Cholera
Dysentery
Cryptosporidiosis
Hepatitis A
Giardia
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Post 4: Water Borne Diseases and Their Effects
Within water pollution, there are several water borne illnesses. Examples of diseases found in or related to drinking water include Cholera, Dysentery, Cryptosporidiosis, Hepatitis A, and Giardia. These diseases all possess similar symptoms, yet some are more severe and noticeable than others. Most people who have Cholera don’t realize they have it, which leads the subject to become very dehydrated because the disease soaks up the water in the body. Other effects include vomiting, fever, and water faces with mucus. As far as Dysentery, the effects include diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever. The symptoms seem minor, but if the Dysentery is not detected it could lead to death. Similar to Cholera, many people who have Cryptosporidiosis do not realize they have it. Some people get away with no effects, but common effects include fever, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. The effects of Hepatitis A are not severe and in many cases will go away on their own, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. The most common effects of Giardia are diarrhea and abdominal pain but other effects include nausea, vomiting and fever. All of these water borne diseases can lead to severe health problems if not treated correctly and quickly.
Post 3: Categories of Water Pollutants
There are many factors that play into water pollution. Water pollution comes from many sources that are categorized into four groups, besides the point and non-point groups they are; biological, chemical, physical, and thermal. The pollutants that fall into these categories range from animal waste to petroleum but regardless of the pollutant, it is still making our water unsanitary.
Chemical
Petroleum is a major chemical pollutant in water. The most common form of petroleum pollution comes from oil spills, because we are able to identify where it comes from petroleum is point source pollution. The discharges of petroleum destroy shore lines and are very dangerous to aquatic life. The recent BP oil spill is an example of this; BP has attempted to use robots to redirect the oil to the surface of the water, use piping to suck up the oil and isolate the oil spill by putting cement covering over it. All of these attempts have failed proving that there is no guaranteed way to clean up an oil spill.
Repercussions of petroleum with oil spills can have severe results; “The effects of spilled petroleum on marine organisms can be lethal or sub lethal. Lethal effects are often obvious after large spills, with the most attention focused on birds and mammals (e.g., 900 bald eagles, 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, and 300 harbor seals were killed directly by the Exxon Valdez spill), but population-level consequences are difficult to measure. Considerable controversy arises in the determination of when populations have recovered. Even when organisms are not killed, oil fouling can reduce feeding efficiency, growth and reproductive rates, survival of offspring, and resistance to diseases. Petroleum may act synergistically with other pollutants, such as those found in urban runoff, to cause even more toxic effects like high rates of mortality or reproductive failure. Petroleum can kill birds and mammals by reducing the capacity of feathers and fur to keep the animals warm, or through ingestion when birds and mammals attempt to remove the petroleum or eat fouled prey” (“Disasters”).
Drinking water that has been chemically contaminated with oil can cause significant symptoms, yet is unlikely to cause serious and long term illnesses. If a small amount of oil is ingested, the stomach will become irritated and vomiting and diarrhea can occur. Sometimes oil can enter the lungs through vomiting and can cause breathing problems. Preventive measures for reducing oil contamination are ensuring the pipeline system reducing inputs, consumers can use more efficient machinery, and petroleum can be properly disposed of through recycling and such. Detroit suffers from issues with oil because of the industry surrounding the automotive industry.
Physical
Nitrogen is a major pollutant in bodies of water such as the Gulf of Mexico, Potomac River, and the Chesapeake Bay. Many farmers apply nitrogen to their soil as fertilizers. It is then converted to plant-available-nitrate by bacteria in the soil. Then the plants and growing bacteria consume the nitrate but when a sufficient amount is consumed, bacteria can remove nitrate-nitrogen through a process called immobilization. The nitrate-nitrogen then becomes part of soil organic matter through this test. The bacteria then convert the nitrate-nitrogen to a gas through denitrification. The nitrate-nitrogen that remains in the soil and does not become a gas is at risk of contaminating water through run-off. Almost any pollutant that results from run-off is non-point source pollution because the water can pick up any substance when running to a body of water. The best way to reduce the amount of nitrogen in water would be to not use nitrogen based fertilizers when farming.
Effects of nitrogen contamination include: “Infants below six months who drink water containing nitrite in excess of the maximum contaminant level (MCL) could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue baby syndrome” (“Nitrite”). In order to prevent contaminants in food, Employees must be checked to see they don’t have any contaminants, and the building needs to be ensured as pest-free. For contaminants in water, nitrogen should not be added to the soil to help growth.
