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Water Pollution
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The Epidemic… (Intro for Poison Pump)
In 1854, hundreds of people living in London died during a
cholera
epidemic. The disease spread from India to London.
Cholera is characterized by rapid dehydration resulting from
vomiting, diarrhea and sweating. Victims may suffer only
mild
symptoms or can die in less than an hour.
Dr. John Snow, considered the father of epidemiology, is
credited with tracking and identifying the source and
transmission agent of the 1854 cholera epidemic.
Your team has been given the same information that Dr. Snow
possessed. As a team your mission is to try to solve the
mysterious epidemic.
You have been given a Broad Street Area map, a set of victim
cards and a marker. Using the information make a chart
comparing all common characteristics among the victims. Use
the marker to mark the location of the victims.
The class will share their conclusions (locating and
explaining
the source of the epidemic) with the other teams. Additional
information uncovered by Dr. Snow will then be provided to
all
teams. Teams will be given time to confirm or revise their
original conclusions. After confirming or revising, teams
will
again share their conclusions.
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Water Pollution
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Pollution
Two types of pollution
Point pollution – pollution that comes from a single
identifiable
source such as a pipe that dumps oil or toxic chemicals from
a
factory in to a lake, stream, or river. (It is a source you can
point
to.) Some towns use septic tanks, which can pollute the
ground
water.
Non-point Pollution – pollution that cannot be traced to a
specific
point, but comes from many places
We are concerned about non-point pollution; because with the
development, this is the main problem in Atlanta. The city
of
Atlanta is working diligently to repair the damage they have
done
in the past by allowing factories to dump sewage and other
chemicals in the Chattahoochee.
Examples of Non-point:
Thermal pollution – heating the water causes the level of
dissolved oxygen to lower. With less oxygen in the water,
fish and other aquatic life can be harmed or killed.
Caused by: Storm run-off
Sediments – soil, sand, silt, clay wash from land into the
creeks. Caused by poor construction practices. Large
quantities are considered pollution. (Silt screens)
1. Cause flow to slow down
2. Suffocate fish and shellfish
3. Darkens the color of water making it attract sunlight,
causes the water to heat up (What does this do to level
of oxygen?)
4. Slows down plant growth that provides oxygen
Metals and Plastics – remain in the water, are not
biodegradable, can be poisonous for most forms of life
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Water Pollution
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Nutrients - Concentration of nitrogen and phosphorous –
these are used for plant growth Ex. Fertilizers, household
detergents These cause algae in the water to bloom and
multiply – As the algae dies, oxygen is needed to decompose
the algae. (When the oxygen is depleted, what happens?)
Acid Rain - rain that has been affected by pollution in the
air, When water becomes too acidic or basic, sensitive fish
and other organisms cannot survive
Pesticides – designed to kill or limit the growth of weeds
and insects on crops and lawns. These flow into the creeks
or groundwater causing chemical imbalance in the water.
© 2006 Dee Shore. Used with permission.
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Water Pollution
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© 2006 Dee Shore. Used with permission.
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Water Pollution
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© 2006 Dee Shore. Used with permission.
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Water Pollution
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What’s in the Water Pollutants
Sediment – (brown M&M’s)
This is caused by run-off from land into the creeks and streams
due to
construction. This slows down the flow of the river and can
suffocate fish
and macroinvertebrates. Because sediment turns the water brown,
the water
is heated and therefore can cause thermal pollution.
Organic Wastes (yellow M&M’s)
Wastewater treatment plants and food processing plants release
organic
wastes that bacteria consume. If too much waste is released, the
bacterial
populations increase using up the dissolved oxygen.
Fertilizers (red M&M’s)
This is caused primarily by run-off into streams. During heavy
rain,
fertilizers from lawns flow into the creeks and streams.
Increased amounts
are found near agriculture farms. Fertilizers contain nitrogen
and
phosphorous which cause large amounts of algae to bloom in the
water.
When the algae die, it decreases the amount of dissolved oxygen
in the
water.
Petroleum Products (green M&M’s)
Oil and gas travel into the water from ships, oil refineries,
auto service
stations, and streets. These spills can kill aquatic life, and
gasoline and oil
can leak into the ground water through damaged underground
tanks.
Thermal - Heated or Cooled Water (blue M&M’s)
Heated water, also known as thermal pollution, decreases water’s
ability to
dissolve oxygen. Electric power plants use large quantities of
water in their
steam turbines. The heated water is often returned to streams.
Water is also
heated by run-off from hot pavement and asphalt. Water
temperature can
drop in temperature as well causing problems for fish that
require warmer
water to survive. Example: Buford Dam lowers the temperature in
the
Chattahoochee River to 55 degrees (F) because the outtake of
water is from
the base of the dam. Native trout cannot survive in this
temperature.
Pesticides, Herbicides, and Fungicides (orange M&M’s)
This pollution results from man’s attempt to limit the pests and
weeds that
grow in lawns and gardens. The growth in Atlanta has increased
the amount
of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides present in the
Chattachoochee River
watershed.
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Excel Directions for What’s in the Water?
1. In Column A-1, write Pollutant 2. In Column A-2, write
Organic waste 3. In Column A-3, write Petroleum 4. In Column A-4,
write Sediment 5. In Column A-5, write Thermal 6. In Column A-6,
write Pesticides 7. In Column A-7, write Fertilizers 8. In Column
B-1, write # of Pollutants 6 Fill in the data you gathered on B-2
through B-7
7. Press Save as to save your work. Place work in your
number.
