Enviromental Science

Environmental Science Your Name Subject and Section Professor’s Name October 1, 2024 Nitrates and Phosphates: 1 Potential Sources, Impacts, and Solution Measures About Nitrate and Phosphate Pollution in Water Bodies (6 pts) The sources of nitrates and phosphates are agricultural effluent, raw Sewage, and industrial waste effluent. The instance that stands out prominently as one of the sources is the excessive use of fertilizers in agriculture since those products include high concentrations of such nutrients. Nitrate and phosphate pollution also expand the occurrences of algal bloom, which reduces the levels of dissolved oxygen to which aquatic life is exposed, negatively affecting water quality (Badamasi et al., 2019). It was also based on algal blooms that toxins that are dangerous to human and animal life would be produced. To resolve this, the solution measures are Precision farming, which incorporates the proper application of fertilizers, enhancing the efficiency of wastewater treatment plants to filter these pollutants, and using buffer strips to trap the runoff. Wastewater Treatment: 2 Wastewater Treatment Processes (3 pts) Wastewater treatment typically involves three processes: Primary, preliminary, and secondary treatment. Several of them also contain tertiary treatment for removing the most complex pollutants. 3 Impurities Removed by Each Process (3 pts) * The first step, called preliminary treatment, aims at eliminating large objects, such as debris or trash, using bar screens. * Primary treatment deals with sediments of tiny particles through sedimentation tanks. * Secondary treatment is the process of dissolved organic matter using biological processes. For example, the microorganism broke down wastewater in aeration tanks. * In tertiary treatment (if used), dissolved and suspended solid nutrients, pathogenic organisms, and fine particles are removed by filtration and chemical processes. This treatment settles smaller solids through gravity in sedimentation tanks. 4 Disposal of Sludge (1 pt) Solid wastes generated during wastewater treatment are thickened, reduced in size through mechanical processes, and burned in Palo Alto. The ash produced from incineration is then disposed of in a landfill. The long-term strategies laid down for the disposal of Belleville's sludge involve replacing incine...