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1
What is water pollution?
Water pollution is any chemical, biological, or physical change in water
quality that has a harmful effect on living organisms or that makes water
unsuitable for desired uses.
quality that has a harmful effect on living organisms or that makes water
unsuitable for desired uses.
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Major categories of water pollutants
• Infectious agents
• Oxygen-demanding wastes
• Inorganic chemicals
• Organic chemicals
• Plant nutrients
• Sediment
• Radioactive materials
• Heat (thermal pollution)
• Oxygen-demanding wastes
• Inorganic chemicals
• Organic chemicals
• Plant nutrients
• Sediment
• Radioactive materials
• Heat (thermal pollution)
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How do we measure water quality?
• Bacterial count
• Physico-chemical analysis
• Indicator organisms (biomonitoring)
• Physico-chemical analysis
• Indicator organisms (biomonitoring)
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What are point and nonpoint sources of water pollution?
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What are the major sources of water pollution?
• Agricultural activities are by far the leading
cause of water pollution (fertilizers,
pesticides, bacteria, sediments, etc.)
• Industrial facilities
• Mining
• Municipal effluents
cause of water pollution (fertilizers,
pesticides, bacteria, sediments, etc.)
• Industrial facilities
• Mining
• Municipal effluents
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Pollution of freshwater streams (Diagram)
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Ocean pollution: Sources
- industry
- cities
- urban sprawl
- farms
- red tides
- toxic sediment
- cities
- urban sprawl
- farms
- red tides
- toxic sediment
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Preventing and Reducing Surface Water Pollution: Point and Nonpoint Sources