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Waterborne DiseaseWHO estimates 3.4 MILLION people die prematurely each year1.9 MILLION people die from diarrhea alone!

Shigella

Salmonellosis- Salmonella

Enterotoxicegnic- E. Coli

Giardiasis- Giardia lamblia

Amebiasis- Entamoeba histolytica

Cholera- Vibrio cholera

Legionnaires Disease- Legionella pneumophilia

Typhoid Fever- Salmonella typhi

Cryptosporidosis- Cryptosporidium

Hepatitis A- Hepatitis A

Water PollutionAny chemical, biological, or physical change in water quality that is harmful to organisms living in the water or makes it unsuitable for use

Infectious AgentsWhat it is: Bacteria, Viruses, Protozoa, Parasitic worms

Where it comes from: Come from wastes

What is causes: Disease

Oxygen Demanding WastesOrganic wastesSewage, feedlots, paper millsDeplete dissolved oxygen (DO) in water which causes fish kills

Inorganic ChemicalsWater soluble acids, toxic compounds, saltsRunoff, industrial effluents, household cleanersMake freshwater unusable, cancer, spinal & neck damage, nervous system damage, kidney & liver damage, etc

Organic ChemicalsOil, gas, plastics, pesticides, detergentsIndustrial effluent cleaners, runoff, trashNervous system damage, reproductive disorders, cancers

Plant NutrientsNitrite, Nitrate, PhosphateSewage, manure, runoff, fertilizersExcessive algal growth, Blue baby syndrome

SedimentSoil, dirt, sandLand erosionCloudy water, disrupt aquatic food webs & primary production, clog & fill lakes & reservoirs

Radioactive MaterialsIsotopes of radon, iodine, uranium, cesium, & thoriumNuclear & coal-burning power plants (Big Bend), nuclear weapons processingGenetic mutations, miscarriages, birth defects, cancer

Heat (Thermal)Excessive heatWater cooling from electric plantsLowers DO levels, thermal shock

Hormones???Are the hormones we take in (and eventually release) affecting the environment?Not really sure, but most likely yesBirth control hormones are affecting male alligators

Measuring Water QualityFecal coliform bacteria(like E. coli)Bacteria are in our intestines so they show up in fecal wastesMost strains DONT cause diseasePresence indicates water has been in contact with human or animal wastes and are likely to have some disease causing agent in it

Measuring FCBSafe for drinking? NO FCB coloniesSafe for swimming? No more than 200 FCB colonies per 100mL

Perspective- raw sewage has several MILLION FCB colonies per 100mLDissolved Oxygen Levels (DO)Presence is critical to the survival of most aquatic organismsVariations can occur due to:Temperature changes colder water holds more DOFlow rates fast moving streams have more dissolved oxygenPhotosynthetic activity photosynthesis releases oxygenDecomposition bacteria consume oxygenBiological Oxygen Demand (BOD)When organic matter is present in a water supply, bacteria will break it downWhen this happens, much of the DO is consumed by aerobic bacteriaBOD is a measure of the oxygen used by microorganisms to decompose this wasteWhen BOD levels are high, DO levels decreaseBODThe BOD level is determined by comparing the DO level of a water sample taken immediately with the DO level of a water sample that has been incubated in a dark location for 5 days.

The difference between the two DO levels represents the amount of oxygen required for the decomposition of any organic material in the sample. Oxygen Sag CurveTime & distance needed for stream to recover depends on.Volume of incoming degradable wastesStreams volumeFlow rateTemppH

Chemical/ Physical Water Quality TestsNitrates and phosphates are nutrients that come from both natural & human sources (fertilizer runoff, septic systems, improperly treated wastewater, manure)

Chemical/ Physical Water Quality TestsOther tests include:pHNitritesSalinityTemperature

Biological Water Quality TestsAquatic insects and other invertebrates (like crayfish) depend on clean, unpolluted water to live in, and if there is pollution entering the system, insects are often the first to disappear.

These insects are called indicator organisms

Biological Water Quality TestsWater quality can be determined by comparing the number of pollution-tolerant organisms with the number of pollution-sensitive organisms.Pollution tolerant can be found in both polluted and clean waters.

Oceans & PollutionHow will the oceans react to the increasing amount of pollution?We dont know!!!

Oceans & Pollution40% of people in the world live within 62 mi of the coast. Some countries (-ed & -ing) dump UNTREATED SEWAGE directly into the ocean.

Oceans & PollutionRunoff & sewage cause beach pollution, shellfish contamination, & HABs. They introduce large amounts of nitrates and phosphates into the waters

Can kill fish, birds, poison seafood, and reduce tourism

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

Oxygen Depleted ZonesDead zones created by excess nutrient runoffEven though the ocean is big and currents carry water, we can still have large areas that are relatively isolatedDO levels are depleted and many organisms either die or leave the area

Helsinki Convention1980- Baltic Sea countries1st international agreement to lower marine pollution

Oceans & PollutionBarges legally dump dredge spoils off the US coastMaterials scraped from bottom of harbors & shipping canalsOften contain toxic chemicals

Oceans & PollutionHard to catch & enforce international agreements on dumping into the ocean

Plastic Pollution

Garbage PatchesFormed in the center of a gyre (large circular ocean current)Gradual accumulation of trashMost of it has broken down and is too small to see!We do know they are larger than the state of Texas but cannot accurately determine just how big they are

Garbage Patches

Tsunami aftermathTrash from the Japan tsunami in 2011 began washing up in Alaska in May 2012. Trash is covering EVERY beach in Alaska, many of which are difficult to reach & therefore clean.

Oil PollutionMost oil originates on land50+% comes from improperly disposed/ leaky car oilEvery 8 months the amount of oil runoff from the land is = to 1 Exxon Valdez

Oil PollutionCrude petroleum: oil straight from the groundRefined petroleum: oil that has been processedFuel oil, gasoline, etc

Exxon ValdezMarch 24, 1989Prince William Sound, Alaska260,000 to 750,000 barrels STILL impacting Alaskas beaches

Deepwater Horizon Oil RigApril 20, 2010- explosion caused by a blowout (killed 11)Fire could not be put out & the rig sank on April 22 & left the well gushing oilCapped on July 15, 2010 after releasing 205.8 million gallons of crude oil

Oil SpillsCrude oil spills are less damagingRecovery can happen in about 3 yearsRefined oil recovery takes from 10-15 or more yearsRecovery depends on type of oil, type of ecosystem, amount released, how far from shore, time of year, ocean currents, weather conditions, and average water temperature

Oil Spill EffectsImmediately begins killing organismsCan form tar blobsCoats birds and mammals (birds dehydrate trying to clean themselves and die) Smothers benthic crittersKills coralsEconomic damage

Cleaning Up Oil SpillsMechanical methods:Floating boomsSkimmer boatsAbsorbers (hair, etc)Robots?Cleaning Up Oil SpillsChemical methods:Spraying chemical dispersantsCoagulating chemicalsFire

Cleaning Up Oil SpillsBiological methods:BacteriaActually worked during Deepwater Horizon spillResearchers were tracking a huge plume and it disappeared in only a few days.