Substance
Dissolved
Oxygen
WATER POLLUTION PUZZLE QUIZ
From where does it
Environmental
come (Sources)
Concerns
What Is It?
The O2 gas in
between H2O
molecules
Aeration (riffles,
waterfalls, etc)
Too Low – Fish Kill
Photosynthesis
Too High – gas bubble
disease
Human Health
Concerns
Low – can be a sign of
fecal contamination of
water
Low temperature
BOD
Nitrate
How much demand
there is for oxygen in
the water
-
Plant Nutrient (NO3 )
Biodegradable organic
stuff (sewage, manure,
dead stuff)
- Dead Stuff
- Sewage
- Fertilizers
Decrease DO = fish kill
High – can be a sign of
fecal contamination of
water
Algae bloom leading to
low DO & fish kills
Blue Baby Syndrome
Phosphate
Low pH
Plant nutrient (PO43-)
Too many hydrogen
ions in a solution
- Dead Stuff
- Sewage
- Fertilizers
- Detergents
Acid rain - NOx & SOx
from burning FF’s lead
to HNO3 and H2SO4
Algae bloom leading to
low DO & fish kills
None
6 – 8 usually ok but less None at values typically
can decrease biodiversity
seen
Acid Mine Drainage
Atrazine
Very common
herbicide used in the
U.S. (one of the most
widely used in the
world)
Farms
Hard to know – alleged
Some studies show that
endocrine disruptor,
it’s an estrogen disruptor
possible carcinogen,
causing reproductive
epidemiological
defects on fish & frogs at
connection to low sperm
very low concentrations
count in men.
Hardness
Fecal
Coliform
Test
Total
Chlorine
Presence of certain
ions in water (Ca+
and Mg+)
Fecal contamination
with disease-causing
bacteria
Rocks/Minerals
Limestone (CaCO3)
Mammal feces (natural,
farms, or sewage)
Added to drinking water
to kill pathogens
Amount of chlorine
in the water
Added to some sewage
treatment effluent to kill
pathogens
Needed in the water for
plants
Can be irritating when
we have hard water at
home (slippery, soap
scum build-up, etc.)
Decrease DO = fish kill
Waterborne diseases
Fish kills if not enough
time given for it to
evaporate out of the
water
Reacts with organic
compounds to form
carcinogenic THM’s
(trihalomethanes like
chloroform)
Pipes or faucets in
homes (built before
1986)
Lead
A heavy metal (Pb)
20% of gasoline in the
world contains this (storage
tanks can leak)
Delays in mental
development
Some poisoning seen in
wildlife
Learning & memory
problems
High Blood
Pressure/Kidney
problems
Runoff or leaks from
waste dumps
Combustion of Coal
Waste Incinerator
Mercury
A heavy metal (Hg)
Unlined landfill (some
electronics, coal ash
waste)
Rocks and minerals
Salinity
Amount of salt in the
water
Roadways from winter
applications
Bioaccumulation and
biomagnifications up the
food chain (persistent in
the environment –
doesn’t break down)
Neurological problems
Loss of biodiversity
sensitive to higher salt
concentrations
None
Severe birth defects
Soil erosion!
Sediment/
Turbidity
Heat/
Thermal
Pollution
Fluoride
Cloudiness of water
Algae blooms
Less sunlight penetration
Less photosynthesis
Diseases or heavy
metals can be attached
to sediment runoff
Carp or fishermen
stirring up sediment
Heats up water(darker
water absorbs more sun),
so less DO
Warm/hot water
discharged into water
Nuclear power plant or
other industrial plant
Thermal shock to aquatic
organisms
None
The ion of fluorine
Added to drinking water
to reduce tooth decay
Unsure
Discoloration of teeth,
unsure of other health
impacts