Guided Review – Water Pollution
Sources, Impacts, and Mitigation of Water Pollution
Overview:
In this guided review, you will learn about the different types of water pollution, the impacts they have on our waterways, and the work being done to mitigate the damage. This review aims to identify the sources of water pollution and the communities that are most affected by it. In the following resources, you will find information about how water pollution is detected, why it can be difficult to trace, and the steps that can be taken to prevent it.
Objectives:
Define the two main types of water pollution and list examples of each.
List the consequences of water pollution.
Explore the disproportionate impacts of water pollution on marginalized communities.
Identify the methods used to detect pollution in bodies of water.
Investigate the mitigation strategies utilized on the individual, corporate, and government levels.
A vessel of opportunity skims for oil. (Source: NOAA)
Overview:
Water pollution comes from a variety of sources. While some pollutants come from an obvious source, others are more diffuse in their origin and therefore more difficult to trace. In this module, you will learn about point and nonpoint source pollution, how they differ, and why it is important to distinguish between them.
Objective:
Define the two main types of water pollution and list examples of each.
Read:
Article: “Water Pollution: Everything You Need to Know”
This article published by Natural Resources Defense Council discusses concepts surrounding water pollution including where it comes from and why it is important. Reflect on the following questions:
- What are the common sources of water contamination listed in the article?
- Why is water uniquely vulnerable to pollution? Why is this significant?
Paired Articles: “Nonpoint Source: Pollution Tutorial” / “Point Source: Pollution Tutorial”
These brief articles from NOAA’s National Ocean Service detail the two main types of water pollution. Read both articles and reflect on the following questions:
- How are point and nonpoint source pollution different? What are some common sources of each?
- Which of these categories is easier to regulate? Why?
Watch:
Video (RT 3:09): “What is a Watershed?”
In this video produced by VFX Direct, the narrator explains the concepts surrounding watersheds. Reflect on the following questions:
- Why is it important to incorporate watershed concepts when discussing water pollution?
- How do actions upstream impact landowners and communities downstream? How do these actions affect the water quality downstream?
Video (RT 5:08): “Types of Pollutants that Affect Water Quality”
This video from Iowa PBS discusses common pollutants that have a negative impact on water quality. Reflect on the following questions:
- Sediment may be an unexpected pollutant. When is sediment considered a contaminant? How can sediment pollution impact water quality?
- Is nutrient pollution more likely to be point source or nonpoint source? Why?
Explore:
Report: “Deepwater Horizon”
This summary from NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program covers the events of the 2010 BP oil spill. Reflect on the following questions:
- Would this be considered an example of point source or nonpoint source pollution? Why?
- How does this incident differ from some of the examples found earlier in this module?
Click here to complete the quiz for this module.
What questions do you still have? Where could you find out more?
A turtle swimming through oiled water. (Source: NOAA)
Overview:
Water pollution carries a significant number of consequences for human health, economic industries, and the environment. Both point and nonpoint source pollution are dangerous because their impacts set off a chain reaction of damage that accumulates over time. With the following resources, you will learn about these impacts, as well as the ways they interact with and intensify one another.
Objective:
List the consequences of water pollution.
Read:
Article: “The Not-So-Mysterious Loss of Salt Marshes and Ecosystem Services”
This blog post hosted by Scientific American summarizes an experiment conducted to understand the relationship between nutrient buildup in water sources and the health of salt marsh ecosystems. Reflect on the following questions:
- How did nutrient pollution lead to the degradation of the salt marsh in the experiment? What conclusions might be drawn about other salt marshes impacted by excess nutrients?
- Salt marshes provide a number of important ecosystem services, including water filtration. What are the consequences of losing these ecosystem services due to nutrient accumulation?
Article: “How does oil impact marine life?”
In this fact sheet from NOAA’s National Ocean Service, you will review the consequences of oil pollution on marine life including shellfish, marine mammals, and birds. Reflect on the following questions:
- How does oil harm marine animals? How can an oil spill inflict lasting damage on an ecosystem and the animals living there?
- What industries are affected by an oil spill? Specifically, what industries rely on the animals that oil pollution harms?
Watch:
Video (RT 21:33): “After the Storm”
This video from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and The Weather Channel lists a variety of impacts that stem from water pollution. Reflect on the following questions:
- How does stormwater contribute to nonpoint source pollution? What are the consequences of poorly managed stormwater?
- How is water-based recreation impacted by water pollution? What are the economic and public health implications of polluted waterways?
- Why is the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico a cause for concern?
