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Environmental Science (ENR 2100) OSU Study Guide and notes from lecture Protecting Earth's Freshwater

Terms in this set (68)

What are some of water's properties that make it so useful for life?
is required by all organisms on earth and a clean supply of this resource is essential for all life

1. dipolar nature. oxygen has high electronegativity hyrdogen not so much. The H2O molecule itself has a what's called a dipole moment where part of the molecule has a partial negative charge the other parts on this side have a partial positive charge and that allows these molecules to stick together through hydrogen bonds between the positive and negative groups. Creates a universal solvant for all chemical reactions for life to take place.
What is water.org?
Matt Damon is involved.

this organization does a lot of work for less developed countries that don't have the resources or finances to provide clean fresh drinking water for the people living in these countries.

Description: "Water.org provides innovative, market-based solutions that change lives every day through safe water and sanitation."
What is water pollution?
The addition of anything that might degrade the quality of the water.
Point source pollution and non-point source pollution,
runoff pollution?
Point source pollution - Pollution that enters the air or water from readily identifiable sources such as discharge pipes or smoke stacks. Some industrial and agricultural sources discharge pollutants directly into a body of water.

non-point source pollution - Pollution that enters the air from dispersed or mobile sources or enters the water from overland flow. A variety of sources contribute pollutants that can run off the surface of the land during painful and enter the water; air pollutants can fall directly with the rain.

runoff pollution - produced by everyone (stormwater runoff) Water from precipitation that flows over the surface of the land. (sediment pollution) Eroded soil that is washed into the water through runoff.
Provide examples of point source pollution and nonpoint source pollution.
point source pollution example - sewage treatment plant overflow, animal feedlot and waste lagoon. and industrial waste discharged into water.

non-point source pollution example - open mines, industrial air pollution from smoke stacks falls back to earth but is hard to link to the original source, cropland animal pasture, construction sites, and parking lots.
What are some examples of nonpoint source runoff pollution in urban, mining, forestry and agriculture areas?
Runoff of agriculture and animal wastes, logged forests, urban streets, parking lots, lawns, and golf courses
eutrophication
A process in which excess nutrients in aquatic ecosystems feed biological productivity, ultimately lowering the oxygen content in the water.
What are some pollutants found in our freshwater
resources?
Industrial chemicals, raw sewage, garbage, oil, pesticides, mercury, acid, particulates from fossil-‐fuel combustion, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, formaldehyde from personal-‐care products, cleaning solutions...
Know about hypoxia.
A situation in which the level of oxygen in the water is inadequate to support life.
What's biological oxygen demand (BOD)?
The amount of oxygen that microbes living in a body of water use.
What's sediment pollution?
Eroded soil that is washed into the water through runoff.
Know the three zones of a freshwater lake, littoral, limnetic and profundal and their characteristics.
1. Littoral zone - shallow water near shore, where sunlight penetrates to permit
photosynthesis.

2. Limnetic zone - open water as far down as sunlight penetrates to permit
photosynthesis.

3. Profundal zone - deep water where sunlight does not penetrate; bacteria and decomposers.
Where is Crater Lake and what type of lake is it?
Crater Lake, Oregon is an example of an oligotrophic lake. oligotrophic lake - Oligo" means very little; therefore, oligotrophic means very little nutrients (N and P) deep clear water, rocky and sandy bottoms, and very little algae. Oxygen is found at high levels throughout the water column. Cold water can hold more dissolved oxygen than warm water. fish found in oligotrophic lakes like cold, high oxygenated water, examples include lake trout.
Where is Grand Lake St. Mary's and what type of lake is it?
Grand Lake St. Marys, Ohio (Eutrophic Lake) . shallow lake... there is a lot of farm lands around lake. Extremely nutrient and bad.
Know the differences between oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic lake
1. oligotrophic lake - Oligo = little
Trophic = nutrient
Low phosphorus
Low nitrogen
Cold deep water
High dissolved oxygen
Crater Lake, Oregon

2. mesotrophic lake - Meso = middle
Trophic = nutrient
in-between the two with some algae in the late summer.

