Five Water Pollutants
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Name and describe 5 different Water Pollutants? Including the source of it, method of pollution, and possible control technology for each one.
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Solution Summary
Several water pollutants are explored for their source, their effects, and ways to be controlled.
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There are many substances that contaminate water. Among them are:
Crude oil
Volatile organics (solvents)
Human waste
Agricultural runoff
Many problems, such as crude oil and human waste, can be treated with microorganisms. Certain bacteria and fungus can effectively metabolize harmful compounds, producing harmless waste biproducts. For example the fungus Phanerochaete chysosporium, or white rot fungus, degrades organics such as benzo(a)pyrene, pyrene, fluorene, and phenanthrene. In order to take full advantage of these organisms, humans sometimes need to increase their populations artificially, or change the environmental conditions, such as pH, to favor their growth. Chlorinated aliphatic compounds are often transformed only under anaerobic conditions.
When the problem is large or an immanent threat to public health, more hands-on methods are employed. Absorbent materials can be used to contain the spill, and when they are removed the pollutants are as well. People can be employed to actively clean and remediate an area.
A significant water pollution problem in most states is non-point source ...
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