Water contamination

Question 1

what do we need water for?

Answer 1

• food production
• industry (energy)
• domestic
• recreation
• habitat

Question 2

contamination

Answer 2

presence of any substance other than water

might include naturally occurring salts

Question 3

pollution

Answer 3

unwanted, dangerous material that’s introduced into earths environment due to human activity. threatens human health and harms ecosystems

Question 4

types of contamination

Answer 4

biological, organic, inorganic, physical

Question 5

how does pollution enter water bodies

Answer 5

point source e.g. sewage pipe

non point source e.g. land run off

Question 6

sources of pollution

Answer 6

pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, petrol, microorganisms, fertilisers, thermal from industry, radioactive waste and from human activity

Question 7

impacts of pollution

Answer 7

on health, environment and economy.

so many ways its hard to study and quantify

Question 8

how many people died due to water pollution in 2014

Answer 8

1.8million

Question 9

about heavy metals

Answer 9

naturally fond in crust and soils.
natural sources - weathering of soils, rocks and volcanic eruptions
anthropogenic sources - industrial waste, mining, corrosion of water pipes
trace amounts can be good for us
high levels lead to illness

Question 10

arsenic

Answer 10

heavy metal
occurs naturally
known carcinogen for humans
can affect biodiversity

Question 11

nitrates and phosphates

Answer 11

important for healthy growth of plants
in fertilisers
can be bad for humans - blue baby syndrome

Question 12

environmental impacts of nitrates and phosphates in water

Answer 12

eutrophication
algal bloom
harmful to humans and animals if drink or swim in it
impacts can move up food chain

Question 13

how many die worldwide due to water Bourne diseases each year ?

Answer 13

2.2 million

Question 14

effects of sewage pollution

Answer 14

• recreational exposure to antibiotic resistant bacteria in sea=higher risk of gut colonisation by antibiotic resistant bacteria
• ruin aesthetics of envt and lead to beach closure
• eutrophication
• algal blooms
• illness outbreaks

Question 15

how to measure water quality

Answer 15

standardised and validated methods are needed to compare across sites and time
how often? do they correlate?

Question 16

threats to water quality

Answer 16

• population is growing
• demand for freshwater will be /3 greater
• increased demand for food
• changed in land use
• changing climate and hydrology
• plastics
• antibiotic resistance
• new chemicals

Question 17

how to manage water bodies and protect water quality

Answer 17

• monitor
• reduce/prevent pollution
• improve treatment
• improve policies to protect water

Question 18

whats an antimicrobial?

Answer 18

chemical that kills or prevents the growth of microorganism. can be natural, semisynthetic or synthetic.
they disrupt cell activities involved in survival and reproduction

Question 19

antimicrobial resistance

Answer 19

bacteria can make cell walls more impermeable

Question 20

how do microbes gain drug resistance

Answer 20

• genetically encoded

- vertical(parent to offspring) and horizontal gene transfer

Question 21

co selection

Answer 21

plasmids can carry multiple resistance genes.
e.g. presence of heavy metals will select for bacteria with resistance genes for heavy metals, but also for any other genes on this plasma including antibiotic resistance genes

Question 22

why is antibiotic resistance and increasing threat?

Answer 22

we keep developing new antibiotics and then have to develop a new one

Question 23

what year was the first report where a woman was resistant to all antibiotics

Answer 23

2016 - she died

Question 24

effects of antibiotic resistance

Answer 24

routine procedures now much more risky.

death

Question 25

how many deaths are predicted due to antibiotic resistance by 2050

Answer 25

10million

Question 26

antimicrobial resistance in aquatic environments

Answer 26

sewage contains antimicrobials and those resistant.
plastics have been shown to increase frequency of horizontal gene transfer events in water.
heavy metals can be co selecting agents for antibiotic resistance genes