AQS Water Pollution

Where does drinking water come from?

• Reservoirs and Aquifers

• Storage tanks in the desert

• The ocean

• People's homes

How can groundwater become polluted?

• People throwing trash on the ground.

• Oil spills in the ocean.

• Pollutants on the ground seeping through the soil.

• Atmospheric deposition.

If there are chemicals from fertilizers, like nitrates or phosphates, in your well water...

• It's a point source pollution if you see where it came from.

• It's a non-point source of pollution if no sources around.

What can happen if fertilizer gets into streams or lakes when water runs off after it rains?

• Plants such as algae can grow out of control.

• Chemicals such a DDTs & PCBs can get into the fish.

• The water can get too warm.

Which one of these can cause or lead to acid rain?

• Atmospheric Deposition

• Global Warming

• Industrial Water Pollution

When algae grows to cover a lake, algal bloom, what causes the oxygen to deplete or decrease?

• Bacteria growing to feed on the dying algae.

• The algae breathes it all.

• The fish breathe it all because of too much algae.

• It goes back into the air.

Once the oxygen is depleted from a lake why does the water become toxic?

• Bacteria feeding on the algae as it dies.

• Because there's no oxygen!

• Because chemicals get into the water.

Eutrophication, excess nutrients getting into waters, can cause algal blooms. Why is that bad?

• Because it's gross.

• Some algae is bacteria.

• Algae can use up all the oxygen and some produce toxins.

• The algal bloom is just not pretty so it makes the water ugly.

Why are the biggest fish more contaminated than the smaller fish?

• Because they eat smaller fish that are all contaminated.

• Because they get directly contaminated.

• Because they absorb it through their skin.

What is it that breaks down sewage from our homes? (Like in a septic tank.)

• Bacteria that eat the feces and urine.

• Chemicals that break down the feces and urine.

• The feces and urine get drained.