Thermal
Thermal pollution is associated with the increases in water temperature. The production of energy from a fuel source is a direct cause of thermal pollution; therefore it is point source pollution. Heat engines such as steam engines, turbines, and internal combustion engines deposit a lot of waste and heat into the water because it is a very efficient sink for heat engines. Electrical generating stations use cool water to run their machines and then dump the water back where it came from which results in an increase in the water temperature. There is no way to stop the movement of ships but thermal pollution can be reduced if electrical generating stations do not dump the water they use to run their machines back into the water.
Effects of thermal pollution include effects on wildlife, “Thermal pollution can wreak havoc on native fish species, such as trout, that require cold water with high levels of dissolved oxygen. When the water becomes warmer, other non-native fish that thrive in the warmth can take over habitats from native fish. In addition, warmer water allows bacterial populations to increase and thrive and algae "blooms" may occur” (“Solution”). Thermal pollution does not have distinct health effects on humans, because it effects the temperature of bodies of water. Since the rise or decline in temperature is caused by human activity, it directly affects fish and other organisms living in the body of water effected. Thermal pollution changes the productivity of fish and disrupts spawning, which can kill the young. It also can cause thermal shock.
Ways to prevent thermal pollution include using cooling towers in factories to avoid putting the pollutants back into the surface water. Thermal pollution can affect anywhere that has water and can hurt the wildlife within the area, therefore possibly hurting the people who thrive from it.
Biological
Biological pollutants are any disease, virus or protozoan that contaminates water. These pollutants are known to cause diseases in humans and animals. One well-known disease caused by biological pollution is Giardiasis, which is an infection in the small intestine. It is caused when an animal dies near or close to the water and contaminants from the animal are carried to the body of water through run-off. Due to the fact that it comes from a direct cause, it is point source pollution although it is in run off. The Giardiasis parasite is removed by filtration systems in water treatment plants. A human or animal can become infected by drinking the contaminated water. If they become infected they will experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, and nausea. It can be diagnosed by an enteroscopy or stool antigen test. Some infections can go away with time, but it can also be treated with drugs.
Being a health risk among many, the repercussions of the contaminant are known to be relatively harmless, “Some biological contaminants trigger allergic reactions, including hypersensitivity pneumonitis, allergic rhinitis, and some types of asthma… symptoms of health problems caused by biological pollutants include sneezing, watery eyes, coughing, shortness of breath, dizziness, lethargy, fever, and digestive problems” (“Biological”). Preventative measures include not drinking unpurified water, washing your hands often to prevent getting Giardiasis from an infected person, and trying to prevent moisture build-up. Although Giardiasis has been less overwhelming within Detroit in the past few years, in years prior the cases were estimated hundreds per year. In conclusion, take extra precautions to avoid any disease from these biological sources.
All sources of water pollution play a major role in lives of a great number of people in the world. Thanks to the water filtering system in cities many people do not need to worry about many sources of water borne disease. While using water from the outdoors, the water must first be boiled and/or pumped through a carbon pump to avoid disease of infection.
Chemical
Petroleum is a major chemical pollutant in water. The most common form of petroleum pollution comes from oil spills, because we are able to identify where it comes from petroleum is point source pollution. The discharges of petroleum destroy shore lines and are very dangerous to aquatic life. The recent BP oil spill is an example of this; BP has attempted to use robots to redirect the oil to the surface of the water, use piping to suck up the oil and isolate the oil spill by putting cement covering over it. All of these attempts have failed proving that there is no guaranteed way to clean up an oil spill.
Repercussions of petroleum with oil spills can have severe results; “The effects of spilled petroleum on marine organisms can be lethal or sub lethal. Lethal effects are often obvious after large spills, with the most attention focused on birds and mammals (e.g., 900 bald eagles, 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, and 300 harbor seals were killed directly by the Exxon Valdez spill), but population-level consequences are difficult to measure. Considerable controversy arises in the determination of when populations have recovered. Even when organisms are not killed, oil fouling can reduce feeding efficiency, growth and reproductive rates, survival of offspring, and resistance to diseases. Petroleum may act synergistically with other pollutants, such as those found in urban runoff, to cause even more toxic effects like high rates of mortality or reproductive failure. Petroleum can kill birds and mammals by reducing the capacity of feathers and fur to keep the animals warm, or through ingestion when birds and mammals attempt to remove the petroleum or eat fouled prey” (“Disasters”).
