DOCSLIB.ORG

Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution Name: Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution Topics (Textbook Module Numbers) I. Sources of Pollution (41) IX. Solid Waste Disposal (51) II. Human Impacts on Ecosystems (41) X. Waste Reduction Methods (52) III. Endocrine Disruptors (42) XI. Sewage Treatment (41) IV. Human Impacts on Wetlands and Mangroves (43) XII. Lethal Dose 50% (LD50) (57) V. Eutrophication (41) XIII. Dose Response Curve (57) VI. Thermal Pollution (44) XIV. Pollution and Human Health (56) VII. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) (42) XV. Pathogens and Infectious Diseases (56) VIII. Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification (42) Vocabulary • Acid deposition • Landfill mitigation • Range of tolerance • Algal bloom • LD50 • Recycling • Bioaccumulation • Leach field • Runoff • Biochemical oxygen • Leachate • Safe Drinking Water Act demand (BOD) • Malaria • Sanitary municipal landfill • Biomagnification • Mangroves • SARS • Boom • Manure lagoon • Secondary treatment • Bubonic plague • Maximum Contaminant • Sedimentation • Cholera Level (MCL) • Septage • Composting • MERS • Septic system • Coral bleaching • Mesothelioma • Septic tank • Dead zone • Methylmercury • Sludge • Decomposition • Nonpoint source • Tertiary treatment • Dispersant • Oligotrophic • Thermal pollution • Dose Response Curve • Oxygen sag curve • Thermal pollution • E-waste • Pathogen • Thermal shock Clean Water • Endocrine disruptors • Perceived obsolescence Act • Eutrophication/ Cultural • Persistent Organic • Tuberculosis Eutrophication Pollutants (POPs) • Wastewater • Fecal coliform bacteria • Planned obsolescence • Water pollution • Great Pacific Garbage Patch • Point source • West Nile virus • Hypoxic • Polychlorinated biphenyls • Wetland • Incineration (PCBs) • Zika virus • Indicator species • Primary treatment 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GorqroigqM 21:17 1. Copy the sketches of the 5 stages of the materials economy Extraction Production Distribution Consumption Disposal 2. How much of our natural resources have been trashed in the last few decades? 3. How many planets are needed to support current rates of consumption in the US and Australia? 4. How many trees are being lost in the Amazon each minute? 5. What is being added to the production system that is created dangerous waste products? 6. What food is at the top of the food chain and threatening the health of future generations? 7. What is meant by “externalising costs of production”? 8. Who is paying for the real cost of cheap electronic equipment (i.e. the $4.99 radio)? List three groups at least. 9a. How much material is still in the system after 6 months?____________%. 9b. Where have the remaining materials gone? 10. When did the modern consumer economy come into being? Why? 2 11. According to Annie Leonard, what are some of the social and community interests being neglected while we are busy consuming “stuff”? 12. What do these terms mean? Give an example of each. • planned obsolescence example________________________________________________________ • perceived obsolescence example________________________________________________________ 13a. What is happening to the levels of measured happiness? 13b. What reasons are given? 14. Draw or summarize the steps in the treadmill. 15. One solution which many countries use to deal with increasing waste is to burn it. What problem is associated with burning rubbish? 16. How does recycling help? 17. Why is recycling not enough? (Clue: How many rubbish bins are needed to produce one bin of recycled materials?) 3 I. Sources of Pollution Objective: • Identify differences between point and nonpoint sources of pollution Waste should be viewed as a _____________ , just like other materials. Human systems: Inputs Outputs Waste:____________________________________________________________________________ Is natural waste “useful” or not? _________________________________ : Produced from a single, identifiable location. Examples: _______________________________________: Produced from a more diffuse, broadly defined area Examples: How is it helpful to a community to identify point sources of pollution? Which type of pollution is more difficult to control and why? II. Human Impacts on Aquatic Ecosystems Objective: • Describe negative environmental impacts on suffered by coral reefs. • Explain how oil spills happen, and their negative economic consequences and effects on aquatic ecosystems. • Explain what a dead zone is and how it forms. • Describe how heavy metals can impact water supply. • Identify the major sources of solid waste pollution. • Explain the harmful effects of sediment pollution. Remember this? Summarize: 4 Why are coral reefs important? THREATS: Chemical • Physical • • • • • • • • • Indirect Biological Natural Threats How does human activity exacerbate (magnify) this threat? Storm impacts Temperature changes Salinity changes Predation Algal overgrowth 5 Oil spills Cause harm from surface to bottom of ocean, at all trophic levels 1. Marine mammals and birds→ 2. Fish→ 3. Invertebrates → Case Studies 1.