Midterm Flashcards
(36 cards)
List 2 types of pollution that were occurring in the 1960s that raised public awareness about environmental issues. List 2 sentinel events (total) that occurred in the 1960s and early 1970s that focused the public’s interest on issues of the environment. How strong was the health risk data that was available to support the initial federal legislation that was passed in the 1970s to clean up the environment?
Visible pollution (water and air), increased manufacturing from the 1940s until present Sentinel events: oil spills, drinking water contamination, untreated sewage, smog, Earth Day April 22, 1970, 1962 Silent Spring - an environmental science book written by Rachel Carson that documented the detrimental effects on the environment (particularly on birds) of the indiscriminate use of pesticides. Generally there wasn't strong epi data associating illness with environmental exposures. The Clean Water Act was driven by recreational concerns more than disease outbreaks although the act has, as an outcome, the protection of public health.
Define the term “environmental justice”. Discuss one current or developing issue involving “environmental justice” (include sites, people involved, health data and enforcement activities in your discussion when applicable).
Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
There are issues within urban America affecting poor black communities.
Most communities of color live near power plants, oil refineries or waste management facilities. Industrial waste that is not disposed of appropriately (or legally) can get into the water system and land used for housing and agriculture. Most communities of color live near power plants, oil refineries and waste management facilities. As a matter of fact, according to the report Air of Injustice: African Americans and Power Plant Pollution, 68 percent of blacks live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant, as compared to 56 percent of whites. — the distance within which the maximum effects of the smokestack plume are expected to occur. Industrial waste that is not disposed of appropriately (or legally) can get into the water system and land used for housing and agriculture. Improper waste dumping creates a host of health problems, ranging from asthma to lung cancer.
Lead poisoning is possible the most damaging environmental injustice. Black and poor children are eight times more likely to be poisoned by lead than those from higher income and white families. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 80 percent of all homes built before 1978 in the country have lead-based paint in them. The older the house, the more likely it is to contain lead-based paint as well as lead in surrounding dust and soil. Because they are more likely to be poor and to live in older housing, black children are the obvious victims. Lead poisoning contributes to a host of problems including learning disabilities, iron, calcium and Vitamin C deficiencies.
In 1969 the National Environmental Policy Act was passed by Congress. What major requirement concerning federally funded projects did this act put in place? Which federal agency other than EPA plays a major role in protecting the environment in the implementation of this Act and why? Why is this Act, which predates the establishment of EPA, such an important piece of legislation and what process does it require in the review of proposed projects?
- EIS
- US Army Core of Engineers because they are involved with the interstate (more than one state) waters
- Because it involves public health agencies, establishes national policy regarding environment
- public hearings/participation
- Makes sure decisions made by federal agencies are environmentally sound.
In general, and as expressed in different ways for different kinds of actions, the NEPA process entails:
- determining what need must be addressed,
- identifying alternative ways of meeting the need,
- analyzing the environmental impacts of each alternative, and
- armed with the results of this analysis, deciding which alternative to pursue and how to pursue it.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was enacted in 1969, one of many legislative and executive responses to growing concern about the condition of the environment and about what human actions were doing to it. NEPA does two major things.
First, it establishes national policy (U.S. government policy under NEPA) regarding the environment. It’s important to understand this policy as a basis for correctly interpreting NEPA’s action-forcing provisions.
Second, NEPA requires that agencies prepare a “detailed statement” of the environmental impacts of any “major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment” (MFASAQHE). This “detailed statement” is known as an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
NEPA has been amended several times since its enactment, and a number of other laws have established interlocking or overlapping requirements that must be addressed in NEPA analyses.
This procedural requirement, and those that logically need to be followed in order to figure out whether an EIS is needed, are complied with by following regulations issued by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). These regulations are found at 40 CFR 1500-1508 — that is, Title 40, Parts 1500-1508 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
This site provides guidance about the NEPA review process, how cultural resources should be addressed in carrying out the process, and how people concerned with cultural resources can use the process.
