Lecture 12: Water Quality Terms Flashcards
National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)–
portion of the Clean Water Act that regulates point source pollution
Point Source Pollution
pollution that is localized, confined, concentrated and easy to monitor and regulate, such as industrial and wastewater treatmnt plants
Non Point Source Pollution
pollution that is dispersed, wide-spread, dilute and hard to monitor and regulate, such as agricultural and urban runoff
Clean Water Act
federal law that regulates point and non point source pollution in the US
In Stream Waste Reduction
a provision under the NPDES portion of the Clean Water Act in which industrial manufacturing plants are required to identify and remove toxic chemicals used in manufacturing, replacing them with safer and less toxic chemicals that will still allow the manufacturing of goods
Waste Recycling
an alternative to In Stream Waste Reduction in which manufacturing companies can collect waste and exchange to another company who may use this waste product in a new manufacturing process. This prevents discharge of the chemical into the aquatic environment
NPS Pollution
pollution that originates as Non Point Source Pollution such as nutrients, fecal coliform bacteria and petroleum hydrocarbons. Regulation of NPS is voluntary by farmers and commerce.
Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) Estimates
a provision under the Clean Water Act that enables mandatory regulations to be imposed on non point source pollution
BOD
Biochemical Oxygen Demand – a test that measures the impact of waste discharged into aquatic systems to stimulate bacteria which consume oxygen within an aquatic ecosystem
BOD 5day
Carbonaceous O2 Demand – the portion of waste discharged into aquatic systems from carbon which stimulates carbonaceous bacterial respiration which consume oxygen within an aquatic ecosystem
BOD 5-20 day = Nitrogenous O2 Demand
Nitrogenous O2 Demand - the portion of waste discharged into aquatic systems from nitrogen which stimulates nitrogenous bacterial respiration which consume oxygen within an aquatic ecosystem
BOD Ultimate = C & N O2 Demand
combined effects of carbonaceous and nitrogenous bacteria to consume organic matter and the amount of oxygen consumed by respiration
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
an alternative, cheaper and rapid method for predicting the BOD which will over estimate BOD but conservatively protects water quality. COD will always tne > BOD
Waste Load Allocation (Q10’s)
the use of BOD measurements to predict total x consumption within an aquatic water body, used by regulatory agencies to set permit limits for discharge by industry
Total Coliform (warm blooded animals)
bacteria test that measures the number of bacteria in surface waters from the intestinal tract of all warm blooded animals including humans and wildlife. Test is run at 35 degrees C.
Fecal Coliform (more Human Specific)
bacterial test that measures the number of bacteria in surface waters from more predominantly the intestinal tract of humans more so than wildlife. Test is run at 44 degrees C.
Water Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs)
chemicals formed by the interaction of chlorine and water, including oxidation products (e,g, hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ion) and Trihalomethanes (e.g. Chloroform and Bromoform) which may cause cancer in humans
Trihalomethanes (THMs
compounds such as chloroform and bromoform created by the interaction of chlorine and organic matter within water. These compounds may cause bladder cancer and other types of cancers
Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP)
process used to sanitize human wastes
Primary Treatment
physical treatment of human wastes water treatment process which uses screens, grinding and settlement to remove a portion of the BOD
Secondary Treatment
biological treatment of human wastes water treatment process which uses trickling filters seeded with bacteria which remove the remaining portion of the BOD and some of the N and Ph. Most WWTP in the SU have secondary treatment.
Tertiary Treatment
chemical treatment of human wastes water treatment process which uses ammonia stripping to remove dissolved N, Ph Adjustment to remove remaining Ph, carbon filtration screens, grinding and settlement to remove a portion of the BOD
Septic Tank
a process for disinfection of human waste used at an individual home, which utilizes primary treatment processes (settlement) to remove the solid wastes and sand filtration to remove the remaining suspended wastes
Gray Water
the water at the top of a septic tank that overflows into drain lines and contains the remaining dissolved and suspended wastes that remains after solids have settled to the bottom of the Septic Tank.
Drainfield
physical treatment of human wastes water treatment process which uses screens, grinding and settlement to remove a portion of the BOD – a series of trenches leading away from a septic tank which are filled with gravel, which allows gray water to flow into and settle into the soils using sand filtration to remove the remaining waste.
