Coastal Pollution

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Coastal Pollution

• Sewage, industrial waste, soil nutrients, power
  plant thermal, agriculture runoff, oil seeps
  mistakes, dumping, outboard motors, plastics,
  dumping, dredging wastes, fish processing, etc.

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Implications

• Biological responses (individual fitness
  mortality, food web structure, etc.)
• Eutrophication
• Habitat change
• Human health
• Smell

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The cynical viewpoint

• The ultimate solution to pollution is infinite
  dilution
• So, dump pollutants in the infinite reservoir,
  the ocean

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The cynical viewpoint

• Makes some sense
• Economic societal costs for land-based disposal
  are high
• We cant see it!!
• But, what is infinite dilution
• What are safe concentrations?

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What does the So Cal Bight Get?
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Point Sources

• Discharge pollution from a specific location
• sewage discharge, power plant effluent, oil
  produced water outlet, river, etc.
• Relatively easy to identify, monitor and treat
  the wastes
• Need discharge permit

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Non-Point Sources

• No specific discharge location
• Run-off from ag, urban, roads, etc.
• Ship leaks, bilges, etc.
• Rainfall sweeps the accumulated pollutants into
  waterways to the ocean
• Harder to identify, treat manage

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Wastewater Discharges

• Largest source of freshwater inputs to the SoCal
  Bight
• Both treated sewage disposal power plant coolant

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Waterborne Pathogens
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Wastewater Discharges
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Wastewater Discharges
secondary
primary
raw
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Primary Sewage Treatment

• separates out the large solids, sand, and gravel
• then put into settling ponds where the sludge
  settles out

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Secondary Sewage Treatment

• biological degradation of organic compounds
• bacteria eats the nutrients in the waste and
  decomposes them
• followed by chlorine, ozone, or UV light treatment

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Tertiary Sewage Treatment

• removes nitrates and phosphates that could cause
  algal blooms
• wetlands can do this naturally

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Management of a Discharge

• Pollutant values need to be monitored
• Does the discharge meet is requirements?
• Need some metric of relevant pollutant
• Measure indicator organism abundance
• Hope these are related to epidemiology

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Beach closure Performed by the local Agency
(County, or District) Intended to protect public
health Regulated through AB411 in CA
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Whats measured Indicator bacteria
Total Coliform
Fecal Streptococcus
Fecal Coliform
Escherichia
Enterococcus
E. Coli
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Confounding Issues

• Stormwater
• Leaky Septic Tanks
• Boats
• Birds, Dogs, Natural wildlife

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Waterborne Pathogens
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Other Materials

• Heavy metals
• mercury, lead, nickel
• highly toxic, persistent, and bio-accumulate
• result from industrial activities
• Organic Compounds
• PCB, DDT, herbicides, etc.
• DDT is most concerning

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Surface sediment contamination LA County
discharge off Palos Verdes
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Montrose Chemical Now a superfund site Dumped
TONS of DDT down sewer Ceased production in
1982 DDT has a 15 year ½ life Bioaccumulates in
some organisms
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DDE is the breakdown product of DDT
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Wastewater Discharges

• Largest source of freshwater to SoCal Bight
• Discharges include treated sewage, sludge
  contaminants
• Primary, secondary tertiary levels of treatment
• History of sewage technology is seen in water
  quality of beaches
• Montrose chemical plant created the DDT problem

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Bioaccumulation

• Some organisms accumulate pollutants (both metals
  organics) in their tissues
• Biomagnification is where accumulation increases
  up a trophic food chain
• Well known cases are Hg, PCB, Pb (also algal
  toxins)
• Huge public health issue
• Some monitoring in place

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Mussel Watch Programs
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Regulations

• Marine Protection, Research Sanctuaries Act
  (MPRSA)
• Passed in 1972
• Regulates ocean dumping
• Bans radioactive, medical, sludge industrial
  dumping
• Regulates others

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Point Sources
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Regulations

• Clean Water Act
• Passed in 1972 amended in 1977 (???)
• Regulates point source discharges
• Requires a National Pollutant Discharge
  Elimination System (NPDES) permit
• Compliance is mandated by monitoring

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EPAs Clean Water Act big picture
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Present NPDES Permits from EPA

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Summary

• Sources of pollutants to CA Current
• Mostly wastewater but others are important
• Bioaccumulation biomagnification
• Regulations MPRSA CWA