Example:
Pollutant # of pollutants
organic waste 10
Petroleum 5
Sediment 22
Thermal 8
Pesticides 14
Fertilizers 12
8. Highlight your data: A-2 through B-7 9. Go to insert and
locate the charts 10. Select the Chart Type: Pie 11. Go to design
and select the fifth one. 12. Give a title for your chart.
Pollutants found in _______________
Creek 13. Insert a text box at the bottom right of the graph.
Add your names. 14. Save your work. 15. Print to a color
printer.
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Temperature
Water temperature is extremely important to a waterway. It
can
+affect the waterway by changing it physically, biologically,
and
chemically.
The ways humans change the temperature in waterways:
Thermal pollution (most serious)
o Industries discharging water used to cool machinery
o Storm water runoff from warmed paved surfaces
o Cutting down trees reduces shade
o Soil erosion makes water turbid causing the sun’s rays
to be absorbed.
Results from temperature change:
As the temperature rises, photosynthesis and plant growth
increase. The plants become overcrowded and die. The
bacteria
decomposing the decaying material consume more oxygen.
Procedure:
1. Open the kit over a grassy area. Carefully, take the
thermometer out of the backpack.
2. Take the air temperature first. (Celcius and Fahrenheit)
3. Take the water temperature.
Select a place in the center of the creek where the
thermometers will not be disturbed. Use the same
location and depth of water each week to keep this
assessment consistent.
Place the thermometers in the water one at a time. Be
gentle with these. They can break easily and we do not
want to cause any damage to the creek.
4. Wait 5 minutes for each.
5. Record your results.
Air Temperature: _____ F _____ C
Water Temperature _____ F _____ C © 2006 Dee Shore. Used with
permission.
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1. What is thermal pollution?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
2. How does soil erosion cause a change in temperature?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
3. What could cause a change in the temperature of a creek?
a. _________________________________________
b. _________________________________________
c. _________________________________________
4. Why is storm water runoff a problem for our creeks and
streams? Explain how it impacts the temperature of the
water?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
© 2006 Dee Shore. Used with permission.
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Water Pollution
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Velocity Team
A stream’s velocity is the speed or flow of the stream’s water.
Velocity is
affected by the amount of rainfall and number of riffles found
in the stream.
A riffle is shallow water flowing rapidly over rocks creating
waves and
small whitecaps.
Procedure:
1. Measure 25 feet along the creek’s bank. Mark both places. 2.
Have one team member in the creek where each place is marked. 3.
The student standing upstream is to let go of the ping-pong ball.
The
third member starts the stopwatch.
4. The team member standing at the other end yells when the
ping-pong ball reaches them. The third member stops the watch and
records the
time.
5. This test is to be repeated two more times.
A. Record times and convert to seconds.
Test 1 time _____ mins. ____ seconds = _____ seconds
Test 1 time _____ mins. ____ seconds = _____ seconds
Test 1 time _____ mins. ____ seconds = _____ seconds
Total _____ seconds
B. Add the three scores and divide by 3 to find the average.
Total ______ 3 = ______ seconds
(Use the round up rule if .5 or higher, round up.)
Average: ______ seconds (rounded)
C. Divide the distance by average seconds to determine the
number of feet
the ball traveled per second.
25 _____ = ______ feet per second
Velocity test results: The ball traveled ____ feet per
second.
© 2006 Dee Shore. Used with permission.
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Water Pollution
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River Kids….We have a problem
It has come to our attention that a Mr. Cashew is redoing
his cabin along the Tallulah River. He is dumping all the
trash on a hill not very far from the river. Something
needs to be done and we are the group to do it. MISSION:
Analyze the pictures
List ideas for a letter
Write a persuasive letter to Mr. Cashew trying to
convince him to remove the trash from the hill.
Step One:
Analyze the pictures and make a list of the things you
observe in the trash pile. What can you determine from the
evidence?
Step Two:
Create a list of ideas for your letter. Your letter will
have
3 paragraphs:
Paragraph One will state your goal. What is the point of
your letter? Why are you writing this letter? State your
opinion
of the situation.
Paragraph Two will give three or more reasons explaining
your opinion. Your reasons should convince the reader to
agree
with your opinion and/or get him to change. Provide a
detailed
explanation.
Paragraph Three is your conclusion. It summarizes the most
important points you want the reader to understand and
remember. Give them a charge – something to walk away with
that will motivate them to do what you want them to do.
Step Three:
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You will be writing your letter to Mr. Cashew using the ideas
you brainstormed
last week. Here is some information you will need about this
man:
1. His first name is Andrew 2. He works at Habersham Electric
Company
3. His title at work is Head Engineer 4. He has a home on the
Tallulah
River 5. His address is 321 Bambridge Lane, Clayton, GA
30052
6. Your address is 4435 Post Oak Tritt, Marietta, GA 30062
You will be using the computer to draft a letter to Mr.
Cashew.
Follow these steps to create your letter:
Log in using your id number
Click on Microsoft Word
Set the font to 16
Set the tab to align to the right and write your address, press
enter
Skip a line and write the date
Set the tab to align to the left and write Mr. Andrew Cashew,
press
enter, save work in your folder (Look for student number)
Write his title, press enter]
Write his company, press enter
Write his street address, press enter
Write his city, state and zip code, press enter
Skip a line
Write your greeting followed by a comma, press enter
Write the body of your letter. Remember your letter must
have
three paragraphs:
1. State your goal or point of your letter and your opinion
of
what he is doing.
2. Give 3 or more reasons, with details, explaining your
opinion
and expressing your concern. Why is what he is doing wrong?
What problems might occur because of this trash?
3. Summarize the important points in your letter, things you
want him to remember
Print your letter and use the rubric to evaluate your letter
Turn your letter and rubric in to be further evaluated by the
teacher