Proceed to the NEPA Review Process
Where Did NEPA Come From?
NEPA required federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making decisions. The range of actions covered by NEPA is broad and includes: making decisions on permit applications, adopting federal land management actions, and constructing highways and other publicly-owned facilities.
National council on environmental quality (CEQ) - division of the executive office of the President that coordinates federal environment efforts in the US and works closely with agencies and other White House offices on the development of environmental and energy policies and initiatives.
President annual report to Congress
Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) - an EIS, under US environmental law, is a document required by the NEPA for certain actions “significantly affecting the quality of the human environment”.
• is required under act, uses federal dollars/funded by federal government, programs are created
• reviewers, assures EIS happens (compliance), review outcome, guidance for EIS, time line, contract or hire - trained workforce, funding, equipment, public comment (help point out what was missed), skills
• examples are I-84, TVA, shopping malls
Pollution prevention is a term that is gaining prominence in environmental regulatory programs. How does the implementation of a pollution prevention policy differ from our past and current policies of environmental enforcement? What role do standards play?
a) The pollution prevention policy differs from past or current policies because it works to prevent contaminants as opposed to the past or current policies that are dealing with the contaminants that are already present.
b) We need standards for consistency and enforcement. They are important for improved lab detection, equipment, employees, training, good/bad.
Pollution prevention is any practice that reduces, eliminates, or prevents pollution at its source, also known as “source reduction”. Source reduction is fundamentally different and more desirable than recycling, treatment, and disposal. There are significant opportunities for industry to reduce or prevent pollution at the source through cost-effective changes in production, operation, and raw materials use. The opportunities for source reduction are often not realized because existing regulations focus upon treatment and disposal.
- treatment (end of pipe - methods used to already remove already formed contaminants from a stream of air, water, waste, product or similar. These techniques are implemented as a last stage of a process before the stream is disposed of or delivered) vs prevention
Population graphs are frequently described by their shapes, triangle or rectangle a) Which shape would describe a developing (third world) country? b) Describe three causes for the shape of the graph from answer a). c) List three environmental health programs that can be introduced to modify the shape of the graph
Third world counties would typically have an expansive pyramid that is very wide at the base, indicating high birth and death rates.
Causes:
1. Drinking water
2. Waste water
3. Food issues
4. Infectious disease at young age.
5. Children are needed to take care of the aging populations and for labor purposes. This may cause children to die off.
6. High rates of diarrheal diseases in children
7. Living in harsh conditions, lack of resources, nutrition
Environmental Health Programs to modify:
1. Safe drinking water/clean water/clean air acts
2. Programs protecting and treating water quality
3. Programs providing access to healthcare, water, nutrition
4. Programs for safer waste disposal
What role does a manifest play in the disposal of hazardous waste and who are the four (4) parties that sign the manifest?
1984 RCRA (Resource Conservation & Recovery Act) - required manifest • Agency state send and receive • Generator • Transporter • Storage/treatment • Disposal
EPA’s hazardous waste manifest system is designed to track hazardous waste from the time is leave the generator facility where it was produced, until it reaches the off-site waste management facility that will store, treat or dispose of the hazardous waste. Hazardous waste is regulated under a “cradle to grave” concept, meaning that the waste is tracked via written records from the time it becomes a waste, and that ownership remains with the generator forever.
List 3 environmental/public health problems that are controlled when a community changes from “open dumping” to dispose of garbage to the use of a “sanitary landfill”. What are 2 problems associated with the use of a sanitary landfill?
- ) Spreading of vectors
- ) Surface and groundwater pollution
- ) Visible pollution
- ) Groundwater pollution from leachates
- ) Methane gas released from bacteria can create fire/contribute to global warming
Open dumping (land disposal facilities) is the improper disposal of any waste including household trash, garbage, tires, barrels, demolition/construction waste, appliances, shingles, pipes, metal, or any material which will rust, rot, or burn. Controlling exposure to burning waste, visible pollution, remove the spreading of vectors (flies, mosquitos, rodents), use of space, uncited, surface and groundwater pollution, release of chemicals, environmental justice.