Drinking water that has been chemically contaminated with oil can cause significant symptoms, yet is unlikely to cause serious and long term illnesses. If a small amount of oil is ingested, the stomach will become irritated and vomiting and diarrhea can occur. Sometimes oil can enter the lungs through vomiting and can cause breathing problems. Preventive measures for reducing oil contamination are ensuring the pipeline system reducing inputs, consumers can use more efficient machinery, and petroleum can be properly disposed of through recycling and such. Detroit suffers from issues with oil because of the industry surrounding the automotive industry.
Physical
Nitrogen is a major pollutant in bodies of water such as the Gulf of Mexico, Potomac River, and the Chesapeake Bay. Many farmers apply nitrogen to their soil as fertilizers. It is then converted to plant-available-nitrate by bacteria in the soil. Then the plants and growing bacteria consume the nitrate but when a sufficient amount is consumed, bacteria can remove nitrate-nitrogen through a process called immobilization. The nitrate-nitrogen then becomes part of soil organic matter through this test. The bacteria then convert the nitrate-nitrogen to a gas through denitrification. The nitrate-nitrogen that remains in the soil and does not become a gas is at risk of contaminating water through run-off. Almost any pollutant that results from run-off is non-point source pollution because the water can pick up any substance when running to a body of water. The best way to reduce the amount of nitrogen in water would be to not use nitrogen based fertilizers when farming.
Effects of nitrogen contamination include: “Infants below six months who drink water containing nitrite in excess of the maximum contaminant level (MCL) could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue baby syndrome” (“Nitrite”). In order to prevent contaminants in food, Employees must be checked to see they don’t have any contaminants, and the building needs to be ensured as pest-free. For contaminants in water, nitrogen should not be added to the soil to help growth.
Thermal
Thermal pollution is associated with the increases in water temperature. The production of energy from a fuel source is a direct cause of thermal pollution; therefore it is point source pollution. Heat engines such as steam engines, turbines, and internal combustion engines deposit a lot of waste and heat into the water because it is a very efficient sink for heat engines. Electrical generating stations use cool water to run their machines and then dump the water back where it came from which results in an increase in the water temperature. There is no way to stop the movement of ships but thermal pollution can be reduced if electrical generating stations do not dump the water they use to run their machines back into the water.
Effects of thermal pollution include effects on wildlife, “Thermal pollution can wreak havoc on native fish species, such as trout, that require cold water with high levels of dissolved oxygen. When the water becomes warmer, other non-native fish that thrive in the warmth can take over habitats from native fish. In addition, warmer water allows bacterial populations to increase and thrive and algae "blooms" may occur” (“Solution”). Thermal pollution does not have distinct health effects on humans, because it effects the temperature of bodies of water. Since the rise or decline in temperature is caused by human activity, it directly affects fish and other organisms living in the body of water effected. Thermal pollution changes the productivity of fish and disrupts spawning, which can kill the young. It also can cause thermal shock.
Ways to prevent thermal pollution include using cooling towers in factories to avoid putting the pollutants back into the surface water. Thermal pollution can affect anywhere that has water and can hurt the wildlife within the area, therefore possibly hurting the people who thrive from it.
Biological
Biological pollutants are any disease, virus or protozoan that contaminates water. These pollutants are known to cause diseases in humans and animals. One well-known disease caused by biological pollution is Giardiasis, which is an infection in the small intestine. It is caused when an animal dies near or close to the water and contaminants from the animal are carried to the body of water through run-off. Due to the fact that it comes from a direct cause, it is point source pollution although it is in run off. The Giardiasis parasite is removed by filtration systems in water treatment plants. A human or animal can become infected by drinking the contaminated water. If they become infected they will experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, and nausea. It can be diagnosed by an enteroscopy or stool antigen test. Some infections can go away with time, but it can also be treated with drugs.
Being a health risk among many, the repercussions of the contaminant are known to be relatively harmless, “Some biological contaminants trigger allergic reactions, including hypersensitivity pneumonitis, allergic rhinitis, and some types of asthma… symptoms of health problems caused by biological pollutants include sneezing, watery eyes, coughing, shortness of breath, dizziness, lethargy, fever, and digestive problems” (“Biological”). Preventative measures include not drinking unpurified water, washing your hands often to prevent getting Giardiasis from an infected person, and trying to prevent moisture build-up. Although Giardiasis has been less overwhelming within Detroit in the past few years, in years prior the cases were estimated hundreds per year. In conclusion, take extra precautions to avoid any disease from these biological sources.
All sources of water pollution play a major role in lives of a great number of people in the world. Thanks to the water filtering system in cities many people do not need to worry about many sources of water borne disease. While using water from the outdoors, the water must first be boiled and/or pumped through a carbon pump to avoid disease of infection.