Deep Dive Webinar (RT 51:56): “Health Effects Associated with Harmful Algal Blooms and Algal Toxins”
This webinar from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency focuses on ways Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) can affect human health. Reflect on the following questions:
- How does water pollution contribute to the occurence of HABs?
- What are some health effects associated with excessive exposure to cyanobacteria?
Explore:
Article & Video (RT 1:03): “What is Eutrophication?”
With this overview from NOAA’s National Ocean Service, you will learn about eutrophication, why it is dangerous, and why it occurs. Watch the video and read the passage beneath it. Reflect on the following questions:
- Summarize the “chain reaction” that is set off by eutrophication.
- How do actions on land ultimately affect the health of our waterways?
Click here to complete the quiz for this module.
What questions do you still have? Where could you find out more?
Cattle graze in Cancer Alley. (Source: David Grunfeld/The Times Picayune)
Overview:
Although the consequences of water pollution extend to all communities, marginalized groups are particularly vulnerable to its effects. Lax regulations and other systems upheld by environmental racism have resulted in Indigenous communities and communities of color facing disproportionate impacts of water pollution. With these resources, you will explore the ways in which marginalized communities are harmed by water pollution.
Objective:
Explore the disproportionate impacts of water pollution on marginalized communities.
Read:
Article: “Pollution Is a Racial Justice Issue. Let’s Fight it that Way.”
In this article from the World Resources Institute, the authors explain why pollution and its disproportionate impacts on communities of color is a racial and environmental justice issue. Reflect on the following questions:
- According to the article, why is it important to address social and environmental issues as interconnected concepts?
- What factor was determined to have the strongest link to “slow and ineffective enforcement of the federal drinking water law in communities across the United States?”
Report: “The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill's Impact on People's Health: Increases in Health and Anxiety”
This report from Sea Grant and the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative discusses the effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on the mental well-being of nearby communities, highlighting the experiences of low income community members. Reflect on the following questions:
- What industry is highlighted frequently throughout this report? How were community members working in that industry impacted by the oil spill?
- What deleterious effects were low income community members more susceptible to?
Watch:
Video (RT 3:49): “Oil, Gas, and the Effects of Environmental Racism”
This video produced by VICE follows Environmental Activist Mekasi Camp-Horinek as he explains the impacts oil and gas have had on the Ponca Tribe. Reflect on the following questions:
- How has water pollution in the river impacted the recreational activities of the community nearby?
- According to Camp-Horinek, who is impacted the most by this pollution? Who is responsible for it? Why is regulation so scarce?
Explore:
Online Tools: “How's My Waterway” / “CPRA Coastal Resilience Viewer”
By using these tools simultaneously, you will investigate the relationship between a community’s social vulnerability and proximity to impaired waterways. The How’s My Waterway tool from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shows the water quality of the areas surrounding any address entered. You will use the CPRA tool to view the social vulnerability of the same area. To learn more about using each tool, review their instructional videos: How's My Waterway / Coastal Resilience Viewer. Reflect on the following:
- In the CPRA map, select the “Social Vulnerability” option from the menu on the right. Review the information given about Social Vulnerability metrics. Based on previous sections of this module, which of these indicators do you think is likely to be found in areas with impaired waterways?
- Select the same location in both tools. In the Coastal Resilence Viewer, does the location have a high degree of social vulnerability? How does this compare to the water quality in surrounding bodies of water, according to the EPA tool?
- Search for other correlations between the data portrayed on these maps. What else do you notice?
Report: “Water, Health, and Equity”
This report from Clean Water for All details the relationship between water infrastructure and public health. Reflect on the following questions:
- How are low-income communities and communities of color impacted by failures in the country's water infrastructure?
- How do the points made in this report reflect what you found while exploring the EPA and CPRA tools?
Click here to complete the quiz for this module.
What questions do you still have? Where could you find out more?
Aquatic worms (Photo by Kimberly Cooke)
Overview:
One of the first steps in addressing water pollution and its consequences is to determine whether pollutants are present. Just as there are many types of water pollution, there are a number of monitoring methods that scientists and community members can use. In the following resources, you will learn about the techniques that can be used to assess water quality and how they provide information about the potential presence of contaminants.
Objective:
Identify the methods used to detect pollution in bodies of water.
Read:
Article: “7 Ways to Measure, Monitor, and Evaluate Water Quality”
In this article from Public Lab, you will read about several methods of water quality monitoring. Reflect on the following questions:
- Which of these methods are particularly effective at detecting water pollution? Are the resources necessary to conduct these water quality tests accessible to the general public?
- Why is it important to measure water quality on an ongoing basis?
Article: “Dissolved Oxyen and Water”
This summary from the USGS discusses dissolved oxygen and its connection to water quality. Reflect on the following questions:
- How might dissolvd oxygen monitoring be used to detect pollution in a body of water?