Sanitary landfills are sites where waste is isolated from the environment until it is safe. It is considered when it has completely degraded biologically, chemically and physically. In high-income countries, the level of isolation achieved may be high. There is a leachate-collection system.
Disposal can contaminate groundwater. The key environmental problem we face as a result of landfills is groundwater pollution from leachates (the liquid that drains or ‘leaches’ from a landfill). In landfills containing mixed waste, bacteria can grow and create methane gas. Methane can explode or catch fire if not managed carefully, and it adds to global warming. In many places, methane from landfills is captured and used to generate electricity. If you have no resources to do this, the best thing to do with methane is to provide vents for it to escape.
Briefly describe the trend in the passage of federal legislation concerning solid/hazardous waste disposal from the passage of the Solid Waste Act of 1965 to present.
1965 Solid Waste Disposal Act
• Grants land and equipment
• Research
• No state action required
• First federal effort to improve waste disposal technology
1970 Resource Recovery Act
• More grants
• Move to recycling
• Research of reduction/disposal
• Promote auto scraping (scrap cars - set on fire)
1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
• Solid waste stepchild of environment
• Defined solid waste - as any garbage, refuse, sludge from a waste treatment plan, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility and other discarded material, including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous material resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations and from community activities.
• Title and direction change
• Panel of experts to advise states
• Increased funding
• First mention of hazardous waste: regs. to define 18 months, HW haulers to notify EPA (fed government), permits for HW disposal by 1978.
• States not to adopt regs more stringent than EPA
• Seed money for state HW programs
• Private citizen suits
• Required government agencies to begin purchasing recycled materials (use of incentives)
Love Canal
• Hooker Chemical Company covered the canal with earth and sold it to city for 1 dollar
• Home built on area
• Barrels corrode and leak
• Concerns about health, noticed kids getting sick
Times Beach
• Town contaminated with dioxin
• Town evacuated
• waste oil, spread on the roads years earlier to keep down the dust, had been tainted with the chemical.
1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA - SUPERFUND)
• The Love Canal drove the SUPERFUND legislation
• background much discussion on amount of HW being produced and number of sites
• established a multibillion-dollar Superfund to investigate and clean up old, abandoned toxic waste sites. The passage of CERCLA also defined the liability of a company and ensured that parties responsible for the release of toxic substances are held liable in the case of environmental damage or harm.
• Federal response in emergencies
• address the problem of remediating abandoned hazardous waste sites, by establishing legal liability, as well as a trust fund for cleanup activities. In general CERCLA applies to contaminated sites, while RCRA’s focus is on controlling the ongoing generation and management of particular waste streams. RCRA, like CERCLA, has provisions to require cleanup of contaminated sites that occurred in the past.
1980 RCRA Amendments
• More hazardous waste provisions
• Modified EPA authority more emphasis on health effects, studies
1984 RCRA
• Congress expanded the scope of RCRA with the enactment of Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA). The amendments strengthened the law by covering small quantity generators of hazardous waste and establishing requirements for hazardous waste incinerators, and the closing of substandard landfills.
• Congress amended the RCRA because of the Love Canal and Times Beach crises, wanted more stringent provisions.
