Diffuse Water Pollution (nutrient & pesticides) Flashcards
Release of potential pollutants
range of activities, no individual effect to water
Catchment scale
significant impact, water quality problems, wildlife
Cancers
agriculture practice, fertilizers & pesticides, urban surface run-off
Eutrophication (nutrient enrichment): Effects
issue with N and P, urban source, agricultural fertilizers
health impacts
nitrate controls, methaemoglobinaemia (blue baby) - rare, nitrite - stomach cancer “nitrosamines”, NO3- -> NO2- -> NH2
Natural succesion
water progress, oligotrophic -> eutrophic
Geomorphological (land/water resulting from chemical/physical processes)
in-fill, terrestrial succesion
Eutrophication discussion
cultural, accelerated, enhancement of process
Symptoms: Nutrient enrichment
not precise
Symptoms: Parameters
more subjective, less objective, weather, season, sample collection
Limiting Nutrient Concept: Law of minimum
Photosynthethic growth continues until one necessary contributing parameter falls below minimum requirement
CO2 + H2O -> CH2O + O2
needs light, trace metals Fe, Mn, Cu, others
N or P limiting
add supply - photosynthetic growth occurs
N or P addition
alter growth rate, certain plant/algae, balance affected
Assessment : N or P limitation? 2 parameters
N - as nitrate, nitrite & ammonium N>20microg/l, P - SRP in H2O >5microg/l. Check during normal growth period
N:P ratio measure
Red field ratio 16:1 (molar) or 7:1 (mass). If ratio >16, P limitation (excessive N)
N transport to rivers
soluble, mobile, transport from catchment effective, leaching
P transport to rivers
low mobility, high partition coefficient (Kd), adsorbed to particles (clay), bonded to Fe
Kd = [Mp]/[Md] stick to particles
[Md] -> [Mp]
Phosphorus Cycling: Large supply
particulate form, discharge/input in dissolved form (SRP)
Phosphorus Cycling: Re-solubilisation
local microenvironment, very rapid re-utilisation
Phosphorus Cycling: Redox <200 mV
Release Fe-bound P
Phosphorus Cycling: Increase pH
P binding by Al, Fe pH decrease, P binding by Ca pH increases
Phosphorus Cycling: Increase temperature
microbe activity increase temp, redox/pH reactions temp decreases