POLLUTION

Types of Pollution

Nitrogen (wastewater, farming)

Pharmaceuticals Garbage Heavy metals (Hg,

Zn, Pb, Fe) Chemicals (PCB’s,

industrial waste) Petroleum

products

Entry: Water Cycle

Circulation of water in Earth Evaporation: changing of water from

liquid to gas Transpiration: Release of water vapor

from plant leaves Condensation: changing of vapor to

liquid (cooled down) Precipitation: Water that returns to the

earth

Water Cycle

Water Cycle and Pollution

Rivers and streams transport nutrients, salts, sediments, and pollutants from watersheds to estuaries ( through runoff) and ultimately to ocean

Connecticut Watershed

Sources of pollution

1. Nonpoint source:--- many smaller point sources Occurs as a result of runoff Caused by:

septic tanks, cars, trucks, boats, farms, ranches, construction sites, cities, etc.

Hard to manage Loss of aquatic species diversity, damage

to coral reefs, algae blooms, sea grass bed decline, closure of beaches (swimming) and shelfish beds

2. Point source pollution Pollution originates from an identifiable

source Ex: oil spills, algae blooms, industrial

plants, sewage pipes

Nitrogen

Fertilizers Overfertilization of

crops Runoff

Treated and untreated sewage Wastewater

released from treatment plants

Combined sewer overflows (CSO’s)

Pharmaceuticals

• Have negative effects on the reproduction of aquatic species and stimulate the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria

• Titanium, zinc, mercury

Medications and hormones that have been used or discarded Treated and untreated

sewage Landfills

Vetranary medications Aquaculture (fish farms) Cattle feed lots

Garbage

Plastic, debris, chemical sludge trapped by currents in North Pacific

Pacific Garbage Patchhttp://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTZUVjF69eg

Chemicals

Mercury & copper Power plants

Lead gasoline

Chromium, copper, arsenic, & zinc Boats and pilings

PCB’s Pesticides (DDT)

copper

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill-2010 April 20 to July 15 4.9 million barrels of oil (210 million gal) Had to engineer a solution

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill- 1989 11 million gal Covered 1,300 miles of coastline Covered 11,000 square miles of ocean Resulted in numerous environmental

sanctions

Petroleum