Chapter 14: Effects of Municipal Wastewater and Surface Run-off on Aquatic System

Question 1

What happens when synthetic estrogen makes it way into the water?

Answer 1

it can cause a collapse of fish populations due to exposure to synthetic estrogen

Question 2

What is triclosan? what happened when it was in the wastewater?

Answer 2

Triclosan is an antibacterial compound in soaps and toothpaste. when it gets into water it kills the bacteria that are not resistant. eventually the mutant forms breed and created many resistant bacteria (antibiotic resistant).

Question 3

What can illicit drugs in wastewater tell us?

Answer 3

can trace how many people are using drugs based on [ ]. this is also how the province tracked how many ppl had covid

Question 4

Describe the phases of cleaning water waste

Answer 4

primary treatment: a screen - filters big pieces
secondary treatment: + settling pond - anything that made it through the screen gets pulled out via gravity
tertiary treatment: specifically chemicals that bind up phosphorus
quaternary treatment: +UV light - kills any organisms present in the water.

Question 5

What is mechanistic toxicology?

Answer 5

Focuses on understanding specific physiological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms by which toxicants have their effects