________________________________________________ Supertanker crashed into a reef in Prince William Sound, AK 42 million liters (11 million gallons) Half a million birds and thousands of marine mammals killed 2. ____________________________________________ Exploration might yield up to 1.4 trillion L of oil and natural gas Opponents: will harm pristine habitat and the human population as well 3. ____________________________________________ Explosion at a BP oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico Released 780 million L (206 million gal)—87 days 6000 sea turtles, 26,000 marine mammals, 82,000 birds killed BP Oil Spill Timeline (2:58) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiF-X- Ez9Bs BP Oil Spill 5 Years Later: Wildlife Still Suffering MSNBC (5:53) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcZ9MLDuIl0 Why were there so many birds on the neighboring barrier islands off the Lousiana coast at the time of the spill? What occurred with the land and mangroves? (positive feedback loop!) 6 Why are they in danger of losing the pelican population? What are the steps being taken right now to protect the pelicans? Who is supporting and not supporting? Deepwater Horizon disaster, five years later (10:24) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZKBDVurCdk Correctsit dispersant: Physical evidence that remains even 5 years later Human medical issues BP’s responses to the complaints Economic issues in Grand Isle ______________________________ : Produced by livestock operations and human activities Types: Why is wastewater a problem? _________________________________________________________________ → more oxygen is required for the bacteria to decompose all the organic material → _______________ BOD = ___________ pollution → High BOD = Less ________________________________________ for other forms of life; may cause ______________________________ BOD in the waters of North America has (increased/decreased) since 1976 because: BOD in the waters of Africa and Asia has (increased/decreased) since 1976 because: 7 How is the creation of a dead zone in the ocean or river an example of a positive feedback loop? (Draw it) Oxygen Sag Curve Trout, perch, bass, No fish Pollution- Trout, perch, bass, Pollution-tolerant mayfly, stonefly Fungi, sludge, tolerant fishes mayfly, stonefly fishes (carp, gar) (clean water orgs) worms, bacteria (carp, gar) (clean water orgs) Clean Decomposition Septic Recovery Clean Zones→ Sediment Pollution (_______________________________________) • Caused by construction, agriculture, erosion • Increases _____________________________, reduces sunlight • Clogs gills • ______________________________________ 8 Heavy metals used for industry, especially mining and burning of fossil fuels, can reach the groundwater, impacting the drinking water supply Heavy Metals and other toxins Metal/Toxin Source Removal Health Effect Water filtration Nervous system and kidney damage to Laws banning lead paint, import of toys fetuses and infants Replacement of old pipes Federal guidelines for building Filtration and reverse osmosis Skin, lung, kidney, bladder cancers Reduce use of coal Biomagnification—can damage CNS, esp. fetuses/children Coal scrubbers Lethal to many forms of life, food web Water treatment effects Destroy statues, bridges, roads, buildings Use organic methods Kill many non-target organisms Ban certain chemicals (DDT) Proper waste disposal Varying effects on food web Other compounds: _________________________ (rocket fuel), __________--polychlorinated biphenyls (plastics/electrical transformers), __________ (flame retardants) 9 http://www.cc.com/video-clips/13hiav/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-michigan-s-toxic-water-crisis http://www.cc.com/video-clips/hwvdyb/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-it-s-not-just-flint-s-water-crisis http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/chemical-study-ground-zero-house-flint-water-crisis-180962030/ Scientists Now Know Exactly How Lead Got Into Flint's Water –Smithsonian magazine What was the root cause of the crisis and what happened in 2014 that exacerbated it? What safety measures might have prevented the problem, but were not being followed by Flint? What has Flint done since 2014, and is it working for the long term? Is Flint the only place this contamination could be a problem? III. Endocrine Disruptors Objective: • Identify endocrine disruptors and describe the effects of endocrine disruptors on ecosystems. _______________________________________________ : Mimic hormones causing overstimulation, or bind to a receptor within a cell and block the real hormone, stopping
