Potential Sources
| |||
---|---|---|---|
Pollutant
|
Point Sources
|
Non-point Sources
|
Impacts on Waterbody Uses
|
Pathogens and fecal bacteria
|
WWTPs
CSOs, SSOs
Permitted CAFOs
Discharges from meat processing facilities
Landfills
|
Animals (domestic, wildlife, livestock)
Malfunctioning septic systems
Pastures
Boat pumpout facilities
Land application of manure
Land application of wastewater
|
Primarily human health risks
Risk of illness from ingestion or from contact with contaminated
water through recreation
Increased cost of treatment of drinking water supplies
Shellfish bed closures
|
Nutrients
|
WWTPs
CSOs,/SSOs
CAFOs
Discharge from food processing facilities
Landfills
|
Cropland (fertilizer application)
Landscaped spaces in developed areas (e.g., lawns, golf courses)
Animals (domestic, wildlife, livestock)
Malfunctioning septic systems
Pastures
Boat pumpout
land application of manure or wastewater
|
Aquatic life impairments (e.g., effects from excess plant growth,
low DO)
Direct drinking water supply impacts (e.g., dangers to human
death from high levels of nitrates)
Indirect drinking water supply implants (e.g., effects from
excess plant growth clogging drinking water facility filters) Recreational
impacts (indirect impacts from excess plant growth on fisheries, boats,
swimming access, appearance and odors) Human health impacts
|
Sediment
|
WWTPs
Urban stormwater systems
|
Agriculture (cropland and pasture land erosion)
Forestry and timber harvesting
Rangeland erosion
Excessive stream bank erosion
Construction
Roads
Urban runoff
Landslides
Abandoned mine drainage
Stream channel modification
|
Fills pools used for refuge and rearing
Fills interstitial spaces between gravel (reduces spawning habitat
by trapping emerging fish and reducing oxygen exchange) When suspended,
prevents fish from seeing food and can clog gills; high levels of
suspended sediment can cause fish to avoid the stream Taste odor problems
in drinking water Impairs swimming boating because of physical alteration
of the channel Indirect implants on recreational fishing
|
Metals
|
Urban runoff
WWTPs
CSO, SSOs
Landfills
Industrial facilities
Mine discharges
|
Abandoned mine drainage
Hazardous waste sites (unknown or partially treated sources)
Marinas
|
Aquatic life impairments (e.g., reduced fish populations due
to acute chronic concentrations or contaminated sediment)
Drinking water supplies (elevated concentrations in source water)
Fish contamination (e.g., mercury)
|
Temperature
|
WWTPs
Cooling water discharges (power plants and other industrial
sources)
|
Lack of riparian shading
Shallow or wide channels (due to hydrologic modification)
Hydroelectric dams
Urban runoff (warmer runoff from impervious surfaces)
Sediment (cloudy water absorbs more heat than clear water)
Abandoned mine drainage
|
Causes lethal effects when temperature exceeds tolerance limit
increases metabolism (results in higher oxygen demand for aquatic
organisms)
Increases food requirements
Decreases growth rates and DO
Influences timing of migration
Increases sensitivity to disease
Increases rates of photosynthesis (increases algae growth, depletes
oxygen through plant decomposition)
Causes excess plant growth
|
Pesticides and herbicides
|
WWTPs
CSOs, SSOs
CAFOs
Discharge from food processing facilities
|
Agriculture
Forestry
Urban runoff
|
Kill aquatic organisms that are not targets
Adversely affects reproduction, growth, respiration and development
in aquatic organisms
Reduce food supply and destroy habitat of aquatic species
Accumulate in tissues of plants, macroinvertebrates and fish
Some are carcinogenic (cause cancer), mutagenic (induce changes
in genetic material) and/or teratongenic (cause birth defects)
Create health hazards for humans consuming contaminated fish
or drinking water
Lower organisms' resistance and increase susceptibility to diseases
and environmental stress
Decreases photosynthesis in aquatic plants
Reduces recreational and commercial activities
|
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
|
Chlorinated water (swimming pools)
|
Urban runoff
Landfills
|
Accumulate in tissues of plants, microinvertebrates and fish
Toxic to aquatic life
Adhere to sediments; persist in environment longer than most
chlorinated compounds
|
Petroleum hydrocarbons
|
Urban runoff
|
Water soluble components can be toxic to aquatic life
Portions may adhere to organic matter and be deposited in sediment
May adversely affect biological functions
| |
Salts
|
Snow removal solution
|
Agriculture
Mining
Urban runoff
|
Eliminate salt intolerant species, decreasing diversity
Can fluctuate in concentration, adversely affecting both tolerant
and intolerant species
Impact stream habitats and plants which are food sources for
macroinvertebrates
Reduce crop yield
Decrease quality of drinking water
Reduce recreation values through high salinity levels and high
evaporation rates
|
Sulfates
|
Mining Industrial runoff
|
Lower pH (increase acidity) in streams which stresses aquatic
life and leaches toxic metals out of sediment and rocks
High acidity and concentrations of heavy metals can be fatal
to aquatic organisms, may eliminate entire aquatic communities
| |
Polycyclic automatic hydrocarbons
(PAHS)
|
Urban runoff
|
Accumulate in tissues of plants, macroinvertebrates and fish
When digested, create substances which are carcinogenic (cancer
causing)
Toxic to aquatic life
Toxicity is affected by salinity, estuaries with low salinities
may be the most biologically sensitive
| |
Radionuclides
|
Mining and ore processing nuclear power plant fuel and wastes
Commercial/Industrial
|
Release radioactive substances into streams
Some are toxic, carcinogenic (cancer causing) and mutagenic
(induce change in genetic material)
Some break down into "daughter" products, such as radium and
lead, which are toxic and carcinogenic to aquatic organisms
Some persist in the environment for thousands of years and continue
to emit radiation
Accumulate in tissues, bones and organs where they can continue
to emit radiation
|
NOTE:
|
WWTP
|
=
|
Wastewater treatment plant
|
CSO
|
=
|
Combined sewer overflow
| |
SSO
|
=
|
Sanitary sewer overflow
| |
CAFO
|
=
|
Concentrated animal feeding operation
| |
DO
|
=
|
Dissolved oxygen
|