Waterstudy Guide

WaterStudy Guide

Chapter Three + LFSWater Pollution

Test Date: 1/ /16

Big Ideas:

1. Sources of drinking water include rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and groundwater.
2. Many communities maintain public water supplies to collect, treat, and distribute water to residents. Somehomes have private wells.
3. Most drinking water is treated to ensure that it is safe and appealing to drink.
4. Pumps and gravity are used to increase water pressure and move water through a series of pipes.
5. Wastewater and sewage are treated to prevent contamination of drinking water. Just as some people rely on private wells rather than public water supplies, many people are not connected to public sanitary sewer systems. They may use other methods of disposing of sewage such as a septic system.
6. The Environmental Protection Agency has established a standard between 6.5-8.5 an acceptable level of pH

Vocabulary:

Chlorinate- to treat with chlorine in order to purify as in sewage or water

Concentration- the amount of one substance in a certain volume of another substance

Section Three

Big Ideas:

1. Sources of water pollution include human and animalwastes (chlolera), industrial (mercury), agriculturalchemicals (DDT), and runoff (oil) from road.
2. Acid rain is caused by sulfur and nitrogen from smokestacks and car exhausts, mainly from the burning of fossil fuels.
3. Some pollutants can build up in the bodies of living things. The pesticide DDT is one example of a pesticide that has been passed on this pollutant. DDT dissolves in water and is absorbed by algae which are then eaten by small fish in small concentrations. These smaller fish are eaten by bigger things as the concentration is passed onto them. Each larger organism consumes a greater number of the smaller organisms, and therefore more of the DDT. This process is known as bioaccumulation.
4. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 was the first major U.S. law to address water pollution.In 1972, it was later amended and is now known as the Clean Water Act. It established the basic structure for regulating pollutant discharges into thewatersof the US. It also gave EPA the authority to implement pollution control programs. Even after 40+ years of regulation, water pollution is still a big problem in the US. Point source pollution has shown a decrease while nonpoint has shown asignificant increase.

Vocabulary:

pollutant- any substance that pollutes or impurifies

point source- a specific source of pollution that can be identified

nonpoint source-a widely spread source of pollution that is difficult to link to a specific point of origin, such as road runoff

pH-how acidic or basic a substance is, measured on a scale of 1(very acidic)-14(very basic)

sewage-water containing human wastes

fertilizers – any substance added to the soil to make it more productive

nutrients- nourishing substances

Pesticides- chemicals intended to kill insects and other organisms that damage crops

Phosphates –a chemical salt used in fertilizers

Clear-cutting- the process of cutting down all trees in an area at once

Water quality- the degree of purity of water, determined by measuring the substances in water besides water molecules

Leach field – the ground area around a septic tank through which wastewater filters after leaving the tank

Acid rain- rain that is more acidic than normal

Bioaccumulation -The accumulation of a substance, such as a toxic chemical, in various tissues of a living organism.

Be able to list these steps for water treatment in correct order.

1st Fish, leaves, and trash removed.

2ndAlum is added to form flocs (sticky globs)

3rd Water trickles through sand and gravel.

4thChlorine is added to kill organisms.

5thBubbling air through the water reduces unpleasant odors and taste.

6thSodium or lime and fluoride may be added.

Be sure to practice the LEQ:What are factors that affect water quality? Be sure to include at least three of the categories of freshwater pollution in your answer.

EXAMPLE: There are a number of factors that affect water quality. Most are associated with the categories of pollutants that may get into the water. Human wastes such as sewage, agricultural wastes like the DDT pesticide, industrial wastes such as mercury, and runoff which picks up contaminates in its course can negatively affect the quality of freshwater endangering the living organisms that depend on it. Mercury has been shown to affect fish and the things that eat them. Sewage has passed on dangerous and deadly bacteria in the form of cholera. Excess heat from dams can also hurt the fish that live nearby. These are just a few of the factors that affect water quality.