3. eutrophic lake - Meso = middle
Trophic = nutrient
High phosphorus
High nitrogen
Warm shallow water
Holds less oxygen
Grand Lake St. Marys, Ohio
What do a healthy versus unhealthy Chesapeake Bay look like?
Healthy Bay - Low nutrient levels, algae kept in check, good dissolved oxygen levels, abundant fish and shellfish

Unhealthy Bay - high algae and bacterial growth, low dissolved oxygen, and loss of some aquatic life.

Less oxygen is produced as algae take over the role of photosynthesis from the submerged aquatic plants. With less oxygen in the water, other organisms begin to die and decompose. Decomposition uses up more of the limited oxygen, leaving the system hypoxic.
Natural Algae Bloom that is good?
Single-celled photosynthetic phytoplankton Coccolithophores
dissolved oxygen (DO)
The amount of oxygen in the water.
Where is Bristol Bay, what is the Pebble Mine and how will it affect the fishing industry, ecosystem, economy.
Bristol Bay, Alaska

the pebble mine is a large a huge proposed copper and gold mine that is probably when it gets its licenses and permits will be operational for at least a hundred years

mine though is with the fishing industry there are a lot of salmon in and around Alaska and these salmon migrate upstream where they breed where they spawn and then the fry the young finish live up here for several months or a year before they migrate back out into the sea when they go to the sea they spend about two years out in the Pacific Ocean again before they return back to the freshwater resources to spawn and they die the issue is if you have a mind here there's going to be a lot of waste produced from this mind this waste contains things like heavy metals that are very toxic to these fish if this mind disturbs that material and it gets into these rivers here you're probably going to have the extinction of this fish species.

it's big business there's a lot of money a lot of jobs for an economically depressed area but it can have negative impacts on the fishing industry on the Native Americans that live up and around that area on the quality for the fish and the surrounding ecosystem and how it's going to affect the native populations of fish that have lived and evolved for tens of thousands of years up in Alaska
Know about algae blooms and excess nitrogen and phosphorus.
It's bad for da water folks
What dissolved oxygen concentrations do fish prefer to live in?
10?

Fish die when water contains less than 4 mg dissolved oxygen / liter of H 2O

3.0 ppm too low for fish populations

3.0-5.0 ppm 12-24 hr range of tolerance/stressful conditions

6.0ppm supports spawning

>7.0 supports growth/activity

>9.0 ppm supports abundant fish populations
What is a watershed?
The land area surrounding a body of water over which water such as rain could flow and potentially enter that body of water.
What are the leading causes of water pollution in the USA today?
Pathogens, metals (excluding mercury), nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus), Hypoxia, PCBs (industrial pollutant), sediments, mercury, pH problems (too high or low), pesticides.
Which one does the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulate using the U.S. Clean Water Act?
Nonpoint source pollution is difficult to regulate. This type of pollution is difficult to regulate under the Clean Water Act. The EPA added an amendment to the act in 1987 to fund runoff management, and it has had some success.
https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-water#wetlands

Under this program states, territories, and Indian Tribes receive grant money to support a wide variety of activities including technical assistance, financial assistance, education, training, technology, demonstration projects, and monitoring.
What are some other non point and runoffs and their solutions?
Urban Storm Water Runoff, Mining runoff, Forestry Runoff, and Agriculture runoff
Urban Storm Water Runoff
anything that gets into our parking lots into our roads into our driveways onto our lawns that anytime you have a heavy rain is going to wash off into that storm sewer

1. Keep litter, pet wastes, leaves, and debris out of the street gutters and storm drains - these outlets drain directly to lake, streams, rivers, and wetlands.
2. Apply lawn and garden chemicals sparingly and according to directions.
3. Dispose of used oil, antifreeze, paints, and other household chemicals properly, not in storm sewers or drains. If your community does not already have a program for collecting household hazardous wastes, ask your local government to establish one.
4. Clean up spilled brake fluid, oil, grease, and antifreeze. Do not hose them into the street where they can eventually reach local streams and lakes.
5. Control soil erosion on your property by planting ground cover and stabilizing erosion-prone area. Encourage local government officials to develop construction erosion/sediment control ordinances in your community.
6. Have your septic system inspected and pumped, at a minimum, every 3-5 years so that it operates properly.
7. Purchase household detergents and cleaners that are low in phosphorous to reduce the amount of nutrients discharged into our lakes, streams and coastal waters.
Mining runoff
Mining waste.

