Environmental Science 1021F/G Chapter Notes - Chapter 16: Algal Bloom, Nutrient Pollution, Eutrophication
19 Dec 2013
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When pollutants infiltrate water bodies, things go awry. Water pollution: the addition of anything that might degrade the quality of the water. Unprotected farm fields lose topsoil as well as farm fertilizers and other potential pollutants when heavy rains occur. Garbage, oil, pesticides, fertilizers, and sediments wash into water with runoff. Contaminants such as mercury, sulphur, and other air pollutants from fossil fuel combustion, enter lakes with rainwater. Point sourse pollution: pollution that can be traced back to discrete sources such as wastewater treatment plants or industrial sites sewage treatment plant overflow, animal feedlot and waste lagoon, and industrial waste discharged into water. Stormwater runoff: water from precipitation that flows over the surface of the land. Stormwater runoff is an increasing contributor of nutrients and other chemicals, as more land surfaces that used to absorb water got paved over these impermeable landscapes are more likely to be sources of problematic substances.