Post 2 Water Pollution Sources
Agricultural Waste
In the 2000 National Water Quality Inventory conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), agricultural activity was identified as a point source of pollution for 48% of stream and river water, and for 41% of lake water. Most agricultural waste comes from the disposal of animal waste on farms. Livestock farms store manure in large tanks known as “lagoons” which hold millions of gallons of animal waste. Unfortunately, these lagoons often leak and waste can be carried away by rain water and deposited into bodies of water. Because these leaks often are not found until there is a major problem, this type of waste is generally considered a non-point source of pollution. 
The cause of animal waste is leaving animal feces where the animals drop them, instead of properly disposing of them and it can then become bacteria ridden. The effects include the health risks of humans and animals in the way of disease. “Pet waste can also be a factor in Eutrophication of lakes. The release of nutrients from the decay of pet waste promotes weed and algae growth, limiting light penetration and the growth of aquatic vegetation. This in turn can reduce oxygen levels in the water, affecting fish and other aquatic organisms” (“Pollution”). Prevention consists of disposing of pet waste in the correct ways. Methods of detecting the animal waste are clear in the fact that it can be seen on the ground, or represented by the
amount of plan life in the water.
Animal manure and waste have devastating effects on the health of humans living near and around these lagoons containing animal waste. These neighboring humans frequently breathe in harmful gases produced from the decomposition of the animal waste and suffer from serious and irreversible health effects such as wheezing, coughing, headaches, shortness of breath and diarrhea. Some gases emitted into the air by agricultural waste are deadly, such as hydrogen sulfide, which is extremely dangerous even at very small concentrations. Serious effects of hydrogen sulfide include seizures, comas, and even death. Animal waste lagoons can also crack and seep, allowing very dangerous nitrates to enter drinking water systems underground, which can cause death in babies and infants. Methods that could be enacted to reduce the impact of agricultural waste include alternative farming methods, public awareness, regulation of waste, and development of technology to reduce waste.
Domestic Waste
Domestic waste, or domestic sewage, is a non point source of pollution through waste discarded from households. Many people dump their garbage into bodies of water leaving it littered with cans, bottles, plastics, and wrappers. The chemicals and substances we use to clean our households also contribute to water pollution. Most cleaning products today contain phosphates; these and other chemicals affect the health aquatic life and humans if large amounts of the chemicals are consumed. The main solution for this is to use cleaning products that do not include these toxic chemicals that pollute the water.
The cleaning products we spray into the air of our homes all can get into the water of our homes, and are therefore rushed back into the water supplies. This creates high phosphate levels from the products, and they are washed into the water, “High phosphate levels can kill life in rivers, streams and oceans by causing "algae blooms." Algae slimes dense enough to suffocate marine life have been swelling around the world, especially in coastal bays” (Hughes). Preventative measures have taken place such as banning phosphates to guarantee we don’t put them into the water.
Human waste can carry a variety of germs and pathogens. When these microbes enter drinking water, they can have serious health effects when ingested by humans. Bacteria and viruses ingested from human waste can cause diseases and symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, cholera, salmonella, hepatitis A, and many others. Phosphates in drinking water from cleaning chemicals in households cause the oxygen levels in water to deplete, which can affect fish, but does not have serious effects in drinking water of humans. The greatest amount of damage phosphate can cause in humans is digestive problems. Methods to prevent the entry of domestic waste into drinking water involve a “decentralized” sewage treatment or in home water treatment systems to filter out additional waste.
Industrial Waste
Many industrial factories use water to carry away waste into rivers, lakes, and oceans. Pollutants from industrial sources include lead, mercury, nitrates, phosphates, oils, sulfur, and petrochemicals. These point source pollutants not only pollute the water but can cause health problems in humans and can cause diseases such as cancer. Lead is a major problem in Detroit due to all of the emissions from lead-based gasoline and also from other industrial factories around the city. The way to detect lead pollution in water is by getting the water tested. The cause of lead pollution in water can come from automotive and industrial sources.
Drinking water’s exposure to chemicals such as nitrates and lead from industrial waste can have damaging health effects on humans. Nitrates can cause harm to infants less than 6 months of age, causing shortness of breath and blue baby syndrome, which both can result in death. Lead can also cause developmental problems if it exists in large amounts in the drinking water of children, causing slow brain development and behavioral problems. Lead can also cause less severe illnesses in adults such as kidney problems and high blood pressure. Methods effective in preventing lead and nitrates from entering drinking water include reverse osmosis, using cold water for consumption, and flushing pipes before consumption.
