Chap 14 - Water Pollution Study Guide Name ______
1. Attach:
a. Pollutant List
b. Controlling Water Pollution Notes
c. Wastewater Treatment Plant Notes
2. Describe the Chesapeake Bay
3. Where are the nutrients entering the Bay coming from? What are they causing?
4. Where is the sediment coming from? How does it harm the Bay?
5. What chemicals are entering the Bay? How do they harm the Bay?
6. The Chesapeake Bay Action Plan was developed to clean-up the Bay. Describe the progress.
7. What is the difference between a point source and a non-point source? Provide a few examples of each. Which is easier to control?
8. Where does wastewater come from? What is gray water?
There are 3 problems caused by human wastewater:
9. Oxygen-demanding waste
a. What is oxygen demanding waste and why does it demand oxygen? Be specific.
b. Draw & label the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) sag curve & Dissolved Oxygen (DO) curve
c. What does a low BOD indicate? A high BOD?
d. Explain how oxygen demanding waste can lead to a dead zone.
10. Nutrient Overload
a. How do nitrogen and phosphorus get into human waste water?
b. Explain the difference between eutrophication & cultural eutrophication. What are the roles of algae & decomposers? What happens to biodiversity?
c. Where in the US do we have a large dead zone? When does it form?
11. Disease Causing Organisms
a. List some diseases that can be caused by drinking water contaminated with human waste.
b. How many people worldwide do NOT have access to safe drinking water?
c. What indicator species do we use to test for the presence of human waste in drinking water? Name one specific bacteria in this group.
12. Describe and/or draw a septic system. Where is it used? What are 3 layers? What is purpose of leach field? What happens to sludge?
13. List advantages / disadvantages of a septic system.
14. In Sewage treatment plants, What is the goal of primary treatment? What happens to the sludge?
15. What is the goal of secondary treatment? Why does it require aeration?
16. What are 3 ways to disinfect waste water?
17. Is there always tertiary treatment? What is the purpose?
18. When does raw sewage ever get dumped directly into a body of water? Why is this a problem
19. CAFO (Animal Feed Lots) generate lots of animal manure. Describe issues, risks, benefits
20. Describe issues/sources of the 3 heavy metals in water
a. Lead
b. Arsenic
c. Mercury
21. Describe issues/sources of Synthetic Organic Compounds
a. Pesticides
b. Pharmaceuticals/hormones
c. Military compounds
d. Industrial compounds
22. What are the main causes of acid deposition . How does a coal scrubber work to reduce acid deposition
23. How does acid mine drainage occur
24. What risks does acid deposition & acid mine drainage pose to ecosystems and/or humans
25. Why are oil spills such a problem?
26. List the places oil can spill from and give a specific example for each.
27. Describe the three ways surface oil be cleaned up. Include a pro and con for each method.
28. How does solid waste threaten aquatic ecosystems? Describe the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
29. Where does sediment pollution come from?
30. How does sediment impact aquatic ecosystems?
31. Why is heat considered a water pollutant? What is main source? What damage does it cause?
32. Why is a summer a particularly bad time for thermal pollution?
33. How can noise pollution impact aquatic ecosystems?
34. What is the Clean Water Act? What kinds of water does it apply to?
35. What is the Safe Drinking Water Act? What kinds of water does it apply to?
36. What is an MCL and how are they determined?
37. Why is clean, safe water a challenge in less developed countries?
38. Describe steps in their green waste water treatment
39. What are the pros and cons of these green waste water treatment plants?