1. Become involved in local mining issues by voicing your concerns about acid mine drainage and reclamation projects in your area (e.g., Mountain Justice).
Forestry Runoff
Anytime you cut down trees.

1. Use proper logging and erosion control practices on your forest lands by ensuring proper construction, maintenance, and closure of logging roads and skid trails.
2. Report questionable logging practices to state and federal forestry and state water quality agencies.
Agriculture runoff
#1 culprit for nonpoint source pollution in the United States.

1. Manage animal waste to minimize contamination of surface water and ground water.
2. Protect drinking water by using less pesticides and fertilizers.
3. Reduce soil erosion by using conservation practices and other applicable best management practices.
4. Use planned grazing systems on pasture and rangeland.
5. Dispose of pesticides, containers, and tank rinse in an approved manner.
What causes the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico?
What River is involved?
What type of damage does this pollution cause in terms of ecosystem and economy of the Gulf region?
Excess nitrogen from any rivers and streams within the watershed will eventually flow to a larger body of water. The Gulf of Mexico is one area where excess nutrients have impacted the ecosystem to the point of making a "dead zone," or hypoxic area, where most organisms are unable to survive.

Mississippi River

As a result of these nutrients getting into the systems you're going to have a very unhealthy ecosystem you're going to have major losses in fish in oysters and this is not going to cause problems for the economy in this area but this is going to cause problems for the other organisms that are involved in this food web that rely on each other for sources of nutrients and sources of energy

Nitrogen enrichment is one of the abiotic components that can create havoc in an ecological system. Loss of oysters has been a critical change in the biotic community. The oyster is certainly important for economic reasons but also for ecological stability.

Major losses are due, in part, to overharvesting and dredging.

Oysters are food sources for other organisms, provide habitat by forming reefs, stabilize the seabed, reduce sediment, filter feed, and reduce pollutants and particles that would obscure the water and lead to eutrophication.
turbidity
The cloudiness of the water
biological assessment
Sampling an area to see what lives there as a tool to determine how healthy the area is.
benthic macroinvertebrates
Easy-to-see (not microscopic) arthropods such as insects that live on the stream bottom.
How are the Cuyahoga River and the Clean Water Act tied together in history?
in the United States and the 50s and 60s and 70s even we weren't as concerned as we are today about water pollution this still image here is taken from northern Ohio the Cuyahoga River which is just near Cleveland, Ohio in the Cuyahoga River would burn at times in the 60s because they're worth the regulations in place so a lot of industries along the lakes and rivers up there would dump materials directly into the rivers in this case this is a flammable material and a cigarette some other spark gets thrown on the water and you have these disastrous effects

in 1969 there were no laws regulating what could be discharged into our waterways. The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, was burning because of the amount of oil and chemicals in the water.

Passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972 established pollution standards and set in motion establishment of best management practices to reduce pollution entering the bay
What is the Clean Water Act, when was it passed, what does it do, who oversees this law?
The main U.S. federal law that regulates water pollution

Originally passed as the Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, it was amended and renamed the Clean Water Act of 1977 It has two basic goals:
1. Eliminate the discharge of pollutants in US Waterways.
2. Attain water quality levels that make these waterways safe to fish and swim in.

The EPA enforces the Clean Water Act by monitoring national emission limitations, which is the maximum permissible amounts of water pollutants that can be discharged from a sewage treatment plant, factory, or other point source.

