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Geog322 > Water quality > Flashcards

Water quality Flashcards

1
Q

water quality definition

A

basic chemical & physical characteristics of water that determines its suitability for life or human uses

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2
Q

3 water quality parameters

A

biological
chemical
physical

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3
Q

list all physical water quality parameters

A

-water temperature
-electrical conductivity
-salinity
-alkalinity
-pH
-dissolved oxygen
-turbidity (Total Suspended Solids)
-total dissolved solids

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4
Q

water temperature use and trends with development of watershed

A

-use: determines suitability for various forms of aquatic life, generally follows mean daily air temperature without as much diurnal differences
-development of watershed:
-pavement heated by sun warms water flowing on it -> increased lake surface inflow temperature
-riparian vegetation removal increases temperature as the sun heats water surfaces directly

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5
Q

electrical conductivity definition

A

measures ability of water to conduct an electrical current, which is proportional to the number of ions in water

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6
Q

EC of different water types & impact of development

A

freshwater: low conductivity given in microSiemens per cm (uS/cm)
marine: very high conductivity given in milliSiemens (ms)
GW: higher conductivity than surface water
development of watershed: increase conductivity with increase in chemical washing into waterbodies

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7
Q

Total dissolved solids definition

A

total amount of dissolved substance in water -> measure of dissolved matter remaining behind after water evaporates
-1 TDS is 0.66 x EC

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8
Q

salinity and how it is reported

A

it is the amount of salts dissolved in water
-reported as ratio of EC to a standard :
-old : Copenhagen seawater
-now: KCI standard

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9
Q

using TDS to classify water

A

-freshwater: potable, generally <1000mg/L TDS
-brackish: non-potable, less saline than seawater
-seawater

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10
Q

how to assess water chemistry analysis

A
  • commonly expressed as mass in liter of solution (mg/L, ng/L, etc.)
    -closely related to parts per million or mg/kg (mass of solute in mass of solution)
    -because density of natural water is near 1kg/L -> mg/L = ppm
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11
Q

Dissolved oxygen (DO) use and impact

A

oxygen is required for most living thing and scarcer in water because dissolved. Solubility depends on temperature and pressure -> 10 ppm at temp of 20 degrees C AND most aquatic organisms need >5mg/L
-decrease in DO = excess respiration because decomposition of OM inputs
-most natural stream close to saturation -> water discharge/velocity helps deliver O2-rich water

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12
Q

pH use and optimal range

A

measure of acidic or basic characteristics of water using -log[H+]
-organism prefer pH 5 to 9

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13
Q

alkalinity use, cause, potential and development impact

A

-use: ability of water body to resist acidification
-cause: amount of carbonate & bicarbonate ions in water because of rock & soils, salts, plant activities and industrial wastewaters
-potential: moderate-high alkalinity water is not subject to acidification (can buffer acid rain)
-development impact: increase alkalinity from mobilization & washing of carbonates & bicarbonates

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14
Q

turbidity definition, problems when high and cause

A

-definition: how clear the water is, relating to the amount of total suspended solids in water (TSS)
-problems of high turbidity: limit light penetration (less photosynthesis), covers aquatic plants & animals (affect biodiversity), brings insoluble toxins into waterways and threat to human infrastructure (hydroelectric turbines)
-cause: erosion of agri land, overgrazed grassland, strip mines, etc.

