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Soils & Hydrology ch. 14
Soils & Hydrology ch. 14
65
Science
Undergraduate 3
05/08/2016

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Term
remediate
Definition
correct problems that have already been caused
Term
contaminant
Definition
mostly materials that get in the wrong place at too high concentrations
Term
industrial ecology
Definition
studies how waste from one industry can serve as raw materials for another
Term
risk assessment
Definition
the attempt to quantify the risks posed by a certain level of some pollutant (contaminant) in the environment, particularly to human health
Term
What happens to organic contaminants?
Definition
seldom taken up by plants, but may readily leach to ground water because they aren't adsorbed by soils
Term
some pollutant pathways
Definition
-direct soil ingestion
-leaching to ground water
-runoff to surface water
-plant uptake
-animal uptake
Term
for some chemicals, this is the reason to regulate them
Definition
to prevent pipe corrosion
Term
the three important criteria for water quality for surface and ground waters
Definition
-chemical
-physical
-biological
Term
physical water quality
Definition
characterizes physical traits of water
Term
the 2 forms of stream sediment
Definition
-suspended load
-bed load
Term
suspended load
Definition
includes the particles in suspension
Term
bed load
Definition
sediment pushed along the bottom of the channel

more commonly associated w/ coarser substrate such as sand and gravel
Term
bad effects of heavily sedimented river beds
Definition
eliminating habitat
Term
substrate
Definition
size distribution of sediments on the bottom of the channel
Term
vital factors for the productivity of many fish species
Definition
-channel bed topography
-size distribution of sediments on the bottom
Term
thermal refugia
Definition
areas of cool water in lakes and streams; lowers metabolic needs for fish
Term
pools provide these things for fish
Definition
-resting area
-protection from terrestrial and avian predators
-sometimes cooler water
Term
turbidity
Definition
how clear the water is
Term
Secchi disk
Definition
round plate quartered into black and white sections; measures depth of visibility
Term
Other than sediment, turbidity is affected by...
Definition
-plankton
-algae
Term
oligotrophic
Definition
-very high Secchi depth
-very low inputs of nutrients and carbon
Term
eutrophic
Definition
very low Secchi depth
Term
mesotrophic
Definition
-between oligotrophic and eutrophic
-moderate amounts of nutrients and carbon
Term
how warmer water is bad for fish
Definition
-increased metabolism, thus increased O demand, but also decreased O level in water
-can also provide conditions for the growth of disease causing organisms
Term
function of woody debris in a channel
Definition
-serves as a scour element
-serves as a food source
Term
scour element
Definition
-during high flows, water is accelerated in a downward direction around the woody debris and scours out a hole around the bottom of the debris
-hole serves as a pool between storms
-wood itself provides cover, or hiding places, for fish
Term
DO level in streams depends on...
Definition
-temp
-amount of sediment
-amount of O taken out by respiring and decaying organisms
-amount of O put back in stream by p'synth plants, stream flow, and aeration
Term
biochem oxygen demand (BOD)
Definition
measure of the amount of oxygen that bacteria will consume while decomposing organic matter under aerobic conditions
Term
the main focus of wastewater treatment plants
Definition
to reduce the BOD in the effluent disto natural waters
Term
chemical oxygen demand (COD)
Definition
-doesn't differentiate between biologically available and inert organic matter, and is a measure of the total quantity of oxygen required to oxidize all organic material into CO2 and water -always greater than BOD, but measured more quickly than BOD
Term
If effluent w/ high BOD levels is discharged into a stream,...
Definition
it will accelerate bacterial growth in the river and consume the oxygen levels in the river
Term
oxygen sag curve
Definition
drop and rise in DO downstream from source of BOD
Term
magnitude of pH increase of 1 unit
Definition
10 times fewer H+ ions
Term
natural range of pH
Definition
about -4.5-12.5
Term
the pH of most natural waters is buffered by...
Definition
-a carbon dioxide bicarbonate system, since the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere serves as a source of carbonic acid
-tends to keep pH around 7-7.5
Term
alkalinity
Definition
-the ability to neutralize acids
-alkalinity of natural water derived from salts of weak acids
Term
eutrophication
Definition
-decaying vegetation using up dissolved oxygen in the water
-can be caused by too much nutrients entering the water
Term
flocculant
Definition
-chemical that uses double layer kinetics to attract charged particles
-water treatment plants use these to aggregate dissolved solids
Term
specific conductance
Definition
ability of a substance to conduct electricity
Term
LNAPL's
Definition
light, non-aqueous phase liquids; less dense than water; float in top layer of ground water
Term
DNAPL's
Definition
dense, non-aqueous phase liquids; denser than water; sink to bottom of aquifers
Term
bad effects of cadmium
Definition
replaces zinc in body and seems to be a cumulative toxicant
Term
bad effects of lead
Definition
-neurological disorders
-inhibits brain cell development in children
-prevents uptake of iron, making the victim seem anemic
Term
how exposure to Hg, Ag, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn can kill fish
Definition
can damage gill tissue
Term
radionucleides
Definition
elements that emit radioactivity
Term
bad effects of radionucleides
Definition
-damage human tissue directly
-cause cancer later in life
-mutations in later generations
Term
the bacteria for which many states' surface water quality standards are written
Definition
fecal coliform; they don't cause disease, but they serve as an indicator of disease causing agents in the aquatic environment
Term
badceffects of too much bacteria in water
Definition
-disease
-poor water quality
Term
presence of bacteria may indicate...
Definition
low dissolved oxygen
Term
what the zebra mussel has done in the U.S.
Definition
filtered water so efficiently, that it turned some waters from mesotrophic to oligotrophic
Term
what the flathead catfish has done in the Altamaha river
Definition
introduced from its native habitat in the Mississippi River system, it hurt the native fish reserves
Term
this makes some aquatic species very good biological indicators of physical and chemical water quality
Definition
their physiology or life history
Term
indices of biological integrity (IBI's)
Definition
stat metrics accounting for species richness, abundance, and diversity
Term
effect of P load
Definition
affects water productivity and trophic state
Term
effect of total N
Definition
affects productivity and trophic state
Term
effects of nitrate
Definition
causes blue baby syndrome
Term
effects of total dissolved solids
Definition
-general indicator of iron concentration
-affects taste
Term
effects of benzene
Definition
mutagen
Term
effects of vinyl chloride
Definition
mutagen
Term
many cases of soil and water contamination result from...
Definition
improper waste disposal
Term
biosolids
Definition
sewage sludges
Term
point source pollution
Definition
pollution from a certain point, such as a pipe
Term
non-point source pollution
Definition
pollution from surroundings, such as ag runoff
Term
the objective of the Clean Water Act of 1972
Definition
to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters
Term
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) programs
Definition
developed by GA and many states to address non-point source pollution as mandated by the Clean Water Act
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