• No liquid HW in landfills
• EPA reg small generators 220-2k lbs/month
• EPA regulate onsite storage
• Training
• Prohibited export of hw unless receiving country notifies EPA ok
• Added citizen suits
• Defined hazardous waste - corrosive, reactive, ignitable, toxic
• Required manifest “”
• Underground storage tanks regulatd
1986 SARA (Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act)
• Requires notification of chemicals used and stores on site
• Increase recycling to 25%
• Certification of operators, haulers, inspectors
• 33,000 HW sites (EPA)
• NATIONAL PRIORITY LIST 1,300 sites - takes most contaminated sites that are closest to people
• Established agency for toxic substance disease registry (ATSDR) - track at federal level, then contracted to states
• Conduct risk assessments starting with NPL and superfund sites
• Registry, surveillance
• No delegation to states to collect data, conduct surveillance
1988 TOSCA (Toxic Substance Control Act)
• Require assessment of new chemical before being put in use and all existing
• Delay a big problem
• Confidential business information
• TRI (Toxic release inventory) - air and water discharges, even discharges in compliance, prevention orientation
• Businesses who create haz materials have to tell public what they are discharging and how much, what they’re exposed to
With regard to drinking water, what are coliform organisms used for? List one (1) advantage and one (1) disadvantage when using coliform for this purpose.
Total coliform (lactose fermenter) bacteria is used as an indicator of the bacteriological quality of drinking water rather than pathogens because of the (ADVANTAGES):
• relative ease of sample collection
• reliability of test results
• results obtained relatively quickly (24 hrs)
• relatively easy test to perform
• relatively inexpensive test to perform
• Not pathogenic
DISADVANTAGE: The disadvantage is that a test for “coliform” isn’t specific enough to determine that a pathogen such as E.coli is present. Simplistically think of coliform as a family with good and bad members. Some coliform organisms are used to create yogurt (Lactobacillus), some are organisms found in soil that do not cause illness and there are others such as specific species of E coli that do cause illness. Your answer needs only to be as long as the first sentence.
Coliform bacteria is the most common water test done to determine the safety of private wells and springs. Coliform bacteria are often referred to as “indicator organisms” because they indicate the potential presence of disease-causing bacteria in water. Coliform bacteria is commonly found throughout the environment. Their presence indicates that contamination may be entering the water system. If coliform is present it generally does not cause disease. MCL for total coliform bacteria in drinking water is zero or absent. Multiple analytical techniques are used to perform coliform analysis. Results are most often reported as present/absent. Results may also be expressed in numerical format as #colonies/100ml. If results indicate POSITIVE presence of coliform, sample is further analyzed for fecal coliform or e.coli.
What is the current chemical that is used to disinfect most U. S. drinking water supplies? Describe the controversy with regard to using this chemical.
Chlorine - Widely used in the U.S.; forms harmful by-products if water contains organic matter; maintains residual in distribution system; requires care in handling as a gas. The addition of chlorine to water that contains organic contaminants produce chlorinated hyrdrocarbons, which are known to be carcinogenic.
Organic matter and chlorine react. Should the water company that treated the water with chlorination be responsible for treating the trihalomethane by-product produced by the interaction of chlorine and organic compounds. Trihalomethane is a carcinogen. They rather have exposure to carcinogen created by chlorine.
List 4 drinking water waterborne diseases caused by micro-organisms.
- Typhoid
- Cholera
- Infective hepatitis
- Cryptosporidiosis
- Giardiasis
- Guinea worm
Describe the process of issuing and releasing a “boil drinking water advisory”
BDWA only issued if e.coli is present in the coliform OR if there is a problem with the treatment in the system for example if the chlorination stopped working.
The state agency gets primacy for approving the BDWA, then the BDWA is issued by the water company to the consumers. Then they go back to the state to confirm releasing the BDWA, then the company issues the release.
If water is tested for positive coliform –>positive e.coli. Immediately inform not to drink water or use the water for food preparation unless it has been brought to a rapid boil for at least 5 minutes. Strongly recommend bottled water for use instead. Environmental quality and health departments involved. Impact on hospitals/restaurants.
A boil-water advisory or boil-water order is a public health advisory or directive given by government or health authorities to consumers when a community’s drinking water is, or could be, contaminated by pathogens.
Under a boil-water advisory (BWA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that water be brought to a rolling boil for one minute before it is consumed in order to kill protozoa, bacteria and viruses. At altitudes above 2,000 meters, boiling should be extended to 3 minutes, as the lower boiling point at high altitudes requires more time to kill such organisms.
