Lesson 14 - Water Pollution

• Water pollution - The release of substances into subsurface groundwater or into lakes, streams, rivers, estuaries, and oceans to the point where the substances interfere with beneficial use of the water or with the natural functioning of ecosystems
• Water pollution - Occurs when harmful substances—often chemicals or microorganisms—contaminate a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, degrading water quality and rendering it toxic to humans or the environment.
• Pathogenic microorganisms - Microscopic organisms, like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, that are capable of causing disease
• Putrescible organic waste - Solid waste containing organic matter that is susceptible to decomposition and the development of unpleasant odors (e.g.  food scraps, yard waste, and dead animals)
• Plant nutrients - Such as nitrogen and phosphorus which act as "fertilizers," leading to excessive plant growth, particularly algae, in a process called eutrophication that can consume dissolved oxygen, harming other aquatic life and degrading water quality
• Toxic chemicals - Such as the industrial waste, agricultural runoff, and improperly disposed of materials.
• Sediments - Loose particles of sand, clay, silt, and other substances that settle at the bottom of a water body.
• Heat - Specifically thermal pollution, because it reduces the amount of dissolved oxygen, increasing the metabolic rate of aquatic organisms.
• Petroleum (oil) - Accidental releases of oil from tankers, pipelines, or storage facilities; industrial discharges, and runoff from roads and parking lots.
• Radioactive substances - From nuclear power plants, nuclear testing, and the disposal of radioactive materials.
• Substances that pollute bodies of water:

  • Pathogenic microorganisms
  • Putrescible organic waste
  • Plant nutrients
  • Toxic chemicals
  • Sediments
  • Heat
  • Petroleum (oil)
  • Radioactive substances
• Categories of wastes:

  • Organic waste
  • Combustibles
  • Non-combustibles
  • Toxic waste
  • Recyclables
  • Ashes or Dust
  • Construction waste
  • Hazardous waste
  • Dead animals
  • Bulky waste
  • Soiled waste
• Substance that causes eutrophication - Plant nutrients