Load more

Recommended publications
  • An Assessment Report on Microplastics
    An Assessment Report on Microplastics This document was prepared by B Stevens, North Carolina Coastal Federation Table of Contents What are Microplastics? 2 Where Do Microplastics Come From? 3 Primary Sources 3 Secondary Sources 5 What are the Consequences of Microplastics? 7 Marine Ecosystem Health 7 Water Quality 8 Human Health 8 What Policies/Practices are in Place to Regulate Microplastics? 10 Regional Level 10 Outer Banks, North Carolina 10 Other United States Regions 12 State Level 13 Country Level 14 United States 14 Other Countries 15 International Level 16 Conventions 16 Suggested World Ban 17 International Campaigns 18 What Solutions Already Exist? 22 Washing Machine Additives 22 Faucet Filters 23 Advanced Wastewater Treatment 24 Plastic Alternatives 26 What Should Be Done? 27 Policy Recommendations for North Carolina 27 Campaign Strategy for the North Carolina Coastal Federation 27 References 29 1 What are Microplastics? The category of ‘plastics’ is an umbrella term used to describe synthetic polymers made from either fossil fuels (petroleum) or biomass (cellulose) that come in a variety of compositions and with varying characteristics. These polymers are then mixed with different chemical compounds known as additives to achieve desired properties for the plastic’s intended use (OceanCare, 2015). Plastics as litter in the oceans was first reported in the early 1970s and thus has been accumulating for at least four decades, although when first reported the subject drew little attention and scientific studies focused on entanglements, ‘ghost fishing’, and ingestion (Andrady, 2011). Today, about 60-90% of all marine litter is plastic-based (McCarthy, 2017), with the total amount of plastic waste in the oceans expected to increase as plastic consumption also increases and there remains a lack of adequate reduce, reuse, recycle, and waste management tactics across the globe (GreenFacts, 2013).
    [Show full text]
  • Ocean Currents and the Pacific Garbage Patch
    ocean currents and the Pacific Garbage Patch photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography The image above shows a net tow sample from the Pacific Garbage Patch. The sample contains small fish and many small pieces of plastic. The Garbage Patch is primarily composed of this small plastic “confetti” suspended throughout the surface water of the North Pacific Gyre, and is not a island of trash as suggested by some media outlets. The region where the trash converges in the center of the North Pacific Gyre, in a region where surface currents are weak and convergent, thus concentrating large amounts of trash in an area estimated to be close to the size of Texas. With this slide I often show a video clip about the Garbage Patch. Although the links may change, here is one from ABC that I’ve used several times: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFMW8srq0Qk this video is a bit over the top but it gets the point across. There is additional information from Scripps Institution of Oceanography SEAPLEX experiment: http://sio.ucsd.edu/Expeditions/Seaplex/ and several videos on youtube.com by searching the phrase “SEAPLEX” Pacific garbage patch tiny plastic bits • the worlds largest dump? • filled with tiny plastic “confetti” large plastic debris from the garbage patch photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography little jellyfish photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography These are some of the things you find in the Garbage Patch. The large pieces of plastic, such as bottles, breakdown into tiny particles. Sometimes animals get caught in large pieces of floating trash: photo: NOAA photo: NOAA photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography How do plants and animals interact with small small pieces of plastic? fish larvae growing on plastic Trash in the ocean can cause various problems for the organisms that live there.