BWAs are typically issued when monitoring of water being served to consumers detects Escherichia coli or other microbiological indicators of sewage contamination. Another reason for a BWA is a failure of distribution system integrity evidenced by a loss of system pressure. While loss of pressure does not necessarily mean the water has been contaminated, it does mean that pathogens may be able to enter the piped-water system and thus be carried to consumers.
The parasite cryptosporidium is a concern with regard to the safety of drinking water in the U. S. Why is this an issue and what do you feel will be the outcome of the debate? Include in your discussion at least the following items: disease symptoms, drinking water treatment, sampling and analysis, both field and clinical for the parasite.
MY OPINION: I think it is an issue with regards to finding better sources for drinking water and having the best most upgraded systems in water filtration. Need for better scie tific research and surveillance of the pathogen. If a particular plant gets contaminated for a part of town, it can affect the community as a whole, including restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals, etc. Make sure there is constant testing for the parasite and turbidity, etc. Protect watersheds, strengthen waterborne disease surveillance, upgrade drinking water infrastructure, better interaction between federal, state, and local government for issues related to waterborne diseases. Follow min standards set by fed govt
LOOK AT ARTICLES
- Symptoms: results in watery diarrhea associated with varying frequencies of abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
- A massive outbreak of waterborne cryptosporidium infection occurred in the great Milwaukee area during late March and early April 1993. Estimated 400,000 people were affected during the outbreak
- Methods: investigation of water-treatment plants, examination of ice, laboratory surveillance (tested stool samples), examine enteric infection (stool samples tested for enteric pathogens, laboratory-confirmed crypo infection (those confirmed with crypto had phone interview), clinical crypto infection in the MWW service area phone survey random # for people with crypto, survey of households in the Greater Milwaukee Area (north, south, middle - getting info, demographics)
- Treatment at the time: water treated by adding chlorine and polyaluminum chloride, rapid mixing, mechanical flocculation, sedimentation, rapid sand filtration. After filtration the effluent (treated water) was stored in large clear well until it was supplied to customers. Filters were cleaned by backwashing them with water, which was then recycled through the treatment process.
- Cryptosporidium infection was confirmed in 600 people with gastrointestinal illness in association with this outbreak, and despite intensive investigation, no other enteric pathogen could be found to account for the illness.
- More than half of the people who received residential drinking water predominantly from the MWW southern plant became ill. Marked increase of the prevalence of diarrhea in nursing home residents in the southern region as opposed to the northern region.
- Epidemiologic features and dates of onset of illness with laboratory confirmed cryptosporidium infection were similar to those people interviewed over the phone.
- Cryptosporidium oocysts in untreated water from Lake Michigan entered the southern water-treatment plant and were then inadequately removed by the coagulation and filtration process. There was increased turbidity in the southern one.
- Could have been caused by cattle along the rivers, slaughterhouses, human sewage. Rivers that were swelled by spring heavy rains and snow runoff may have transported oocysts into Lake Michigan and from there to the intake of the MWW southern plant.
In the protection of a public drinking water supply, what is a “cross connection”, why is it a problem, how is the problem eliminated?
Cross connection –
A cross-connection is any temporary or permanent connection between a public water system or consumer’s potable (i.e., drinking) water system and any source or system containing nonpotable water or other substances. An example is the piping between a public water system or consumer’s potable water system and an auxiliary water system, cooling system, or irrigation system. This is bad because a well on a property could backflow (back pressure backflow-backsiphonage) and pollute/contaminate a public water supply.
This problem can be eliminated by separating the connection between the 2 sources through interconnections. A backflow preventer and an airgap can help prevent the contamination from cross connections.
Interconnection – good, separate supplies.
Describe the role of tertiary treatment in wastewater treatment. b) What environmental problem is eliminated when it is used?