According to the EPA, nonpoint source pollution is the major cause of water pollution. The 1987 amendments to the Clean Water Act expanded regulations on nonpoint source pollutants and has had some success. The EPA states that agriculture is the leading cause of nonpoint source pollution in USA and is responsible for 72% of water pollution in US rivers (e.g., fer7lizer, pesticides, herbicides, animal waste, soil erosion).
pollution standards
Allowable levels of a pollutant that can be released over a certain time period; set by EPA.
best management practices
Agreed-upon (or EPA-regulated) actions that minimize pollution problems caused by industrial or land-use impacts.
riparian areas
The land area adjacent to a body of water that is affected by the water's presence (for example, water-tolerant plants grow there) and that affects the water itself (for example, provides shade).

a natural system where you have plants these plants have deep roots and these form of these trees and they're able to suck up these nutrients these excess nutrients this manure that's coming off of these fields this fertilizer that's coming off our nicely manicured golf courses they're able to suck these up in their roots in lock it into their own material into their leaves into their bark and they take it out of the soil they take it out of the watershed and prevent it from getting into the water and causing things like algae blooms plant roots also stabilize banks and prevent oil or erosion ground cover slows down runoff it allows the water that fell there by precipitation more time to soak in and so it prevents it from washing sediment directly into the river shade provides cooler waters and cool waters can actually hold more oxygen so this is good for the fish in the area and it also shades the sunlight prevents these waters from becoming too warm so it really limits the growth of these algae as well.
rain garden
Runoff area that is planted with water-tolerant plants to slow runoff and promote infiltration.
How much nitrogen pollution is released by forested, suburban and agriculture land?
Forested - forest streams receive very little runoff because the trees reduce the overland flow of water.

Suburban - suburban areas have more runoff than forested areas, presumably due to more impervious surfaces; about 25% of the nitrogen that enters the area leaves as runoff.

agricultural - agricultural areas have high nitrogen inputs and fairly high runoff percentages; about 23% of what enters leaves as runoff.
Are most water resources in the USA safe for people today?
Although improvements in water quality are seen throughout the USA, the EPA's 2002 National Water Quality Inventory report indicated that 39% of nations' rivers, 45% of our lakes, and 51% of USA's estuaries are too polluted for swimming, fishing, or drinking.
How can farms reduce the amount of runoff pollution by having different zones designated for different types of vegetation and uses?
Adjacent upland areas- crop area or other uses such as agriculture, residential, or even some industrial projects can be allowed but only with careful handing of toxic chemicals and fertilizer.

Zone 3- surface runoff. light agricultural use (minimal chemical use): fast-growing grasses trap nutrients that might run off from farms or lawns.

Zone 2- subsurface flow, managed forest; removal of some vegetation increases plant regrowth rates and maximizes nutrient uptake from the soil and subsurface flow.

Stream- then it there is the water way.
How can humans protect our water resources in terms of agriculture, watersheds, habitats and fisheries?
too much to type. go to slide 55 of lecture.
How does the poultry industry contribute to freshwater pollution in the Chesapeake Bay?
there are a lot of poultry farms chicken farms in and around the bay chickens produce a lot of waste and a lot of this waste is getting into the Chesapeake Bay watershed this is causing problems in terms of too much excess nutrients algae blooms in just raw sewage that's causing problems for the health of that ecosystem
What is a Superfund Site, where are they located, how pays for them, how much do they cost.
Superfund is a Federal Program to clean up hazardous waste sites in the USA

Trust fund set up by the US Congress under Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, but polluters also have to pay part of cleanup

Money in this trust can only be used for Superfund sites

Administered by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Top 10 Toxins in Superfund Sites:
1.. Arsenic
2. lead
3. mercury
4. vinyl chloride
5. polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs)
6. benzene
7. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
8. cadmium
9. benzo (a) pyrene
10. benzo (b) fluoranthene

they can be mainly found around major rivers and oceans so they are an extreme threat for our fresh water resources.