    [Show full text]
  • Contaminated Soil in Gardens
    Contaminated Soil in Gardens How to avoid the harmful effects EUR/ICP/LVNG 03 01 02(A) E64737 EUROPEAN HEALTH21 TARGET 11 HEALTHIER LIVING By the year 2015, people across society should have adopted healthier patterns of living (Adopted by the WHO Regional Committee for Europe at its forty-eighth session, Copenhagen, September 1998) Abstract In many cities, gardens are located on old, abandoned landfills and dumping sites. Cities have expanded by filling up spaces around the city with garbage, rubble and earth. The places where old landfills were have often become gardens where citizens can get away and enjoy the open air away from the noise and racket of cities. Normal garbage and rubble in landfills do not present a problem, however industrial and chemical waste can present a health hazard, especially when concentrations of contaminants are above acceptable limits. Some special precautions are proposed in this booklet so that the potential ill effects of contaminated soil can be avoided. Keywords SOIL POLLUTANTS RISK MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES URBAN HEALTH Contents The soil is contaminated – what then? .......................................................1 What is in the ground under us?.................................................................2 How harmful substances may affect the body ............................................3 How to reduce the risk................................................................................4 The best way to garden..............................................................................5
    [Show full text]
  • The Effect of Water Temperature on Aquatic Organisms: a Review of Knowledge and Methods for Assessing Biotic Responses to Temperature
    The effect of water temperature on aquatic organisms: a review of knowledge and methods for assessing biotic responses to temperature Report to the Water Research Commission by Helen Dallas The Freshwater Consulting Group Freshwater Research Unit Department of Zoology University of Cape Town WRC Report No. KV 213/09 30 28 26 24 22 C) o 20 18 16 14 Temperature ( 12 10 8 6 4 Jul '92 Jul Oct '91 Apr '92 Jun '92 Jan '93 Mar '92 Feb '92 Feb '93 Aug '91 Nov '91 Nov '91 Dec Aug '92 Sep '92 '92 Nov '92 Dec May '92 Sept '91 Month and Year i Obtainable from Water Research Commission Private Bag X03 GEZINA, 0031 [email protected] The publication of this report emanates from a project entitled: The effect of water temperature on aquatic organisms: A review of knowledge and methods for assessing biotic responses to temperature (WRC project no K8/690). DISCLAIMER This report has been reviewed by the Water Research Commission (WRC) and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the WRC, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use ISBN978-1-77005-731-9 Printed in the Republic of South Africa ii Preface This report comprises five deliverables for the one-year consultancy project to the Water Research Commission, entitled “The effect of water temperature on aquatic organisms – a review of knowledge and methods for assessing biotic responses to temperature” (K8-690). Deliverable 1 (Chapter 1) is a literature review aimed at consolidating available information pertaining to water temperature in aquatic ecosystems.