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15
Q

Biological factors list:

A

BOD
disease-causing agents

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15
Q

Biological factors list:

A

BOD
disease-causing agents

16
Q

disease causing agents definition and examples

A

-definition: infectious organisms causing disease originating from waste of infected individuals
-examples: typhoid, cholera, polio

17
Q

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) definition and factors influencing it

A

-definition: amount of DO consumed by aquatic organisms while degrading OM -> higher BOD = higher chance of depleting DO
-factors influencing OM degradation: temperature, flow and volume

18
Q

oxygen sag definition

A

region where oxygen level sharply decline downstream of pollution sources as decomposers metabolize waste materials
-after oxygen sag = recovery zone -> clean zone

19
Q

chemical factors list:

A

heavy metals
nutrients

20
Q

nutrients: 2 main ones and sources

A

-nutrients are usually limited in aquatic envr (excess is detrimental)
-P and N are very important because building blocks of biological molecules and stimulate growth of plants and algea
-sources: human & animal waste, plant residues, atmosphere deposition, fertilizer runoff

21
Q

pollution definition

A

presence of a substance in the environment that, because of its chemical composition or quantity, prevents the functioning of natural processes AND produces undesirable environmental and health effects

22
Q

environmental consequences of water pollution

A

-health hazards
-loss of biodiversity
-loss of aesthetic
-impact and leisure & sporting activities

23
Q

point source pollution definition and examples

A

-water pollution that can be traced to a specific origin (single point of entry) and is easy to regulate and monitor
-examples: landfills, drainpipes, factories

24
Q

non-point source definition and examples

A

-pollutants entering the water body over large area as scattered or diffuse but having a large cumulative effect. Difficult to trace & regulate
-examples: runoff from agricultural fields, urban runoff, golf course

25
Q

atmospheric deposition definition

A

contaminant carried by air current and precipitated into watershed or directly onto surface water as rain, snow or dry particles.
-non-point source pollutant

26
Q

sewage treatment steps and actions

A

-primary treatment: physical separation of large solids from waste stream
-secondary treatment: biological degradation of dissolved organic compound in trickling bed or aeration -> usually disinfected before release into waterway
-tertiary treatment: removal of plant nutrients using chemical which bind OR natural wetlands

27
Q

sewage treatment issue

A

sanitary sewers connect to storm sewers -> heavy storm can overload the system and cause raw sewage to runoff directly into waterways.

28
Q

polluted agricultural runoff: products, causes and effects

A

-products: nutrients, sediments, pathogens
-causes: agricultural activities like grazing, plowing, fertilizing, planting and Animal Feeding Operation (farms with high concentration of livestock generating lots of waste)
-effects: leading source of water quality problems in lakes & rivers

29
Q

polluted urban runoff: products, causes and effects

A

-products: sediment, oil & greases, heavy metals, debris, road salts, fertilizers, pesticides & herbicides
-cause: impervious surfaces causing water to accumulate and runoff in large amount while carrying large amount of waste from urban envr
-effect: large source of water quality impairments to river

30
Q

eutrophication process and consequences

A

-process: increasing biological productivity of algea in water body via the addition of nutrients by runoff -> leading to algal bloom and depletion of oxygen as they decompose
-consequences: depletion of DO, significant changes in ecological dynamics, human health consequences

31
Q

Oligotrophic VS eutrophic and cultural eutrophication

A

oligotrophic: waterbodies with clear water & low productivity
eutrophic: waterbodies rich in organisms and OM
cultural eutrophication: increase in bio prod & ecosystem succession caused by human activities

32
Q

watershed export definition, units and calculation

A

def: amount of a substance exported from a watershed
unit: kg/ha/yr
calculation: (flow x pollutant concentration) / watershed area

33
Q

watershed load def and units

A

def: amount of a substance delivered to a waterbody
unit: mg/m2/yr OR kg/m2/yr

34
Q

3 basics pollution management strategies

A

-reduce/remove pollutant
-treat/purify tainted water
-monitor downstream waterbodies

35
Q

water quality classification

A

good: sufficient to meet all designated uses
impaired: insufficient to meet AT LEAST ONE designated water use

36
Q

How to regulate water quality and types of water uses

A

different jurisdictions designating different water uses:
-food supply
-water supply
-recreation
-ecosystem health

37
Q

heavy metals problem and source

A

problem: highly toxic and persistence metals that can bioaccumulate in the food chain
source: mine drainage and leaching

Geog322 (9 decks)

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