Removes nitrates. If the nitrates aren’t removed, then it will remove the algae, which will remove the production of oxygen in the water. Then this causes fish kill because the fish need oxygen to survive. Fish kill is eliminated because of tertiary treatment.
Steps or processes that are applied after the primary and secondary treatments. Examples are the process of disinfecting the treated sewage chemically (i.e. applying chlorine or UV radiation) or physically (i.e. applying microfiltration prior to its discharge into a bay, lagoon, river, stream or lagoon, for example, using it to irrigate golf course, greenway, or park. If it is sufficiently treated it might also be used for agricultural purposes. Excess organic compounds are commonly removed by passing the treated waste through two granular carbon beds, each of which provides 30 minutes of contact time. Ozone may also be used to disinfect the waste as it passes from the first carbon bed to the second. Heavy metals and viruses can be removed by coagulating the waste, for example, with lime, followed by sedimentation. This process, however, creates large volumes of highly toxic sludge that must be disposed.
Tertiary treatment is the final cleaning process that improves wastewater quality before it is reused, recycled or discharged to the environment. The treatment removes remaining inorganic compounds, and substances, such as the nitrogen and phosphorus.
Used as fertilizers don’t want on surface water because it grows algae and if algae dies off, the o2 reduction is reduced and the fish die.
List two (2) goals of the federal Clean Water Act. b)What is the role of secondary treatment in the wastewater treatment process?
Clean Water Act goals: “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters”
- ) All waters swimmable and fishable by 1985
- ) The elimination of the discharge of pollutants
- ) The prohibition of the discharge of “toxic pollutants in toxic amounts”
- Delegated program
- $$ for infrastructure
- States could establish discharge permits
The 1972 amendments:
- Established the basic structure for regulating pollutant discharges into the waters of the United States.
- Gave EPA the authority to implement pollution control programs such as setting wastewater standards for industry.
- Maintained existing requirements to set water quality standards for all contaminants in surface waters.
- Made it unlawful for any person to discharge any pollutant from a point source into navigable waters, unless a permit was obtained under its provisions.
- Funded the construction of sewage treatment plants under the construction grants program.
- Recognized the need for planning to address the critical problems posed by nonpoint source pollution.
Role of secondary treatment:
- Reduce demand for oxygen
- Reduce suspended particles
- Prevents fishkill
Secondary treatment encourages the growth of bacteria which removes suspended particles. Secondary or biological treatment is generally accomplished through the application of the activated sludge process, an aerobic process designed to stabilize organic material in the sewage. This is accomplished by passing the waste through a large open tank where it is held for several hours and its oxygen content maintained by means of aerators (air diffusers) or mechanical agitators (paddles or brushes). Under these conditions, the microorganisms float as suspended particles. The effluent is then sent to a secondary settling tank, where the microorganisms settle out, and the settled effluent represents the treated product. The overall reduction in the BOD is about 90%. Some of the microorganisms that have settled to the bottom of the secondary tank are pumped back into the aerated tank to maintain an adequate population of microbial growth. The rest of the growth is treated as biosolids and sent to a digester. It is common practice today to combine the primary and secondary stages on the flow-through basis.
Define the term “non point source” pollution. b) List three examples. c) When is a “non point source” of pollution a public health and environmental concern?
Nonpoint source pollution generally results from land runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, drainage, seepage or hydrologic modification. Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, unlike pollution from industrial and sewage treatment plants, comes from many diffuse sources. NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and ground waters. Causes water quality problems and contamination to ground water and surface water.
sources–>erosion, parking lots, agricultural areas, lawn; water quality problems
- Runoff from urban and rural areas, industrial sites, mines, livestock, construction sites, oil fields
- Hydrologic modifications - stream channelization, addition of impervious surfaces, stream obstructions
- Waste disposal areas - landfills, sludge, manure
- Septic tanks and other domestic wastewater disposal
- Equipment washing and material spillage ! Atmospheric deposition
- Nutrient and pesticide application
What is a combined sewer overflow? b) Why is it important to eliminate them? c) List three (3) diseases that can be caused by sewage contaminated with feces.