    [Show full text]
  • Limitation of Primary Productivity in a Southwestern
    37 MO i LIMITATION OF PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY IN A SOUTHWESTERN RESERVOIR DUE TO THERMAL POLLUTION THESIS Presented to the Graduate Council of the North Texas State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE By Tom J. Stuart, B.S. Denton, Texas August, ]977 Stuart, Tom J., Limitation of Primary Productivity in a Southwestern Reseroir Due to Thermal Pollution. Master of Sciences (Biological Sciences), August, ]977, 53 pages, 6 tables, 7 figures, 55 titles. Evidence is presented to support the conclusions that (1) North Lake reservoir is less productive, contains lower standing crops of phytoplankton and total organic carbon than other local reservoirs; (2) that neither the phytoplankton nor their instantaneously-determined primary productivity was detrimentally affected by the power plant entrainment and (3) that the effect of the power plant is to cause nutrient limitation of the phytoplankton primary productivity by long- term, subtle, thermally-linked nutrient precipitation activities. ld" TABLE OF CONTENTS Page iii LIST OF TABLES.................. ----------- iv LIST OF FIGURES ........ ....- -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .-................ v Chapter I. INTRODUCTION. ...................... 1 II. METHODS AND MATERIALS ........ 5 III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION................ 11 Phytoplankton Studies Primary Productivity Studies IV. CONCLUSIONS. ............................ 40 APPENDIX. ............................... 42 REFERENCES.........-....... ... .. 49 ii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Selected Comparative Data from Area Reservoirs Near North Lake.............................18 2. List of Phytoplankton Observed in North Lake .. 22 3. Percentage Composition of Phytoplankton in North Lake. ................................. 28 4. Values of H.Computed for Phytoplankton Volumes and Cell Numbers for North Lake ............ 31 5. Primary Production Values Observed in Various Lakes of the World in Comparison to North Lake.
    [Show full text]
  • Land Application of Industrial Waste
    Land Application of Industrial Waste This document is intended for use by persons or operations that generate industrial waste suitable for land application to help them determine what type(s) of regulatory oversight and/or permit is required for land application. Land application of sewage sludge (biosolids), animal manure, and petroleum contaminated soil are regulated separately from other wastes and are not the focus of this document. 1. Is the material a fertilizer or soil conditioner? Is the material managed as a valuable commodity, i.e. does the generator sell the material? Element Percent Is the intent of land applying the material to replace or offset the use of more traditional fertilizers or soil Calcium (Ca) 1.00 conditioners? Are claims or guaranties made to land owners Magnesium (Mg) 0.50 concerning the nutrient value? Sulfur (S) 1.00 Do the N, P, and K, values equal 20 when added Boron (B) 0.02 together? Chlorine (Cl) 0.10 Is the material capable of changing the pH of the soil? Cobalt (Co) 0.0005 When added to the soil or applied to plants would the Copper (Cu) 0.05 material produce a favorable growth, yield or quality of Iron (Fe) 0.10 crop or soil flora or fauna or other improved soil Manganese (Mn) 0.05 characteristics? Molybdenum (Mo) 0.0005 Does the material provide any of the following plant Sodium (Na) 0.10 nutrients at or above the level indicated in the chart Zinc (Zn) 0.05 above? If the answer to one or more of these questions is “yes” then it is possible the material could be registered and regulated by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship as a fertilizer or soil conditioner and not a waste.
    [Show full text]
  • Determination of Thermal Pollution Effect on End Part of Stream Mahmoud, Amaal, O
    International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (IJITEE) ISSN: 2278-3075, Volume-9 Issue-3, January 2020 Determination of Thermal Pollution Effect on End Part of Stream Mahmoud, Amaal, O. F., El Nadi, M.H., Nasr, N. A.H., Ezat, M.B. In view of these developments, a variety of new ABSTRACT-The present study was conducted to evaluate the energy infrastructures to meet the demands for population environmental impact of thermal effluent sources on the main growth that lead the decision makers to redirect the rudder water quality parameters at the low flow conditions. The low flow towards the power plants. That was in order to provide a causes the flow velocity to be low which causes accumulation of continuous source of electricity as a clean and renewable any pollutant source. The study was performed by creating a 2-d model of the last reach of Rosetta branch at winter closure. Delft source of energy. Contrariwise, Power plants might cause 3d software is used to create a hydro-dynamic model to simulate Intensive damages on the environment. If these damages the flow pattern within a 5 km of the branch upstream Edfina were not studied and carefully planned before construction regulator. Water quality model is coupled afterwards to simulate and operation, therefore impact assessment of power plants the water quality parameters. A base case scenario of the current is nesses. Egypt also faced same challenges in consuming state at the low flow condition is set up and calibrated. Another the massive amount of energy in the past few years, can be scenario is performed after adding a thermal pollutant source.
