Environmental Science: Water Pollution and Treatment- Research Project
Name: _______________________________________
Learning Objectives: Degradation of our surface-water and groundwater resources is a serious
problem. After reading this chapter, you should understand the following:
Part 1
* What constitutes water pollution?
List and briefly describe eight categories of water pollution.
* How point and non-point sources of water pollution differ
what is Fecal Coliform Bacteria and where does it come from?
Part 2
* What is biochemical oxygen demand is, and why it is important
* How is sewage related to eutrophication, biological oxygen demand and dissolved oxygen.
Describe how drinking water is purified in the United States and discuss the Chlorine dilemma.
Describe how desalinization works and discuss the benefits and drawbacks.
Where are the desalinization plants around the world? Provide a map
Part 3
Define a dead zone.
Why sediment pollution is a serious problem
Obtain pictures of the headwaters, midreach and mouth of the Mississippi River.
Describe the water quality along each section and further indicate source of pollution at each
section.
How do Midwestern farmers threaten the livelihood of fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico?
Part 4
*How does municipal sewage differ from industrial sewage?
What acid mine drainage is, and why it is a problem
* How urban processes can cause shallow-aquifer pollution
Oil 1: Which Environmental Act was created after the Exxon Valdez disaster?
*Part 5
What the various methods of wastewater treatment are, and why some are
environmentally preferable to others
Distinguish among primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment for wastewater.
Define primary and secondary sludge
Part 6
Compare the goals of the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act.
Define maximum containment level and specify the water legislation it relates to.
Define national emission limitation and specify the water legislation it relates to.
Part 7
What is bioremediation?
Explain the process. Where is it taking place?
How are wetlands associated with Bioremediation?
Part 8
What happed at Love Canal?
Where is Love Canal
What steps did the government take to prevent this from happening again?
Part 9
What is atrazine and what is it used for?
Where is produced? Where is it applied?
What problems have arisen as a result of atrazine use?
Part 10
What are the major pollution problems affecting groundwater and other drinking water?
Find images that show the degregation of groundwater
What is the story of arsenic in groundwater… Where does it come from and where in the US is
there threat from Arsenic in groundwater
.
Part 11.
What are the major water pollution problems affecting the oceans?
What are the 5 gyres of trash?
Offer brief info on the cause and problems with the following
Red tide, oxygen depleted zone, loss of coastal wetlands, mercury and heavy metals
flowing into the ocean