we have too many nitrates in the pond, the pond will become overcome with pond scum and other unwanted plant life. Farmer John always carries fertilizer in his pockets. He could have killed Willie and dropped some in he pond!

Lucky for you Farmer John. The nitrates are

normal!

HUGHES POND

BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS:Organisms or parts of organisms that are sensitive to water health. Healthy trout and low levels of chlorophyll a are indicators of good health.

If I can sneak up on the trout in this pond I can see if it appears healthy or unhealthy. Maybe C.E.Owe killed

Willie to hide waste dumped from his factory!

Excellent! There’s plenty of trout and

they appear to be healthy and

happy.

Should there be trout in a healthy pond? Should there be lots of chlorophyll a?

It’s E. Vill Bill! The local robber!

I’m pleased to report that I studied the

physical indicators, the chemical

indicators and the biological indicators

and I must report that the pond appears to

be healthy. That only leaves one suspect!

What kind of detective are you? Identify which of the following bodies of water are healthy.

Clues: pH = 5.0, high turbidity, low oxygen, high nitrates

Deductions = high temperature, algal blooms

UNHEALTHY!

Clues: pH = 7.3, low temperature, high chlorophyll a

UNHEALTHY!

Clues: low temperature, high dissolved oxygen, pH 7.0

HEALTHY !!

Air Pollution

HSW: Emerging Careers: Air Quality Specialists

Pg. 110 Figure 19 Major Primary Pollutants

Global Warming Animated Map Linkhttp://geology.com/news/images/a10_1891_1997_6fps_800kbps_sor3.mov

Land Loss

HSW: Emerging Careers: Soil Conservationists

Pg. 112 Figure 21 Virgin Forests