    [Show full text]
  • Litter in Our Waterways – Factsheet
    Litter in our Waterways – Factsheet Marine litter poses a vast and growing threat to the marine and coastal environment. Around 8 million items of litter enter the marine environment every day. 1 An estimated 70 per cent of marine litter ends up on the sea bed, 15 per cent on beaches and the remaining floats to the surface. 1 An estimated 80% of marine debris is from land based sources 20% sea based. These sources fall into four major groups: 1 . Tourism related - food/beverage packaging etc . Waste/stormwater - ex stormwater drains, sewer overflows etc . Fishing related - lines, nets etc . Ship/boat related - waste/garbage deliberately or accidentally dumped overboard It is estimated three times as much rubbish is dumped into the world’s oceans annually as the weight of fish caught. 5 Around 7 billion tonnes of plastic litter enter the ocean every year. 2 It is estimated that over 13, 000 pieces of plastic litter float on every square kilometre of ocean and this figure continues to grow. 8 Plastics make up about 60% of marine debris, with an estimated 100,000 marine mammals and turtles killed by plastic litter every year around the world. 5 Entanglement and ingestion are the primary types of direct damage to wildlife caused by marine litter; it can smother sea beds and it is a source of toxic substances in the marine environment. 1 Available information indicates at least 77 species of marine wildlife found in Australian waters and at least 267 marine species worldwide, are affected by entanglement in or ingestion of marine debris, including 86% of all sea turtles species, 44% of all seabird species and 43% of all marine mammal species.
    [Show full text]
  • Great Pacific Garbage Patch Progression
    Great Pacific Garbage Patch Progression: 1. What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? 2. How? Throwback to beginning of plastics. 3. Fracking and Oil to get materials for plastic 4. Consequences of fracking for oil and minerals (show the oil spill that happened Friday) 5. Explain the short lifecycle of plastic, disposable 6. Microbeads 7. Where is AWAY? Landfills, oceans, etc. 8. Doesn’t degrade just smaller pieces, ocean slurry zone. 9. Blocks food for phytoplankton, becomes food for larger fish and whales. 10. Consequences of consumption of plastic chemicals/cancer, birth defects. a. Accumulate in fatty tissue, concentrated in humans, b. PCB and DDT attach onto the plastic when they’re in the ocean together. c. PCB is a lubricant used in electricity conductors and will take thousands of years to break down. Language only lasts for 1 thousand. d. DDT was an agrochemical used 40’s-60’s and then banned, but previous uses ran off of soil into water where it still is. Bugs became resistant too. 11. How to help and get back on track/reduse, reuse, recycle. 12. Designs in progress for this problem 13. Our responsibilities as a designer for the future, design for 10 future generations. Images: http://i2.wp.com/savethewater.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/1.jpg http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/files/2016/04/thootpaste.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Microplastics_impact_on_biological_com munities.png https://plastictides.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/10035153466_dfdd13d962_z.jpg http://s.newsweek.com/sites/www.newsweek.com/files/styles/embed-lg/public/2014/04/22/2014/
    [Show full text]
  • Reading Handout: the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
    Reading Handout: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch The world’s oceans are connected by a complex network of water and wind currents, which combine to form gyres. The movement of wind and water in a gyre form large, slowly rotating whirlpools. The North Pacific Gyre is an area of the ocean between the continents of Asia and North America, and its whirlpool-like effect has pulled in pollution from around the world, forming the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a massive accumulation of trash, large and small, in the North Pacific Gyre. {It is like a giant landfill floating in the ocean.} It is a combination of the Western Pacific Garbage Patch, located east of Japan and west of Hawaii, and the Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch, which floats between Hawaii and California. The two are connected by a thin 6,000-mile long current called the Subtropical Convergence Zone, which is also home to a large amount of pollution. The Patch is huge! However it cannot be seen from space, or even an airplane, because it is mostly made up of microplastics floating in the water column. Microplastics are pieces of plastic trash that are smaller than 5mm. Microplastics form when larger plastics break down, or come directly from a manufacturer in the form of nurdles (small plastic pellets used to make other plastic products). Nurdles absorb a lot of toxins as they float in the ocean, and those toxins become concentrated. Researchers estimate that for every 6 pounds (2.72 kilograms) of plastic, there is 1 pound (0.45 kilograms) of plankton.
