APES Ch 22 Study Guide WATER POLLUTON



APES Ch 22 Study Guide WATER POLLUTON Name___________________ Date_____



Vocabulary

Water pollution- any physical or chemical change in water that adversely affects the health of humans and other organisms

Sewage- wastewater from drains or sewers

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)- amount of oxygen needed by microorganisms to decompose biological wastes into carbon dioxide, water and minerals

Artificial eutrophication- overnourishment of an aquatic ecosystem by nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates; due to human activities such as agriculture and discharge from sewage treatment plants or septic systems

Fecal coliform test- water quality test for the presence of fecal bacteria which indicates a chance that pathogenic organisms may be present as well

Pathogens- disease-causing organisms

Turbid- cloudy

Hypoxia- oxygen-free conditions

Endocrine Disrupters- chemicals that interfere with the actions of natural hormones (produced by the endocrine system) and may have effects on the body in extremely low concentrations

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Thermal pollution- release of heated water into an aquatic ecosystem

Point source pollution- pollution that can be traced to a specific origin such as a pipe from a factory

Nonpoint source pollution- pollutants that enter the environment over large areas rather than from a specific point like a smoke stack.

Primary treatment- wastewater treatment that removes suspended and floating particles by mechanical processes (screens and sedimentation (settling) tanks)

Secondary treatment- using microorganisms to treat wastewater by decomposing suspended organic matter reducing the water’s BOD

Primary and secondary sludge- solids that remain after primary and secondary treatment of wastewater

Tertiary treatment- advanced wastewater treatment methods that are sometimes used to reduce the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus and sometimes other chemicals

Maximum contaminant level- upper limit for the concentration of a particular pollutant in water intended for human consumption

National emission limitation- maximum permissible amount of a water pollutant that can be discharged from a sewage treatment plant, factory or other point source

1. List the eight categories of water pollutants.

2. What is meant by enrichment of a body of water?

3. Describe three problems caused by the discharge of sewage into a body of water.

4. Compare the characteristics of oligotrophic lakes and eutrophic lakes.

5. Why does the water in a eutrophic lake look cloudy and green?

6. Sewage causes BOD levels to ___________.

7. As BOD increases, the concentration of dissolved oxygen __________.

8. What is the difference between natural eutrophication and the artificial eutrophication caused by humans?

9. Be able to name at least four human diseases transmitted by polluted water. List four diseases below and the type of infectious agent.

10. Why is water frequently tested for E. coli?

11. What happens to the sediments carried by water as the velocity of the water decreases?

12. How does a delta form?

13. List four problems caused by sediment pollution.

13. Why does an increase in the turbidity of water reduce water quality?

14. Explain why sediment pollution can make fish unsuitable for human consumption.

15. List four sources of inorganic plant and algal nutrients.

16. Why are higher concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus harmful to aquatic ecosystems?

17. What is red tide?

18. List several possible causes of red tides.

19. How significant is the problem of livestock waste as a cause of water pollution?

20. What causes a dead zone to form in the Gulf of Mexico?

21. What are conditions like within the dead zone?

22. Describe two strategies for addressing the dead zone problem.

22. What are organic compounds? Give four examples.

23. What are inorganic compounds? Give three examples.

24. Describe two steps that have been taken to reduce exposure to lead in the United States.

25. Describe health problems that may result from exposure to lead.

26. Is lead a threat to the health of many Americans today? Defend your answer.

27. What is the primary source of mercury in the environment?

28. List at least three other sources of mercury in the environment.

29. Why are environmentalists particularly concerned about methyl mercury? How does methyl mercury form?

30. List several sources of radioactive substances.

31. Describe three ways thermal pollution can affect aquatic ecosystems.

32. Classify each of the following as point sources pollution or nonpoint source pollution.

_______________ fertilizers from lawns

________________ acid mine drainage

___________________sewage treatment plant discharge pipe

___________________erosion from a construction project

__________________road salt

33. What is a combined sewer system? What problem does it create?

34. Describe at least four things you can do to prevent water pollution.

35. Why is the pollution of groundwater with nitrates a serious health concern? What problem does it cause? Who is vulnerable?

36. Describe how drinking water is typically treated at municipal treatment plants in the US.

37. What is the “chlorine dilemma”?

38. Why is drinking water often fluoridated?

39. Which step in the sewage treatment process removes most of the solid waste?

40. What happens during secondary sewage treatment?

41. List the five possible ways to handle sewage sludge. Which option was banned in 1991?

42. What gas is produced by the anaerobic digestion of sludge?

43. Describe how a septic system works. What maintenance is required?

44. What are the main goals of the safe Drinking Water Act?

45. What are the main goals of the Clean Water Act?

46. How do maximum contaminant levels and national emission limitations differ?

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