A combined sewer system (CSS) collects rainwater runoff, domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater into one pipe. Under normal conditions, it transports all of the wastewater it collects to a sewage treatment plant for treatment, then discharges to a water body. The volume of wastewater can sometimes exceed the capacity of the CSS or treatment plant (e.g., during heavy rainfall events or snowmelt). When this occurs, untreated stormwater and wastewater, discharges directly to nearby streams, rivers, and other water bodies.
Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) contain untreated or partially treated human and industrial waste, toxic materials, and debris as well as stormwater. They are a priority water pollution concern for the nearly 860 municipalities across the U.S. that have CSSs.
A combined sewer system is a sewer that accepts storm water, sanitary water/sewage, and most likely industrial waste water which ideally is treated by a sewage/publicly owned treatment works (POTW)
Combined sewers can cause serious water pollution problems during combined sewer overflow (CSO) events when wet weather flows exceed the sewage treatment plant capacity.
Combined sewer system – take water from storm drains and mix it with sewage and goes to waste water treatment plant. Raw sewage goes into river.
In older sewer systems such as Springfield’s, combined sewers were commonly constructed to collect and transport sanitary sewage and stormwater together in one pipe. During heavy rain events, the combined sewer fills up beyond capacity with stormwater runoff and diluted sanitary sewage. To prevent the excessive flow from backing up into basements and spilling onto roadways, discharge relief points were installed so the excess flow would empty into water bodies. Each discharge relief point is known as a combined sewer overflow, or CSO (illustrated below). A CSO is the discharge of wastewater and stormwater from a combined sewer system directly into a river, stream, lake or ocean. CSOs are caused by stormwater runoff during rainfall events. These overflows are called combined sewer overflows (CSOs), they contain not only stormwater but also untreated human and industrial waste. They are a major water pollution concern for Springfield and approximately 772 other cities in the U.S. that have combined sewer systems.
Disease caused by sewage contaminated feces: ~ Cryposporidium ~ Gastroenteritis ~Encephalitis ~Giardiasis
List two (2) advantages and two (2) disadvantages when onsite sewage disposal is used to dispose of waste water. The disadvantages listed are not to be direct opposites of the advantages.
Advantages:
- treatment/maintenance
- cost effective
- eliminates long distance transport of wastewater
- private, not public
- little training involved
- recycles wastewater (recharging ground water sources, providing nutrients for soil)/disperses pollution
Disadvantages:
- site limitations
- size
- treatment
- oversight/responsibility
- repair costs
Explain these statements: Ozone is environmentally beneficial in the upper atmosphere. Ground-level ozone is associated with unhealthy air. What are the contributing factors for each situation
Ozone upper atmosphere:
Called stratospheric ozone, good ozone occurs naturally in the upper atmosphere, where it forms a protective layer that shields us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. This beneficial ozone has been partially destroyed by manmade chemicals, causing what is sometimes called a “hole in the ozone.”
Earth’s stratospheric ozone layer, which contains about 90 percent of the ozone in the atmosphere, makes the planet habitable by absorbing harmful solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation before it reaches the planet’s surface
Ground-level ozone:
Tropospheric, or ground level ozone, is not emitted directly into the air, but is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). This happens when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants, and other sources chemically react in the presence of sunlight. Ozone at ground level is a harmful air pollutant, because of its effects on people and the environment, and it is the main ingredient in “smog.”
What is the “greenhouse effect”? What strategies would you suggest to reduce this problem.
Gases in the atmosphere help controls earth’s temperature. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide trap heat in the atmosphere and keep the earth warm. Excess greenhouse gases trap more heat.
The greenhouse effect is the process by which radiation from a planet’s atmosphere warms the planet’s surface to a temperature above what it would be without its atmosphere.