    [Show full text]
  • Storm Water Utility
    Storm Water Utility: Prioritizing Water Quality 5 Impaired Rivers/Creeks Rivers/Creeks Impaired 5 Economies Benefit From Clean Water Clean From Benefit Economies “Dump no waste, this inlet drains to a waterway” is a local message for a growing global water quality problem: Missoula’s Clark Fork Coalition collected 30 tons of trash in the last 15 annual pickups. Missoula Valley Water Quality District collected 25 tons of trash in 2017 alone. City of Missoula’s Parks and Recreation collect a truck load of trash from riverside transient camps every 1 or 2 weeks starting in March and ending in October. Missoula Valley Water Quality District runs the Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) Program and shows our continuing problem with petroleum and other illicit discharges threatening local waterways. ♢ But once trash and pollution get into a waterway it becomes part of an increasingly severe global problem, 5,000+ hurting wildlife and communities downstream. NASA made a simulation showing how trash from our waterways form the Ocean’s Garbage Patches: Source: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio 2015 Video SIGGRAPH Version https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4174 Inlets Draining to Garbage Patch Garbage Patch Garbage Patch Garbage Patch Garbage Patch The Economic Burden Flows Downstream: Waterways According to the EPA and State Revenue Reports: An estimated 80% of ocean debris is sourced from land-based trash. Pollution and trash impacts the Nation’s river and coastal communities. Aquatic trash reduces the aesthetic and recreational values of rivers, beaches and marine resources. Polluted waterways reduce nearby property values and decrease attraction for potential companies.
    [Show full text]
  • Diffuse Pollution, Degraded Waters Emerging Policy Solutions
    Diffuse Pollution, Degraded Waters Emerging Policy Solutions Policy HIGHLIGHTS Diffuse Pollution, Degraded Waters Emerging Policy Solutions “OECD countries have struggled to adequately address diffuse water pollution. It is much easier to regulate large, point source industrial and municipal polluters than engage with a large number of farmers and other land-users where variable factors like climate, soil and politics come into play. But the cumulative effects of diffuse water pollution can be devastating for human well-being and ecosystem health. Ultimately, they can undermine sustainable economic growth. Many countries are trying innovative policy responses with some measure of success. However, these approaches need to be replicated, adapted and massively scaled-up if they are to have an effect.” Simon Upton – OECD Environment Director POLICY H I GH LI GHT S After decades of regulation and investment to reduce point source water pollution, OECD countries still face water quality challenges (e.g. eutrophication) from diffuse agricultural and urban sources of pollution, i.e. pollution from surface runoff, soil filtration and atmospheric deposition. The relative lack of progress reflects the complexities of controlling multiple pollutants from multiple sources, their high spatial and temporal variability, the associated transactions costs, and limited political acceptability of regulatory measures. The OECD report Diffuse Pollution, Degraded Waters: Emerging Policy Solutions (OECD, 2017) outlines the water quality challenges facing OECD countries today. It presents a range of policy instruments and innovative case studies of diffuse pollution control, and concludes with an integrated policy framework to tackle this challenge. An optimal approach will likely entail a mix of policy interventions reflecting the basic OECD principles of water quality management – pollution prevention, treatment at source, the polluter pays and the beneficiary pays principles, equity, and policy coherence.
    [Show full text]