Week 11 - Water Pollution, Nitrogen, Eutrophication (2) PDF

SC253: Ecology and Environmental Problems November 11, 2024 Prof. Amy L. Frick  Housekeeping ( 1. You will participate in a ~20 minute panel presentation on November 18 or November 25. Topics have been...

SC253: Ecology and Environmental Problems November 11, 2024 Prof. Amy L. Frick  Housekeeping ( 1. You will participate in a ~20 minute panel presentation on November 18 or November 25. Topics have been randomly assigned (see (/Content/Panel Discussions) for details). On the day that you’re not presenting, you will write a thoughtful peer-review of a classmate’s presentation. If you’re a no-show on the day of the presentation, you will get a 0 and will not be allowed to make it up. 2. An [optional] extra credit assignment has been added to Brightspace. See (/Content/Optional assignment: HumanProgress.org commentary) for details.  Schedule October 28: Evolution, biological magnification, mesocyclops, et al. November 4: Carbon, climate change November 11: Water; nitrogen November 18: Presentations - Day 1. November 25: Presentations - Day 2. December 2: Final exam December 9: Last day to submit overdue assignments.  Panel discussions - grading (/Content/Panel presentations) Total possible points Statement of purpose/concepts 3 2 key points 4 Counter argument 3 Supporting information 4 Speaking 3 Answer to follow-up questions 3 TOTAL 20  Panel discussions - grading Statement of purpose/concepts: Introduce your topic. 2 key points: Cite facts. Counter argument: Anticipate what your opponent will say. Refute them. Supporting information: Supplement your argument with outside information. Speaking: Small notecards only. Speak naturally. Answer to follow-up questions: Be prepared to discuss your opinions. Panelists must submit a document listing three (or more) sources (due the day of presentation) Nitrogen Nitrogen pollution in water Supplemental material on Nitrogen pollution in the water  Categories of water pollution Infectious Agents Plant Nutrients Bacteria, Viruses, Protozoa, Parasitic Worms Nitrates, phosphates Source: Human and animal waste Sources: Sewage, manure, agricultural and landscaping runoff Oxygen-Demanding Waste Organic debris & waste + aerobic bacteria Organic Chemicals Sources: Sewage, feedlots, paper-mills, Oil, gasoline, plastics, pesticides, solvents, food processing detergents Sources: Industrial effluent, household Inorganic Chemicals cleansers, runoff from farms and yards Acids, Metals, salts Sources: Surface runoff, Industrial Eroded Sediment effluent, household cleansers Soil, silt Radioactive Materials Heat/thermal pollution Iodine, radon, uranium, cesium, thorium Source: Power plants, industrial Sources: Coal & nuclear power plants, mining, weapons production, natural *related to Nitrogen  Categories of air pollution Pollutant Source Carbon dioxide, CO2 Complete combustion of any fuel containing carbon atoms Carbon monoxide, CO Incomplete combustion of any fuel containing carbon atoms Particulate carbon, C Incomplete combustion of any fuel containing carbon atoms (soot) Unburned Hydrocarbon fuel molecules which have not been oxidised hydrocarbons at all Sulfur dioxide, SO2 Combustion of a fossil fuel which contains sulfur impurities Nitrogen oxides, NOx Oxidation of atmospheric nitrogen inside the engine of a car, lorry, etc https://water.mecc.edu/courses/Env211/lesson21_print.htm  Sources of nitrogenous water pollution Agriculture Sediment, fertilizer, pesticides, bacteria Industry Organic and inorganic chemicals Mining Eroded sediments and runoff of toxic chemicals Sources of nitrogen  Nitrogen compounds produced by cars and factories Natural runoff Sewage Inorganic fertilizer runoff Detergents Manure runoff Lake ecosystem nutrient Dissolving of nitrogen overload and breakdown of oxides (from internal chemical cycling combustion engines) Runoff and erosion from poor land use  Sources of nitrogenous air pollution NOx gases as pollutants High temperatures inside engines cause atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen to react. Compounds formed: NO and NO2. Results: Acid rain, phytochemical smog. Types of reactive nitrogen (UNEP) - interactive  N2: atmospheric nitrogen 78% of air we breathe NH3/NH4: ammonium Waste (decomposition, urine) NO2/NO3: nitrites/nitrates Required for plant growth. Supplemental info about nitrogen cycle  N2: atmospheric [N2 converted to NH3/NH4 by nitrogen [NO2/NO3 converted to N2 by nitrogen-fixing bacteria] denitrifying bacteria] [Nitrites/nitrates taken up by [Nitrogenous waste] [Decomposition/ plants, then consumed by animals] ammonification] NH3/NH4: NO2/NO3: ammonium [NH3/NH4 converted to NO2/NO3by nitrites/nitrates nitrifying bacteria] Mycorrhizal fungus: helps plants “fix” nitrogen Fertilizer = Nitrogen  Excess nitrogen reduces plant diversity (plants that can fix nitrogen no longer have an advantage) Blue and yellow: Nitrogen deposition has been below the critical load required to reduce species diversity. Pink and red: Nitrogen deposition has been above the critical load required to reduce species diversity. Conditional vulnerability of plant diversity to atmospheric nitrogen deposition across the United States (2016) Eutrophication +fertilizer +N, P Fertilizer runoff Nitrates/nitrites + Phosphates +fertilizer +N, P Algae bloom Fertilizer runoff Nitrates/nitrites + Phosphates +fertilizer +N, P Algae bloom Fertilizer runoff Nitrates/nitrites + Phosphates Underwater plants die off +fertilizer +N, P Algae bloom Fertilizer runoff Nitrates/nitrites + Phosphates Underwater O2 consumed plants die off +fertilizer +N, P Fish suffocate Algae bloom Fertilizer runoff Nitrates/nitrites + Phosphates Underwater O2 consumed plants die off +fertilizer Ecosystem collapse +N, P Fish suffocate Algae bloom Fertilizer runoff Nitrates/nitrites + Phosphates Underwater O2 consumed plants die off +fertilizer Eutrophication 1.) Fertilizer runoff 2.) Algae bloom 3.) Blocked sunlight -> dead underwater plants 4.) Algae and dead plants decomposition -> oxygen depletion 5.) More death +N, P Fish suffocate Algae bloom Fertilizer runoff Nitrates/nitrites + Phosphates Underwater O2 consumed plants die off  Genetically modified crops that fix nitrogen from the atmosphere Bloch, S. E., Ryu, M. H., Ozaydin, B., & Broglie, R. (2020). Harnessing atmospheric nitrogen for cereal crop production. Current opinion in biotechnology, 62, 181–188. Cultured meat Cultured meat  Housekeeping (recap) 1. You will participate in a ~20 minute panel presentation on November 18 or November 25. Topics have been randomly assigned (see (/Content/Panel Discussions) for details). On the day that you’re not presenting, you will write a thoughtful peer-review of a classmate’s presentation. If you’re a no-show on the day of the presentation, you will get a 0 and will not be allowed to make it up. 2. An [optional] extra credit assignment has been added to Brightspace. See (/Content/Optional assignment: HumanProgress.org commentary) for details.