If a planet’s atmosphere contains radiatively active gases (i.e., greenhouse gases) the atmosphere will radiate energy in all directions. Part of this radiation is directed towards the surface, warming it. The downward component of this radiation – that is, the strength of the greenhouse effect – will depend on the atmosphere’s temperature and on the amount of greenhouse gases that the atmosphere contains.
Reduce greenhouse gas emmisions. You can reduce emissions through simple actions like changing a light bulb, powering down electronics, using less water, and recycling.
What contributes to acid precipitation in the Adirondack Mountains? What air pollution remedies address this problem?
While acid rain is familiar, acid precipitation and deposition comes in many forms, including rain, snow, sleet, hail, fog, and as deposits of particles and gases. A byproduct of our industrialized society, it is formed when sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and ammonia (NH3) combine with moisture in the atmosphere to produce sulfuric and nitric acid. Emissions from coal-fired power plants, vehicles and factories are the major sources of these pollutants. However, wind patterns often blow many of these pollutants far from their origins. For example, emissions from the Midwest’s heavy industries, after combining with precipitation, eventually fall as acid rain in New York State.
In 1984, taking notice of the Adirondack and Catskill mountains’ sensitivity to acid rain, New York State passed the first law in the nation to control these emissions, the State Acid Deposition Control Act. As a result of New York’s advocacy, Congress amended the Clean Air Act in 1990 to require nationwide controls on SO2 and NO x. As a result of these laws, national SO2 emissions levels peaked in 1973 and have continued to decline. Likewise, NOx emissions were at their highest in 1990 and have declined since.
Implementation of air pollution laws have lightened the burden on Adirondack lakes, which have started to show signs of recovery. Over the last 20 years, both the lakes and atmosphere have become far less acidic. The areas that were sensitive to acidity are resurging, suggesting that the whole region may undergo revitalization. The lakes are gaining back their ability to neutralize acid and the toxic aluminum is reverting back to forms which are less dangerous.
The Acid Deposition Reduction Program began in 2004, aiming to reduce emissions from fossil-fuel power plants. A cap and trade program, it distributes a certain number of pollutant “allowances” to electric generation companies in the state. The companies can then trade these allowances between them like money. This system allows the power plants with the best technology to improve their facilities first. As the program continues, the state will distribute fewer allowances over time, further reducing emissions.
Power plants emit pollutants that cause acid rain
Conserving electricity, reducing mileage, tuning up cars
The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are a cornerstone of the Federal Air Program. Please identify three of these criteria pollutants. Explain the difference between primary and secondary air standards.
-Levels in outdoor air need to be limited based on health.
Carbon Monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter
Primary vs Secondary air standards:
Primary standards provide public health protection, including protecting the health of “sensitive” populations such as asthmatics, children, and the elderly.
Concentrations of air pollutants that are considered acceptable for avoiding negative effects to humans.
Secondary standards provide public welfare protection, including protection against decreased visibility and damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings.
Concentrations of air pollutants that are considered acceptable for avoiding damage to agricultural products. LOWER than primary.
What is “Climate Change”? b) List two (2) public health concerns associated with climate change. c) Which gases are involved? d) What strategies would you suggest to reduce this problem.
Climate change refers to any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time. In other words, climate change includes major changes in temperature, precipitation, or wind patterns, among other effects, that occur over several decades or longer.Global warming is affecting the change in climate.
Public Health Concerns:
- air pollution: asthma and CVD
- severe weather: injuries, fatalities, mental health impacts
- changes in vector ecology: malaria, dengue, encephalitis, etc
- water & food supply impacts: malnutrition
Gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide
Strategies to reduce problem: switch to cleaner energy to reduce fossil fuel emissions. Reduce burning oil, gas, and coal which produces co2. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by driving less, using less electricity, etc, mitigation (reducing greenhouse gases) emission controls, cap and trade, carbon tax, car& light truck emission standards.
Adaptation - weatherization measures, conservation and green initiatives, resiliant buildings, public health initiatives
