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Forms of Surface Water Pollution
Water pollution is "contamination of water by undesirable
foreign matter." It impacts our oceans, our surface water, and our underground water.
Pollution comes in many forms--some conventional and others toxic.
Toxic Pollutants |
Conventional
Pollutants |
| Cadmium |
Ammonia |
| Copper |
BOD* |
| Lead |
Nitrogen (and nitrate) |
| Mercury |
Pathogens |
| Phenol |
Phosphorus |
| Total residual chloride |
Suspended solids |
| *'Biochemical Oxygen Demand'(BOD) is the term used to describe the oxygen
used up as suspended solids decays. |
Additonal considerations are:
- Sewage effluents
- Thermal pollution
- Eutrophication
- Petroleum
- Faecal pollution
- Acid precipitation
- Storm sewage discharges
- Urban surface water runoff
- Farm fertilizer and pesticide runoff
- Acide mine draininge
- Radioactive substances
Indicator of Surface Water Pollutants:
- Suspended Sediment
- Fecal coliform
- Total phosphorus
- Nitrate
- Dissolved solids
- Dissolved Oxygen
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