measuring water pollution a quick overview. how do you measure the quality of a moving, ever...
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Measuring Water PollutionMeasuring Water Pollution
A Quick OverviewA Quick Overview
How do you measure the How do you measure the quality of a moving, ever quality of a moving, ever changing fluid medium?changing fluid medium?
Two Basic Approaches:Two Basic Approaches: TECHNOLOGY-TECHNOLOGY-
BASED LIMITS: BASED LIMITS: Use a certain Use a certain treatment treatment technology (BPT, technology (BPT, BAT, MACT, BPJ) to BAT, MACT, BPJ) to achieve a given achieve a given quality of effluent quality of effluent (work backward (work backward from effluent from effluent chemistry)chemistry)
WATER QUALITY-WATER QUALITY-BASED LIMITS: BASED LIMITS: Quantitative Quantitative relationship relationship between inputs and between inputs and quality (LDquality (LD5050, , NOEL)--dose/responNOEL)--dose/response risk assessment, se risk assessment, hydrology, mass hydrology, mass balancebalance
The “Conventional” The “Conventional” Pollutant Measures:Pollutant Measures:
Oxygen (BOD, COD, DO)Oxygen (BOD, COD, DO) Solids content (TSS, Conductivity, Solids content (TSS, Conductivity,
Secchi disk, settleable solids)Secchi disk, settleable solids) Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen) Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
/Algae/Eutrophication/Algae/Eutrophication Acidity (pH)Acidity (pH) Bacteria (e.g., fecal coliform)Bacteria (e.g., fecal coliform) TemperatureTemperature
Oxidizing (Oxygen-Using)Oxidizing (Oxygen-Using)ReactionsReactions
FireFire
Metabolism of Metabolism of humans and humans and animalsanimals
Fate of pollutants Fate of pollutants in waterin water
C in fuel combines C in fuel combines with atmospheric Owith atmospheric O22
carbon-bearing carbon-bearing organic compounds organic compounds oxidized to oxidized to COCO22,water, energy,water, energy
pollutants are pollutants are oxidized, depleting oxidized, depleting OO2 2 in waterin water
““Assimilative capacity”: Assimilative capacity”: ability of a waterbody to ability of a waterbody to convert a pollutant into convert a pollutant into something harmless (to something harmless (to
whom or what?)whom or what?)
Measures of oxygen in Measures of oxygen in water:water:
Dissolved oxygen (DO)--time and Dissolved oxygen (DO)--time and space variables, dilutionspace variables, dilution
Biological oxygen demand, five Biological oxygen demand, five days (BODdays (BOD55))
Chemical oxygen demand (COD)Chemical oxygen demand (COD) Sediment oxygen demand (SOD)Sediment oxygen demand (SOD)
Oxygen and other Oxygen and other pollutants may vary pollutants may vary
according to:according to:
Fluctuations in inputs (lagged)Fluctuations in inputs (lagged) Time of day (day-night)Time of day (day-night) Time of year (summer-winter)Time of year (summer-winter) Water temperature (thermal Water temperature (thermal
stratification)stratification) Stream flowStream flow
– Which in turn varies with land Which in turn varies with land clearing/impervious cover, storm events, clearing/impervious cover, storm events, seasonal variations, channel structure, etc.seasonal variations, channel structure, etc.
SedimentsSediments
Effects of sediment Effects of sediment loadingloading
Destruction of spawning bedsDestruction of spawning beds Adsorption and transport of other Adsorption and transport of other
pollutantspollutants Reduced light penetration, aquatic Reduced light penetration, aquatic
vegetationvegetation Greater nutrients loadings, oxygen Greater nutrients loadings, oxygen
demanddemand Interference with navigation, flood Interference with navigation, flood
control, recreation, industrycontrol, recreation, industry
Effects of nutrient loadingsEffects of nutrient loadings (N, P measured by (N, P measured by
Chlorophyll a, Secchi, algal Chlorophyll a, Secchi, algal species)species)
Algae bloomsAlgae blooms DO changes, fish killsDO changes, fish kills Shift of trophic status toward Shift of trophic status toward
eutrophiceutrophic Drinking water impairment (direct Drinking water impairment (direct
and indirect)and indirect) Aesthetics (color, clarity, smell)Aesthetics (color, clarity, smell) Uptake and release of toxicsUptake and release of toxics
Effects of acidificationEffects of acidification(measured in pH--log (measured in pH--log
scale)scale)
Direct kill of living thingsDirect kill of living things Shift toward acid-tolerant speciesShift toward acid-tolerant species Mobilization (dilution, desorption) Mobilization (dilution, desorption)
of metals and other toxicsof metals and other toxics
Toxics and Toxics and BioaccumulationBioaccumulation
Impacts of toxicsImpacts of toxics
Acute mortality (instant death)Acute mortality (instant death) Chronic illnesses (e.g., cancer)Chronic illnesses (e.g., cancer) Toxicity at low doses (e.g., dioxin)Toxicity at low doses (e.g., dioxin) Reproductive and developmental toxicity Reproductive and developmental toxicity
(“hormone mimics”)(“hormone mimics”) Persistence over space (toxaphene) and Persistence over space (toxaphene) and
time (PCBs); or transformation (DDT to time (PCBs); or transformation (DDT to DDE, PCB dechlorination, methyl mercury)DDE, PCB dechlorination, methyl mercury)
Storage in reservoirs (sediment sinks)Storage in reservoirs (sediment sinks)
Some approaches to Some approaches to toxics parameterstoxics parameters
Chemical levels (water, sediment)Chemical levels (water, sediment) Ability to support designated usesAbility to support designated uses Ability to support beneficial usesAbility to support beneficial uses Fish advisoriesFish advisories Historical baselinesHistorical baselines Background levelsBackground levels ““Narrative criteria” (no toxics in toxic Narrative criteria” (no toxics in toxic
amounts)amounts)
Traditional sampling: Traditional sampling: “grab samples”“grab samples”
Automated Measurements:Automated Measurements:Sondes (Hydrolab or YSI)Sondes (Hydrolab or YSI)
Automated Automated sampling of basic sampling of basic conventional conventional parametersparameters
Fine-grained (e.g., Fine-grained (e.g., every 15 minutes)every 15 minutes)
Download to Download to laptop for analysislaptop for analysis
IndicesIndices
Bring diverse measurements Bring diverse measurements together into a single-number together into a single-number
valuevalue
Ecosystem approachesEcosystem approaches
Look at interactions of living and Look at interactions of living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem nonliving parts of the ecosystem (what’s an ecosystem?)(what’s an ecosystem?)
Try to identify stresses and Try to identify stresses and responsesresponses
Holistically integrate physical, Holistically integrate physical, biological, and social aspects of biological, and social aspects of the area in questionthe area in question
Institutional Context: Institutional Context: Remedial Action PlanRemedial Action Plan
Great Lakes Great Lakes Water Quality Water Quality AgreementsAgreements
““Areas of Areas of Concern”Concern”
Plan to restore Plan to restore “beneficial uses”“beneficial uses”
Beneficial UsesBeneficial Uses Restrictions on Fish Restrictions on Fish
ConsumptionConsumption Restrictions on Restrictions on
DredgingDredging Added costs to Added costs to
agriculture or agriculture or industryindustry
Tainting of fish flavorTainting of fish flavor Restrictions on Restrictions on
drinking water drinking water consumptionconsumption
Degraded fish or Degraded fish or wildlife wildlife populationspopulations
Degraded benthosDegraded benthos Eutrophication or Eutrophication or
undesirable algaeundesirable algae Loss of fish or Loss of fish or
wildlife habitatwildlife habitat Fish tumors or Fish tumors or
deformitiesdeformities