Visualizing Environmental Science

Types of water pollution • Table 10.1

Type ofpollution Sewage Disease-causingagents Sediment pollution Inorganic plant andalgal nutrients Organic compounds Inorganic chemicals Radioactive substancesThermal pollution

Source Wastewdrains ater from

or sewers

Wastes of in-fected individuals Erosion of agricultural lands, forest soils ex-

posed by logging,degraded stream banks,

overgrazstrip mines, constructioned rangelands,

Human and animal wastes, plant residues,

atmospheric depositionfertilizer runoff from ,

agricultural and residen-tial land

Landfills, agricul-tural runoff, industrial

wastes

Industries, mines, ir rigation runoff , oil

drilling, urban runoffrom storm sewers , f

deposition from industrial emissions,

especially coal burning

Nuclear power plants, nuclear weapons

industryscientific researc, medical and h

facilities

Industrial runoff

Examples Human wastes, soaps, detergents Bacteria, viruses, protozoa, para-

sitic worms

Claygravel, suspended in , silt, sand, and

water and eventually settling out

Nitrogen and phosphorus Synthetic chemicals: pesticides, cleaning

solvents, industrial chemicals, plastics

Acids, salts, heavmetals such as lead, y

mercury, and arsenic

Unstable isotopes of radioactive minerals

sucthoriumh as uranium and

Heated wduring industrial ater produced

processes, then released into waterways

Effects Threatens public health; causes

enrichigh biochment and hemical

oxygen demand (BOD)

Spread infectious diseases, includ-

ing cholera, dysentery, ty-

phoid, infectious hepatitis, and

poliomyelitis.

Reduces light penetration, limiting photosynthesis

and disrupting foodch ain; clogs gills and

feeding structures ofaquatic animals; carries

and deposits disease-causing agents and toxic

chemicals

Stimulate growth ofexcess plants and al (^) gae,
whicbalance between produch disrupt natural -
er s and consumercause enrichment, bad s and
odorsuspected of causing red s, and high BOD;
tides, explosiof toxic pigmented alve bloomsgae
that threaten the healthof humans and aquatic
animals in coastal areas
Contaminate ground-water and surface wa-
ter; threaten drinking water supply; found
in some botsome are suspected tled water;
endocrine disrupters
Contaminate ground-water and surface wa-
ter; threaten drinking water supply; found
in some botdon’t easily degrade tled water;
or break down
Contaminate ground-water and surface
water; threaten drink-ing water supply
Depletes water of oxygen and reduces
amount of oxygen that water can hold; reduced
oxygen threatens fishes
smart phone. See which of these tips work for you and
always ask your instructor for permission to record or
photograph in class or in lab. Figure 0.4 introduces you
to an active learning tool called concept mapping. Finally,
find the roadmap to success in the process diagram in
Figure 0.5. These tools can help increase the efficiency
Water contamination Acid rain
Environmental
issues and human
health Fossil fuels
Clean water
Clean air
Limited
natural
resources
Dry land
Soil
Monocultures
Unsustainable
farming practices
Climate
change
Loss of food crops
Increased range
of tropical
diseases
Loss of species
Pollution
Toxic chemicals
Pesticides
Smog
Concept mapping • Figure 0.4
Concept mapping is an active learning tool that allows you to organize related information
into an efficient visual aid. Choose a main topic and organize pertinent information into
related subtopics, ideas,
and details. Concept maps
can look like the simple
example here or can be
organized into a table with
even more information, like
this excerpt from Table 10.1.
Concept maps help you
make connections within
the material and commit
that information to memory
through their creation and
review.