RAMOS, CHRISTIAN M.

Environmental Science
MH 10:30-12:00

LEARNING ACTIVITY in
WATER and WATER POLLUTION

OBJECTIVES:

Understand the whereabouts of water and be able to identify the source of water pollution.

MATERIALS:

Social Media site

ACTIVITY PROPER:

Use your own words to describe the following terms:

1. Hydrologic Cycle
- The hydrological cycle of the earth is the sum total of all processes in which water moves from
the land and ocean surface to the atmosphere and back in form of precipitation. The hydrological
cycle is dependent on various factors and is equally affected by oceans and land surfaces.

2. Water Table
- The ‘water table’ is the below-ground level that marks the transition between ground that is
saturated with water and ground that is not saturated. The upper, unsaturated level, is known as
the 'capillary fringe' or 'zone of aeration'. The lower, saturated level, is known as the 'zone of
saturation'. An aquifer is a pocket of water that is found below the water table.
- As water moves down from the surface it filters through sediments and rocks and causes the
water table to fluctuate. The water table typically follows the topography of the above-ground
land, but sometimes intersects with the land surface, which may be evident from the presence
of spring or oasis.

3. Water scarcity
- Water scarcity is defined as a water deficiency or a lack of safe water supplies. As the population
of the world grows and the environment becomes further affected by climate change, access to
fresh drinking water dwindles.

4. Aquifer
- An aquifer is a body of saturated rock through which water can easily move. Aquifers must be
both permeable and porous and include such rock types as sandstone, conglomerate, fractured
limestone and unconsolidated sand and gravel. Fractured volcanic rocks such as columnar
basalts also make good aquifers. The rubble zones between volcanic flows are generally both
porous and permeable and make excellent aquifers. In order for a well to be productive, it must
be drilled into an aquifer.
5. Desalination
- Desalination is the process of removing dissolved minerals from water so that people can use
the treated water for applications that usually require fresh water. Desalinated water can be used
for agriculture, industry and domestic use. It might need further treatment to be deemed
drinkable, but if no storage is required, drinking it on the spot should be just fine.

6. Watershed

- A watershed is an entire river system, it is an area drained by a river and its tributaries. It is
sometimes called a drainage basin. Watersheds can cover wide areas. Runoff water from a large
watershed in the mid continental United States drains into the Gulf of Mexico through the
Mississippi River system. The Amazon River watershed is huge, draining over a third of the
entire South American continent.
- Most freshwater in the world flows through watersheds that eventually drain into the ocean.
However, sometimes a watershed will not drain into the ocean, but into an internal body of water.
Water can only leave these bodies of water, called endorheic basins, by evaporating or seeping
through the soil.

7. Water Pollution

- Water pollution can be defined as the contamination of water bodies. Water pollution is caused
when water bodies such as rivers, lakes, oceans, groundwater and aquifers get contaminated
with industrial and agricultural effluents.
- When water gets polluted, it adversely affects all life forms that directly or indirectly depend on
this source. The effects of water contamination can be felt for years to come.

8. Sediment Pollution
- Sediment pollution commonly occurs when contaminated sediments are supplied directly to
water bodies. However, pollution can also occur when contaminants are applied to soils, which
are subsequently eroded and delivered to water bodies as sediment, or when contaminants are
introduced directly to water that contains sediments.

9. Impaired waters
- Impaired waters are those waters that don't meet water quality standards for one or more
pollutants.

10. Gyre
- Gyres are large system of circular ocean currents formed by global wind patterns and forces
created by Earth’s rotation. The five major circulation patterns formed by the currents on this
map are the world's five major ocean gyres: North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Indian, North Pacific,
and South Pacific. (The Indian Ocean Gyre is actually two, split slightly below the Equator.)
CRITICAL THINKING

Be able to read, analyze, and give complete answers to questions like these.

