Effects of Air Pollution on Water

The level of pollution in the water supply is directly related to the level of pollution in the air. Airborne pollutants to do not disintegrate, they remain the same or undergo chemical alteration when they contact other substances. The resulting chemical can be potentially more serious then the original. Airborne pollutants often travel thousands of miles from their source. Some air pollutants occur naturally, but most are made by man.
  1. Pollutants

    • The chemicals most commonly found in air pollution are sulfur and nitrogen compounds. Also present in the air are heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium and copper as well as pesticides and herbicides. Some increases of sulfur and nitrogen into the atmosphere occur naturally from volcanic explosions, but most are caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Due to the increase of airborne pollutants, Congress amended the Clean Air Act to say that all air pollution, both manmade and naturally occurring, must be taken into account when recording overall pollution.

    Acid Rain

    • Acid rain is rain that has higher-than-average levels of nitric and sulfuric acid. These chemicals can fall directly into water, or they can leach into soil. In areas where rainfall is scarce, they can collect in dust. When rain does fall, the dust mixes with the rain and forms runoff that flows into larger bodies of water. When acid rain enters groundwater, the pH level is lowered, which is harmful, sometimes fatal, to life in aquatic ecosystems. Acid rain also leaches into soil and causes aluminum to leach from the soil into water; aluminum is toxic to fish.

    Mercury

    • Mercury is a naturally occurring substance deposited into the air by burning waste and coal. When mixed with water, mercury chemically alters to its deadly form, methyl mercury. Fish absorb mercury and so does anything that eats the fish. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 41 of 50 states have mercury warnings associated with fish, and 80 percent of the mercury in Lake Michigan is from air pollution.

    Red Tides

    • In a balanced environment, nitrogen causes plants to grow, but when too much nitrogen enters a body of water or estuary via acid rain, the growth rate of algae explodes. This causes the waterways to become congested and the balance of the aquatic ecosystem to be disrupted. Certain types of algal blooms are toxic; this directly affects animals that feed on algae.

    Ramifications

    • Some plants and animals are better able to tolerate acidic water. The young of most species are more sensitive to acidity. According to the EPA, at pH 5, most fish eggs cannot hatch. As lakes and streams become more acidic, the numbers and types of fish and other aquatic plants and animals that live in these waters decrease. Some acid lakes have no fish.

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