Lecture 5: Water Resources and Pollution Flashcards
Importance of water
- found in every living systems
- Dissolves and transports many molecules (nitrates, phosphate, minerals)
- Quickly moves
Distribution of water
- Freshwater (3%)
- Ocean (97%)
Distribution of water from freshwater (3%)
- (70%) comes from ice caps and glaciers
- (29%) Groundwater (Aquifers)
- (1%) easily accesible freshwater
Distribution of freshwater (3%) from Easily accessible freshwater (1%)
- (52%) Lakes
- (1%) Rivers
- (8%) Water vapor
- (38%) Soil Moisture
- (1%) Living organism
Hydrologic Cycle also known as
Water cycle
Give the Hydrologic Cycle (water cycle)
(TO BE CHECKED)
- Evaporation
- Condensation
- Precipitation
- Runoff
- Infiltration
- Transpiration
liquid water is being heated and converted to water vapor
Evaporation
if relative humidity is reached, water vapor cool and liquifies
Condensation
water droplets combine and fall from clouds
Precipitation
flows downhill to a stream, then a lake or ocean
runoff
Seeps through spaces in soil
Infiltration
evaporation from the leaves of the plants
Transpiration
are underground formation of rock and sand that hold water
Aquifers
it is the uppermost boundary of aquifers
Water table
2 types of aquifers
- Unconfined Aquifers
- Confined Aquifers
is recharged from the ground surface directly above it
Unconfined Aquifers
has an impermeable layer of clay or rock that limits recharging to a smaller area
Confined aquifers
is the entire area of land where water runoff or infiltration feeds a specific river
Watershed
Withdrawal and consumption of water for agriculture, drinking, etc.
Water use
amount of water diverted or removed from its source
- a portion may be returned afterwards
(eg Powerplant coolant water)
Withdrawal
water withdraw and PERMANENTLY removed from a source
(eg. Irrigation)
Consumption
The Three (3) largest demand for water withdrawal
- Power generation (cooland water and for generating steam)
- Irrigation (Watering crops)
- Domestic (House water use)
the LARGEST CONSUMER OF WATER worldwide, as most of it is either taken in by plants or evaporated into the atmosphere
Irrigation
occurs when the DEMAND for water is GREATER than the supply
- leads to depletion of freshwater resources
Water stress
Regions with water stress tend to be…
- ?
- ?
- ?
- naturally arid
- heavily populated
- Growing water intensive crops and animals.
The environmental impacts of overconsumption of freshwater supplies
- decrease in river flow
- lowering of lake and reservoir levels
- subsidence, or greater sinking of lands
- Saltwater intrusion
freshwater depletion causes movement of saltwater into freshwater aquifers
Saltwater intrusion
Alternative water sources and reducing water consumption
Water conservation
is the REMOVAL OF SALT FROM OCEAN WATER, through Distillation and Reverse osmosis
Desalination
two possible methods in Desalination
Distillation and Reverse Osmosis
Desalination: _______ - boils the water and collects the steam
Distillation
Desalination: _______ - passes pressurized water through a filter
Reverse Osmosis
Disadvantage of Desalination
- Produces a lot of salt water waste (Brine)
- Uses very high cost of energy
Salt water waste of desalination
Brine
What are the conservation efforts (of water) on agriculture
- Installing drip irrigation
- Counter plowing and terracing
- lining irrigation
What are the conservation efforts (of water) Around High efficiency device
- Dual-flash toilet
- Low-flow showerheads and faucets that use AERATORS
- Effiencient dishwashers
uses drought-tolerant plants in the homes and yards and arid and climate
Xeriscaping
recirculate used water from the sink or shower into the toilet or for yard irrigation
Graywater systems
alternative water sources and reducing consumption
Water Pollution
the Act that limit what can be thrown in the bodies of water
Clean Water Act in 1970
The agency that lists the impaired water
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
Causes of Impaired waters
- Coliform bacteria
- Heavy metals
- Persistent organic pollutants(POPs)
- Oxygen Depleting Pollution
- Nutrient pollution
diease-causing bacteria from untreated human sewage and manure
Coliform bacteria
Neurotoxins. Released by mining and the use of synthetic fertilizers
Heavy Metals
Synthetic chemicals that do not degrade and are prone to biomagnification and bioaccumulation “forever chemicals”
POPs (Persistent Organic Pollulants)
is the gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in an organism.
Bioaccumulation
is the increase in concentration of a substance, e.g a pesticide, in the tissues of organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain.
Biomagnification
Biodegradable matter consumed by decomposers, who deplete oxygen levels in water
Oxygen Depleting Pollution
Nitrogen and phosphorus-rich compounds that produce algae overgrowth
Nutrient Pollution
Water pollution comes from SINGLE IDENTIFIABLE SOURCE
- Factories
- Water treatment
Point Source
Water pollution comes from runoff or infiltration from a wide area
- Agricultural fields
- City stormwater drains
- Home septic systems
Nonpoint source
is an increase in algae growth as fertilizer enters surface waters
Cultural eutrophication
Act that;
- Set limits and testing requirements for contiminants in municipal tap water
- Does not apply to non municipal well water or bottled water
Safe Drinking Water Act (EPA)
Act that;
- Generally fewer testing and contiminant requirements that tap water
- Water must be classified
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDA)
Artesian water source
Confined aquifer
Mineral/Sprint water source
Unconfined aquifer
Purified water source
Tapwater
Act that REQUIRED to have DOUBLE-HUL design by 2015 and increase legal liability of oil companies for oil spills
Oil Pollution Act of 1990
Impacts of Oils
- Mammals (penetrates fur, causing hypothermia in cold waters)
- Birds (penerates feathers preventing flight, causing hypothermia
- Fish and Plankton (oil is directly toxic to them)
- Bethos (suffocation)
Plastics are not biodegradable but will break down into smaller pieces as they are exposed to sunlight, forming tiny ____
Microplastics
Example of subsidence
Joaquin Valley california (1965)
How deep does subsidence that occured in Joaquin Valley california
7.3 feet
2 rivers in mesopotamia
Tigris and Euphrates
Impermeable layer of confined aquifers
Clay (Aquiclude)
The 3C’s rule
Choose
Clean
Cook
Where do 3C’s exists?
Lake Michigan fish
fish that are
primary consumers
and not bottom
feeders.
Choose
3C’s: _____ fish for eating
by removing as much
fat as possible.
Clean
3C’s: _____ fish on a grill or grate.
Cook
Kinds of culture eutrophication
Oligotrophic
Mesotrophic
Eutrophic
Hypereutrophic
• low nutrients
• low turbidity
• high sunlight
Oligotrophic
• Increasing nutrients,
turbidity, and algae
• Decreasing sunlight
Mesotrophic
• High nutrients
• High turbidity
• Hypoxia, reduced
dissolved oxygen
Eutrophic
• High nutrients
• High turbidity
• Anoxia, absence of
dissolved oxygen
Hypereutrophic
What year did the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground in Alaska, causing
the greatest oil spill up to that point.
1989
Name of the oil tanker ran aground in Alaska
Exxon Valdez
