Course review
Review each learning objective in this topic, then open its concept explanation or question set.
Learning objective
• Sewage, agricultural run-off, industrial effluent • Urban run-off, solid waste disposal, oil spills
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Learning objective
• Marine environments • Oceanic gyres, microplastics enter food chain
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Learning objective
• Chemical, physical, biological characteristics • Water quality index (WQI) • Parameters: dissolved O₂, pH, temperature, turbidity, nitrates, phosphates, metals
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Learning objective
• Dissolved oxygen required by microorganisms for decomposition • mg O₂ per litre in 5 days at 20°C
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Learning objective
• Mineral nutrient inputs (nitrates, phosphates) • Excessive phytoplankton growth (algal blooms)
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Learning objective
• Impacts and changes to aquatic system
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Learning objective
• Eutrophication can substantially impact ecosystem services • Eutrophication can affect services associated with fisheries, recreation, aesthetics and health
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Learning objective
• Eutrophication can be addressed at three different levels of management • These three levels of management are: • the reduction of human activities that produce pollutants—e.g., alternatives to current fertilizers and detergents • the reduction of the release of pollution into the environment—e.g., treatment of wastewater to remove nitrates and phosphates
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Learning objective
• There is a wide range of pollutants that can be found in water • These pollutants may include organic matter (e.g., sewage), dissolved substances (e.g., tributyltin, an endocrine-disrupting chemical), persistent chemicals
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Learning objective
• Algal blooms may produce toxins that threaten the health of humans and other animals • Harmful algal blooms (HABs) contain a variety of organisms, including cyanobacteria, protists, algae and dinoflagellates • A small number of these organisms produce potentially fatal toxins • In freshwater, cyanotoxins are the most common toxins
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Learning objective
• The frequency of anoxic/hypoxic waters is likely to increase due to the combined effects of global warming, freshwater stratification, sewage disposal and eutrophication • Hypoxic conditions can arise from a variety of causes, resulting in aquatic dead zones
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Learning objective
• Sewage is treated to allow safe release of effluent by primary, secondary and tertiary water treatment stages • Consider: what is achieved in each of the sewage treatment stages, including both biological and chemical processes • Also consider the challenges of implementing sewage treatment equitably in all societies
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Learning objective
• Some species are sensitive to pollutants or are adapted to polluted waters, so these can be used as indicator species
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Learning objective
• Indirect water quality measure • Based on species tolerance, abundance, diversity • Example: Trent biotic index
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Learning objective
• Single weighted average of multiple test parameters • Represents contamination degree
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Learning objective
• WHO drinking water quality guidelines • Local government statutory standards
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Learning objective
• Reduce water pollution • Consumption changes, protest, data collection, lobbying
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