1.1 Introduction
Excessive Total Nitrogen (TN) and Total Phosphorus (TP) levels in natural water systems have proven to cause high levels of algae production. The Tampa Bay estuary has four major river basins that flow into it transporting TN and TP from the outfalls of terrestrial wastewater treatment plants and agricultural runoff. The process of phytoplankton growth which consumes the excess TN and TP in natural systems can also be related to the changing water quality levels such as dissolved oxygen (DO), salinity, available nutrient concentration, pH, water temperature and turbidity. For example, this lack of DO in the water reduces the longevity of the wildlife present in saline environments. This impact produces changes in the ecosystem. It is imperative that TP and TN levels be monitored and managed because of their impacts on the natural water bodies. The Tampa Bay estuary has seen been a receiving body for effluent wastewater for an extensive period of time (Janicki et al., 2001). Tampa Bay receives effluent waste water from four watersheds; Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay and Lower Tampa Bay.
The effects of the effluent discharge in the water body may have negative effects on the natural ecosystem. More specifically the dissolved oxygen levels as well as decreased light availability in the bay which decreases proportionally as total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations increase (Bricker et al., 1999). The effects of TP and TN in an estuary system can be seen in figure 1. This eutrophication is of high importance because the implications that it brings to the water system. These effects are a direct result of human interaction with the natural water system. Thus it...
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...isposal of waste water from treatment plants increases so will the need for nutrient control programs to ensure the natural water bodies are being protected from degeneration. Treatment processes that have gained popularity in recent years, e.g wetland application, mechanic or chemical treatment, are becoming more acceptable as the public are becoming more aware of the effects of eutrophication. Also the use of reclaimed water is alleviating the burden on receiving water bodies. As more water is being depleted from the groundwater table the need will shift to surface water treatment for drinking water thus if the proper steps are being taken now the processing costs of the future will decline significantly.
Also the natural system will be able to sustain its self for a longer period time.
Works Cited
The Effects of Nutrients: A Study of Tampa Bay
Estuary
One of the Bays biggest resources is its oysters. Oysters are filter feeders which mean they feed on agley and clean the water. The oysters feed on agley and other pollutants in the bay turning them into food, then they condense the food down to nutrients and sometimes developed pearls. Filtering the water helps the oysters to grow, and also helps clean the Chesapeake Bay. One oyster can filter 50 gallons of water a day, Oysters used to be able to filter the Bay in about a week. However, these creatures are now scarce in the bay. The Chesapeake Bays Oyster (crassostrea virginica) Population has declined severely because of over harvesting, agricultural runoff, and disease. Now the Chesapeake Bay is becoming polluted without the oysters and the water is not nearly as clean as it once was. The Chesapeake Bay was the first estuary in the nation to be targeted for restoration as an integrated watershed and ecosystem. (Chesapeake Bay Program n/d). This report will show the cause and effect of the Chesapeake Bay's Oyster decline on the Bay.
...d the amount of waste in the waterways and the trapping of runoff and litter.
For example, when the labors take oil from the ocean or sea, the oil may leak from the pipes and it will mingle with water. That time the living things in the sea are destroyed by the polluted water. So many fishes and sea organism may
Eutrophication is a concern in the Chesapeake Bay. Eutrophication is caused by excessive amounts of nutrients. Excessive nutrients in the bay have negative affects on the bay's ecosystem. The extra nutrients make the environment unbalanced. The extra nutrients cause a chain reaction that depletes oxygen and kills most of the organisms in that area. This is what is known as a dead zone.
...eading contributor of pollutants to lakes, rivers, and reservoirs…..Surface discharges can be caused by heavy storms or floods that cause storage lagoons to overfill, running off into nearby bodies of water. Pollutants can also travel over land or through surface drainage systems to nearby bodies of water, be discharged through manmade ditches or flushing systems found in CAFOs, or come into contact with surface water that passes directly through the farming area.