- What tool is used to measure dissolved oxygen? Why must it be calibrated before each use?
Watch:
Video (RT 3:03): “Macroinvertebrates: Understanding water quality”
This video from St. Johns River Water Management District shows the techniques utilized when sampling macroinvertebrates and discusses the importance of this monitoring method. Reflect on the following questions:
- Why are aquatic macroinvertebrates valuable to the food web of a freshwater ecosystem? What does their presence and diversity suggest about the overall health of an ecosystem?
- Is this a relatively accessible method of water quality monitoring? Why or why not?
Deep Dive Webinar (RT 1:11:22): “National NPS Management Workshop Prequel: Citizen Science and Monitoring”
With this webinar offered by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, you will learn about the community science projects that are underway to monitor water pollution throughout the country. Reflect on the following questions:
- What are some of the projects outlined by the webinar’s speakers?
- Why are community science projects valuable for advancing research in a field of study? Why is community involvement important for the success and sustainability of a project?
Explore:
Data Report: “Weekly Water Quality Results”
This report from Pontchartrain Conservancy lists the weekly water quality monitoring results for sites throughout the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. Reflect on the following questions:
- Scroll to the section titled “What Do We Test For?” Which of these tests are useful for detecting water pollutants?
- Expand the section titled “Water Temperature.” Why does Pontchartrain Conservancy monitor water temperature? How can human activities create thermal pollution by increasing the temperature of bodies of water?
Click here to complete the quiz for this module.
What questions do you still have? Where could you find out more?
Evaluating a water sample. (Source: Pontchartrain Conservancy)
Overview:
Point and nonpoint source pollution are being addressed on the individual, corporate, and government levels in a number of ways. Thanks to the water quality monitoring techniques discussed in the previous module and other methods, it is possible for government agencies and independent organizations to detect and mitigate water pollution. In the following resources, you will investigate conservation and clean up measures that aim to mitigate the effects of water pollution in all forms.
Objective:
Investigate the mitigation strategies utilized on the individual, corporate, and government levels.
Read:
Fact Sheet: “Summary of the Clean Water Act”
This summary by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains the policies enacted by the Clean Water Act. Reflect on the following questions:
- What regulatory power does the Clean Water Act grant the EPA? How does this contribute to the mitigation of water pollution in the United States?
- How does the Clean Water Act address point source pollution? Why might nonpoint source pollution go unmentioned in the summary?
Article: “Coca-Cola, Pepsi highlight the 20 corporations producing the most ocean pollution”
In this article published in USA Today, you will read about the corporations responsible for the most substantial contributions to ocean pollution. Reflect on the following questions:
- Why is it important to list the corporations responsible for the production of water contaminants?
- How is holding coroporations accountable a form of pollution mitigation?
- What parties should be responsible for mitigating the pollution caused by large corporations? Why?
Article: "Seventh Generation's Carbon Reduction Journey"
This article from the Seventh Generation blog lists one company's steps toward sustainability. Reflect on the following questions:
- How are this company's actions similar to those of the corporations listed in the previous article? How are they different?
- Though not all of the practices outlined in this article are specifically aimed at preventing water pollution, many of them do contribute to pollution mitigation. How are their product packaging and sourcing practices beneficial in the work to mitigate water pollution?
- How does information about company practices empower consumer-driven pollution mitigation?
Watch:
Video (RT 2:09): “8 Ways to Prevent Water Pollution”
This short video from All About Water Filters lists the steps that any individual can take to assist in water pollution mitigation. Reflect on the following questions:
- What type of water pollution do the majority of these mitigation strategies address?
- Why is it important for community members to take part in pollution prevention? What are some other steps individuals might take to prevent water pollution?
Video (RT 2:53): “How Do We Clean Up Oil Spills?”
With this video from Seeker, you will learn about the methods used to clean up an oil spill. Reflect on the following questions:
- What are the first mitigation steps following an oil spill?
- Dispersants prevent oil from reaching the shoreline. What is the downside of using dispersants?
- Prevention is a kind of mitigation strategy. What strategies can we use to eliminate or reduce the need for oil, thereby preventing future oil spills?
Explore:
Webinar (RT 10:27): “Nonpoint Source Abatement Program”
This webinar produced by WI Land+Water+Media discusses one program designed to mitigate nonpoint source water pollution at the county level. Reflect on the following questions:
- How does this program relate to the Clean Water Act?
- Why is the local government uniquely capable of addressing water pollution in a given area?
Click here to complete the quiz for this module.
What questions do you still have? Where could you find out more?
