Environmental Issues

1
Environmental Issues
2
Pollution

• The presence of a SUBSTANCE in water, air, or
  soil that makes them OFFENSIVE to humans.

3
WATER

• Is one of our most precious RESOURCES

4
Water

• Water that is suitable for DRINKING is referred
  to as POTABLE water

5
Sources of Pollution

• Oil Products
• Soil Erosion
• Animal and Human Waste
• Chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides
• High temperature water discharge

6
Eutrophication

• An increase in the amount of NUTRIENTS in an
  environment

7
Nutrients

• Nutrients in water are expressed in terms of
  PARTS PER MILLIONS (PPM)

8
Nitrates

• Nitrates are a common source of POLLUTION

9
Sources of Nitrates

• Animal Waste
• Human Waste
• Chemical fertilizers
• Dead and decaying organisms

10
Eutrophication

• One of the first INDICATIONS of eutrophication in
  water is the presence of ALGAE

11
Eutrophication

• Also known as POND SCUM

12
Waste Control

• Sewage Treatment Plants
• Septic Tanks
• Waste Lagoons

13
Sewage Treatment Plants

• Larger towns and cities
• Treat waste water to remove B.O.D.
• Use Oxygenation, Chlorine, UV Light
• Tremonton, Brigham City

14
Septic Tanks

• Used in rural areas
• Settling tank and Drain Field
• Will not work if area is densely populated

15
Waste Lagoons

• Used in dairies, feed lots, and some towns and
  cities
• Logan and Perry
• Animal waste is stored in a settling pond where
  it is decomposed by anaerobic bacteria

16
Water Pollution

• Occurs in both groundwater and in surface water

17
Ground water

• Water stored in underground lakes called aquifers

18
Surface Water

• Water is absorbed by the soil as it flows into
  the aquifers

19
Non-Point Source Pollution

• Pollution that originates from many sources

20
Point source pollution

• Pollution that results from a single source

21
Erosion

• Our largest environmental problem
• Wasting away of soil by wind or water

22
Two main problems of erosion

• The loss of Topsoil
• The pollution of water by the erosion of soil

23
Soil Erosion Damage

• Loss of topsoil
• Pollution of rivers and streams
• Kills fish and plants

24
Soil Conservation Service

• An agency organized to help prevent the loss of
  topsoil and to stop erosion caused by the washing
  away of soil.

25
Examples of soil conservation practices

• Windbreaks
• Terracing
• Crop rotation (summer fallow)
• Contour plowing
• No-till and minimum till planting

26
Wetlands

• A piece of land that stays underwater for most of
  the year

27
Wetlands provide several roles

• Habitat
• Filtering of water
• Water storage
• Flood prevention

28
EPA Regulations

• Restrict use
• Incentives to preserve wetlands
• Permit must be obtained before land can be
  disturbed

29
(No Transcript)