The Chesapeake Bay lies in three states-- Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. Although this estuary lies in 3 different states, the tributaries that contribute water to the bay lie in many different states, extending from New York to West Virginia and Virginia. Therefore, the health of the bay is a national problem, as its health strongly depends on our actions that we perform throughout the nation
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay holds eighteen hundred trillion gallons of water and stretches over 200 miles in length between its most northern point, the Susquehanna River to the Bay’s most southern tip, the Atlantic Ocean. Home to more than seventeen million people, the Chesapeake Bay is the primary water source for over 150 rivers and streams. Because of the vast amount of rivers and streams the bay feeds, this watershed impacts the lives of citizens on the eastern shore spanning a total of six U.S. states. The importance of the Chesapeake Bay is incredible; two of the United States’ five major North Atlantic ports – Baltimore and Hampton Roads – are on the Bay. (Chesapeake Bay Program, n/d). The highly productive ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay provides food and shelter for a wide variety of plant and animal life in and surrounding the Bay. The critical natural resources the bay provides stimulates economic growth and has for centuries.
Prevention is necessary to control many problems in the Chesapeake Bay. Prevention can range from something as big as a government issue or as small as a single person helping out. The greatest chance at total protection for water quality is when many people and organizations work together to prevent problems. According to the Chesapeake Bay Program, “Federal, state and non-profit Bay Program partners are working with farmers, developers, homeowners and local governments to reduce pollutants from multiple sources and restore water quality for all to enjoy” (Chesapeake Bay Program).
our pipelines and sewers where it goes to a treatment plant to be treated, but
"Ocean Pollution." MarineBio Conservation Society ~ Marine Biology, Ocean Life Conservation, Sea Creatures, Biodiversity, Research... Web. 19 May 2014.
Today's waters are constantly being treated like sewage dumps or trash cans. We use them as garbage cans every day polluting the water more and more. "Pollution is often by way of rivers, drains and outflow pipes." Causing an outflow of sewage into our ocean waters. This is not only affecting the community but also the marine life and other sea creatures living in the ocean." This pollution includes human sewage and domestic waste water, factory outflows of acids and poisonous metals, engine oil from roadside drains and garages, farm chemicals washed off the land by rain, building-site rubble, nuclear waste from power plants, and oil from wells, refineries, and tankers." Stating that most of today's waste is from factory or factory ran products that shouldn't be polluting the water
Oroian, Viman Oana I. "Damaging Effects of Overall Water Pollution." BioFlux (2010): 113-15. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
Clean and safe drinking water resources are becoming scarce as the population grows. The world is facing many problems, but the most important thing needed to survive, is water. Water is getting low in many countries, therefore residents are suffering the misfortune of not having the reliable source of clean water. Today many countries are having water shortages meaning rivers, lakes, streams and groundwater are not enough to rely on for supplying water demands. For example, California is facing a drastic water shortage, the natural water resources are not enough to fulfill their water demands.
The problem of water scarcity has increasingly spread throughout the world as of yet, The UN reports that within the next half- century up to 7 billion people in 60 countries which is more than the whole present population will face water scarcity (Sawin “Water Scarcity could Overwhelm the Next Generation”). As well the demand for freshwater has tripled over the past 50 years, and is continuing to rise as a result of population growth and economic development. 70% of this demand derives from agriculture which shows the influence of water on food supply globally as well not just drinking water (Sawin “Water Scarcity could overwhelm the Next Generation”). But increasing water use is not just a matter of the greater number of people needing it to drink and eat; it also comes from pollution and misuse of water supplies, by either dumping or runoff of bacteria or chemicals into water. This also “causes other pollutions as well such as soil and air pollution, accelerating wetland damage and human caused global warming” (Smith and Thomassey 25). According to UN report, recent estimates suggest that climate change will account for about 20 percent of the increase in global water scarcity in coming decades.
Freshwater in the world makes up only a small portion of the water on the planet. While the percentage of water in the world is nearly 70%, only 2.5% is consumable. Even further, only 1% is easily accessible to basic human needs. According to National Geographic, “by 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change.” With this current trend, water will become more immersed in environmental, economic, political, and social changes.