for actual locations refer to slide 64-68
Know about the Duwamish River and South Park sites in
Washington, USA.
?
Know about coal ash ponds, what contaminates are in these ponds, where are they located, and how they can cause water pollution.
fly ash itself is the waste product that's results from burning of coal anytime we have a coal-burning power plant we have scrubbers and our smokestack that removes a lot of the way so it doesn't get in the atmosphere but it does collect at the bottom of the stack this material is transported to a coal ash waste pond it's dumped in the pond and that's where it's stored for essentially forever in most cases it's very safe there but when you in this example have a breach of that pond it can be very deadly to the surrounding ecosystem not just because of the debris that's there but because this fly ash contains arsenic cadmium chromium mercury all sorts of heavy metals and other types of toxins that are very dangerous to humans and other organisms we have coal ash ponds in Ohio there's a lot of coal burning fire plants along the Ohio River as this map shows the red dots are actually the locations of our coal ash ponds you can see some of these store 2.3 billion gallons a lot of waste this right here was about a half a billion gallons some of these in Ohio store a tremendous amount of waste in these coal ash ponds if we look at some of the contaminants that are in this coal ash waste they're extremely deadly in minut minut concentrations for example mercury the safe drinking water act 1974 passed a maximum contamination level of mercury at two parts per billion which is zero point zero zero two milligrams of mercury per liter of water one gallon for us students is approximately 3.8 liters the density of mercury it's very heavy compound is about 13.5 grams per liter major source of mercury and drinking water in the United States a day is from natural deposits from refineries from coal-burning power plants especially here in Ohio where we have a lot of them along the Ohio River
How is Seattle, Washington trying to protect its freshwater resources and the Puget Sound?
?
Sources of mercury pollution in water include:

1 All of these choices.
2 iron ore and aluminum ore smelting
3 run-off from surface mining
4 electrical plant emissions
5 industrial waste
answer: 1 All of these choices.
Fertilizer from your lawn and motor oil from the leaky oil pan on your car are examples of:

1 All of these choices.
2 point source pollution
3 nonpoint source pollution
4 pathogenesis
5 eutrophication
answer: 3 nonpoint source pollution
_________________ is a set of EPA regulated actions that minimize pollution problems caused by construction, industrial, or land-use impacts on streams and lakes.

1 Clean standards
2 Best management practices
3 Pollution standards
4 Best management standards
5 Best environment practices
answer: 2 Best management practices
Mapping a watershed is important in finding a source of pollution for all of the following reasons except ___________________.

1 All of these choices.
2 it helps to know where to look for the source outside of the watershed
3 it helps to know where to look for the source, usually upstream
4 it helps to know where to look for the source inside the watershed
5 it helps to know where not to look for the source, usually downstream
answer: 2 it helps to know where to look for the source outside of the watershed
In suburban areas, lawns can be a major source of nonpoint pollution. Utilizing _______________ in these areas can help prevent pollution in nearby water sources.

1 hypoxic techniques
2 nitrogen-enriched fertilizers
3 benthic macroinvertebrates
4 water-intolerant plants
5 native plants and grasses
answer: 5 native plants and grasses
Plants help improve water quality because __________________.

1 they store nutrients in their tissues, keeping it out of the water
2 they give off nutrients to the water, keeping nutrients out of groundwater
3 plants have no effect on water quality
4 they store nutrients in their roots, allowing nutrients to slowly seep into the river
5 they give off nutrients to the water, allowing water ecosystems to flourish
answer:
1 they store nutrients in their tissues, keeping it out of the water
A small lake ecosystem is being degraded. As a first step in assessment, scientists take samples of the water and determine if it has an excess of nitrogen, causing eutrophication. To remedy this problem, programs should be implemented that

1 relocate riparian areas to further away from the lake.
2 restore native habitats of fish and plants in and around the lake.
3 protect the watershed from agricultural and domestic runoff.
answer: 2 restore native habitats of fish and plants in and around the lake.
&
3 protect the watershed from agricultural and domestic runoff.
The following items are part of the process of eutrophication.

1 Algae quickly reproduce, using up oxygen and blocking sunlight to underwater plants.
2 Bacteria consume excess wastes and nutrients, using up oxygen.
3 Underwater plants die.
4 Excess nutrients enter a body of water.