1. Label each of these steps of the hydrologic cycle with the appropriate term
a. Water passes through a plant and is released through its leaves. Transpiration
b. Water returns to the Earth as snow, ice, or rain. Precipitation
c. Water soaks into the soil. Infiltration
d. Heat from the sun converts liquid water to water vapor. Evaporation
e. Water moves down a surface, eventually draining into a river, lake, etc. Runoff

2. You are looking at a selection of bottled water in a grocery store. Your choices are listed below.
What is the difference between each?
a. Artesian water
 Artesian water is the confined natural underground reservoir that contains water under
positive pressure. The aquifer is the geologic layer of rocks or limestone that provides as
the source of the artesian well. Such aquifers are commonly found underneath the surface
of the earth. This is where the preserve deposits and massive amounts of the finest water.
 In general, the artesian groundwater is similar to any type of groundwater in your property.
The difference is with regard to the process of how it gets to the surface. The artesian well
does not need a pump to push the water into the surface. This is because there is so much
pressure in the aquifer. It pushes the water out without any assistance.

b. Distilled water
 Distilled water is steam from boiling water that’s been cooled and returned to its liquid state. Some
people claim distilled water is the purest water you can drink. Distilling rids water of all those
impurities. It also removes more than 99.9% of the minerals dissolved in water.
 Distilled water is a type of purified water. Salts, minerals, and other organic materials are
removed by collecting the steam from boiling water.

c. Purified water
 Purified water is water that is essentially free of microbes and chemicals. This is achieved
by reverse osmosis (forcing the water through a membrane to get rid of chemicals,
minerals and microbes), ozonization (disinfecting water using ozone rather than a
chemical), or distillation. The EPA requires purified water to not contain more than 10 parts
per million of total dissolved solids in order to be labeled purified water.

d. Spring water
 Spring, in hydrology, opening at or near the surface of the Earth for the discharge of water
from underground sources. A spring is a natural discharge point of subterranean water at
the surface of the ground or directly into the bed of a stream, lake, or sea. Water that
emerges at the surface without a perceptible current is called a seep. Wells are holes
excavated to bring water and other underground fluids to the surface.
3. A family is looking to conserve water in their home. What is probably their biggest domestic use
of water?

- The biggest domestic water usage is in the comfort room, water use in taking a bath, and flushing
a poo or urine.

4. What is eutrophication, and how does it affect water? What form of pollution causes it?

- Eutrophication is the process in which a water body becomes overly enriched with nutrients,
leading to plentiful growth of simple plant life. The excessive growth (or bloom) of algae and
plankton in a water body are indicators of this process.
- Eutrophication is considered to be a serious environmental concern since it often results in the
deterioration of water quality and the depletion of dissolved oxygen in water bodies. Eutrophic
waters can eventually become “dead zones” that are incapable of supporting life.
- Eutrophication may be defined as the inorganic nutrient enrichment of natural waters, leading to
an increased production of algae and macrophytes. Many lakes are naturally eutrophic and in
some cases there is a progressive eutrophication as the lake matures. The term Eutrophication
is more widely known in relation to human activities where the artificial introduction of plant
nutrients has led to community changes and a deterioration of water quality in many freshwater
systems.
- This aspect has become increasingly important with increases in human population and more
extensive development of agriculture and eutrophication now ranks with other major
anthropogenic effects such as deforestation, global warming depletion of the ozone layer and
large scale environmental disturbance in relation to its potentially harmful effect on natural
ecosystems.

5. Plastic is a non-degradable form of pollution. What actually happens to it in the ocean? Where
does it end up?

- Many plastic products are single-use items that are designed to be thrown out, like water bottles
or take out containers. These are used and discarded quickly. If this waste isn’t properly
disposed of or managed, it can end up in the ocean.
- Unlike some other kinds of waste, plastic doesn’t decompose. That means plastic can stick
around indefinitely, wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems. Some plastics float once they enter
the ocean, though not all do. As the plastic is tossed around, much of it breaks into tiny pieces,
called micro plastics.
- Microfibers, shed from synthetic clothing or fishing nets, are another problematic form of micro
plastic. These fibers, beads, and micro plastic fragments can all absorb harmful pollutants like
pesticides, dyes, and flame retardants, only to later release them in the ocean.