Title: Identify major water pollutants, their sources, and their effects on the environment, the economy, and human health.
Course: Ecology and Environmental Management (18003-18) > Section: Protecting the Environment – Water

Identification might include

- sources
  - industrial waste
  - marine dumping
  - sewage and wastewater
  - oil leaks and spills
  - agriculture
  - global warming
  - radioactive waste
- leachates—contaminate ground water
- sediments—runoff from the land
- nutrients—promote algal growth and depletes oxygen
- toxins—runoff from land
- pathogens (e.g., Escherichia coli, Legionellosis, Pfiesteria, Cryptosporidium parvum, Salmonella, Listeria, Toxoplasma)
- organisms moving through the ecosystem.

Process/Skill Questions:

- What management practices reduce sediment runoff?
- Why is the agricultural industry often blamed for nutrient pollution?
- Who are the major contributors to nutrient and toxin pollutants?
- What is fracking? How does it affect drinking water and irrigation for crops?
- How does water pollution disrupt entire ecosystems?
- How can picking up after your pets and maintaining your car contribute to reducing water pollution?

Teacher Resource:

Waterborne Disease in the United States, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention