38: Oxygen Demanding Waste Flashcards
What is oxygen demanding waste?
organic waste that can be decomposed by bacteria that use oxygen
What causes the level of dissolved oxygen in water to go down?
it goes down as bacteria use a lot of oxygen, this is bad for fish and animals as they need high levels of DO to survive
Where does oxygen demanding waste come from?
raw sewage, manure, decomposing algae, paper factories, meat-processing plants
What causes oxygen demanding waste to get into water?
failing infrastructure (ex: leaking pipes, failing sewage systems that overflow)
What is combined sewer overflow?
sewage comes from a domestic source –> pipe –> drains into a body of water if there is an overflow
- 2 in one
What is sanitary sewer overflow?
sewage from domestic source –> sewage treatment plant
- 2 separate pipes
What are streams?
bodies of water that flows like rivers, creeks
Are streams more polluted than lakes?
no they are usually less polluted since the water is flowing and going to the ocean, it is not confined
- manages pollution better
Can streams be polluted?
yes, if pollution is too high, it is going to overload that stream, producing pollution
What is oxygen sag?
is produced if a stream is overloaded by the breakdown of degradable waste by bacteria depletes DO
What is biochemical oxygen demand?
amount of oxygen consumed by bacteria while they decompose organic matter
What is sediment?
suspended matter; insoluble soil particles that makes water turbid (makes water cloudy so light cannot reach the bottom of the river)
What is an example of a river that contains sediment?
the Minnesota river
What important biological process will be disrupted by the presence of sediment in the water?
photosynthesis
What caused the deterioration of the Minnesota river?
- too much phosphorus and nitrogen
- sediments clouded the water
- low dissolved oxygen
- bacterial contamination
- toxics
- pesticides