What is the correct order for the process?
1 4, 3, 2, 1
2 3, 4, 2, 1
3 4, 1, 3, 2
4 1, 2, 3, 4
5 2, 4, 1, 3
answer: 3 4, 1, 3, 2

4 Excess nutrients enter a body of water.
1 Algae quickly reproduce, using up oxygen and blocking
3 Underwater plants die.
2 Bacteria consume excess wastes and nutrients, using up oxygen.
What are ways that urban storm water runoff might be reduced? Check all that apply.

1 Purchase cleaners that are high in phosphorus
2 Plant a grass cover over any exposed dirt
3 Wash any liquids from vehicles into storm sewers
4 Clean debris out of street gutters
5 Apply law and garden chemicals in large amounts
6 Have a professional inspect your septic tank
answer: 2 Plant a grass cover over any exposed dirt
4 Clean debris out of street gutters
6 Have a professional inspect your septic tank
The pH of surface waters is a problem in many systems, with some surface waters showing too high a pH and some too low. Which of the following is a key contributor to low pH surface waters?

1 mining operations
2 agricultural fields
3 cattle production
4 lawn fertilization
5 None of these choices.
answer:
1 mining operations
All of the following contribute to water pollution EXCEPT ___________________.

1 animal waste
2 pathogens
3 excessive fertilizing
4 open mining
5 riparian areas
answer: 5 riparian areas
Match the each zone of a freshwater ecosystem with its definition.

Littoral Zone

Profundal

Limnetic

-with-

deeper water where sunlight cannot penetrate and bacteria and decomposers thrive

shallower water near the shore, sunlight is able to penetrate to permit photosynthesis

open water as far down as sunlight penetrates to permit photosynthese
answer:
Littoral Zone - shallower water near the shore, sunlight is able to penetrate to permit photosynthesis

Profundal - deeper water where sunlight cannot penetrate and bacteria and decomposers thrive

Limnetic - open water as far down as sunlight penetrates to permit photosynthese
What protects an aquifer from pollutants in an aboveground watershed?

1 Groundwater does not move, so pollutants in aquifers are easy to locate and remove.
2 Pollutants from the surface, such as nitrates, are harmless in groundwater.
3 If deep enough, infiltration can act as a filter, removing pollutants before they reach the groundwater.
4 Surface water and groundwater do not mix, especially if the runoff is slow.
5 Pollutants such as nitrates are too large to make it to an aquifer.
answer: 3 If deep enough, infiltration can act as a filter, removing pollutants before they reach the groundwater.
Water pollution is:

1 contaminants or excess nutrients in surface waters and in groundwater.
2 usually from excess carbon being added to the system.
3 Only two of these choices.
4 found only in surface waters near cities.
5 primarily excess nutrients from lawns, farms, and animal feedlots.
answer: 1 contaminants or excess nutrients in surface waters and in groundwater.
The amount of oxygen used by microbes living in a body of water is known as the ___________________.

1 biological oxygen demand
2 biological oxygen die-off
3 dissolved oxygen concentration
4 decomposition rate
5 overcompensation rate
answer: 1 biological oxygen demand
A watershed includes:

1 all the land downhill from a river that could potentially be flooded.
2 All of these choices.
3 all the uphill land surrounding a river and its streams that can feed water into that river.
4 the surface water and the underground aquifer.
5 only the land that would be underwater during a normal rainfall year.
answer: 3 all the uphill land surrounding a river and its streams that can feed water into that river.
Grand Lake St. Marys would be an example of which type of lake?

1 Proglotrophic
2 Mesotrophic
3 Eutrophic
4 Oligotrophic
answer: 3 Eutrophic
The leading cause of impaired surface waters in the United States is ___________________.

1 sediments
2 hypoxia
3 pesticides
4 pathogens
5 metals
answer: 4 pathogens
True or False: Nonpoint source pollution is easier for the EPA to monitor and control than Point Source pollution.

1 True
2 False
answer: 2 False
Pick the nonpoint source of pollution.

1 animal waste lagoon effluent
2 sewage treatment plant effluent
3 industrial wastewater
4 None of these choices.
5 air pollution
answer: 5 air pollution
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