Overall, animal waste, cleaning products, and lead all have a major impact to water pollution especially in Detroit. All of these factors can cause serious health problems in humans if the waste is disposed improperly. To obtain clean and safe drinking water, we all need to take care of our waste.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Water Pollution Post 1
Within the category of water pollution, there are two separate classifications of pollution known as point Source and
Point sources can be detrimental. Examples including power plants, smelters, industrial and commercial boilers, wood and pulp processors, paper mills, industrial surface coating facilities, refinery and chemical processing operations, and petroleum storage tanks, these sources can hurt the environment. Oil is considered a point source, and a very devastating one taking a toll on
“[One method includes] an apparatus which floats on the surface of the water in which oil pollution is to be detected. The apparatus comprises a collector wheel having an oleophilic perimeter surface (such as polyethylene); the bottom portion of this wheel dips below the surface of the water on which the apparatus f
loats, and as the wheel rotates its perimeter surface picks up water if no oil is present. However, if there is even a small amount of oil on the surface of the water, the wheel perimeter will become coated with oil to the exclusion of water. A collector blade removes the liquid from the wheel perimeter and directs it to a detecting surface having at least two spaced electrodes. A voltage is imposed across the electrodes, and when water is deposited on the detecting surface, it will cause a small current to be conducted. However, when oil is deposited on the detecting surface, no current flows between the electrodes and an alarm system is activated. An oscillating wiper keeps the scraper and detecting surface free of sludge or other impurities” (“Method”).
Causes of oil pollution include many different factors both natural and manmade. They can come from big spills, air pollution from factories that have washed into the ocean, maintenance of ships, oil runoff from land, spills and operational discharges that occur during offshore drilling and natural seeps that occur at the bottom of the ocean. If any of these are detected, the water needs to be cleaned, and therefore avoided until then. The lethality of the spill depends on the volume of oil spilled, and the volume of the water it was spilled in. If a lot of oil was spilled in a small amount of water, it will be lethal. Affects of oil pollution can be wide spread.
“When oil starts mixing in water, it can change composition and becomes what's known as "mousse". This is a sticky substance that clings even more to whatever it comes in contact with. Many marine animals don't know to avoid aslick and some fish may even be attracted toit as it can resemble food” (Tips).
Being a huge part of car factories, oil is a main contaminant within the
When oil is present in drinking water, it can cause significant illnesses in people. Consuming small amounts of oil result in irritation of the stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea, though it’s not likely to cause long term illnesses. If vomiting occurs, it’s possible that the oil could enter the lungs. To prevent oil contamination in drinking water, the government takes protective measures to prevent oil from industry from entering water and protect against oil spills. In 1972, the EPA established a Federal Clean Water Act to set standards of avoiding pollution in drinking water by reporting all serious pollution found, and in Detroit, an early warning system regarding oil spotted in rivers is a key objective to oil prevention.
Lead is a non-point type of pollution that is often found in drinking water. To prevent high levels of lead from entering drinking water, water is first fully flushed before it can be used for consummation and cooking. The effectiveness of filtering devices installed in taps vary between effective and not effective. One common method of filtering known as reverse osmosis is sometimes more effective than others, however Lead is not filtered out of water when carbon, sand, and cartridge filters are used.
One method of detecting lead in water is by a quick color test. A citric acid solution is put onto filter paper along with a water sample to extract lead. A lead sensitive chromogen indicates the presence of lead on the paper. Sources of lead contamination in the city of 
In the City of Detroit, 6% of all children six years of age and younger tested in 2004 were identified to have lead poisoning (Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion 2005a).Effects of lead contaminants in water can be very serious in infants and children who are not done growing and developing. In these children, lead can delay neurological and physical developments such as developments of muscles, nerves, and brain cells. Massive lead contaminations can affect children later in life as well, and is related to several behavioral problems involving attention span and IQ. Adults can recover from massive lead poisoning but can still have serious symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramps, aggressive behavior, anemia, constipation, difficulty sleeping, headaches, irritability and a low appetite and energy. Severe lead poisoning in adults can cause permanent brain, kidney, and nervous system damage as well as problems with reproduction and the function of muscles and joints.
Overall both point and non point pollution can be serious and cause a great deal of damage. However, most of the pollution can be prevented and is easy to detect. In conclusion it is important that you are aware of what may be in the water that you drink, based on your city’s methods of filtering and detection. If you believe that you have been taking in polluted water it is important that you contact your doctor immediately, because water pollution can have life altering affects on your body.
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