POLLUTION
What is pollution?
POLLUTION is defined as any destructive or potentially destructive material that is introduced into the environment.
Where does beach pollution come from?
1. Solid Waste such as picnic plates, plastic bags, bottles, and cigarette butts that are left behind by people.
2. Aging sewage treatment plants.
3. stormwater runoff
4. polluted runoff from farms, roads, and cities.
5. Accidental oils spills
Beach pollution is a persistant problem. Nearly 4000 beach closings and advisiories were issued by the state and local governments in 1995.
Studies have shown that beach pollution is usually infrequent and confined to local areas. Problems can develop in areas near pollution sources after a heavy rainfall or when a sewage treatment plant malfunctions. Pollution can also occur from disruption or damage to wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure due to severe natural events such as hurricances or floods, illegal dumping, accidental oil spills, and solid waste trash left behind by people.
SOLID WASTES
Plastic, rubber, foam materials, and metals take hundreds of years to break down. Animals are sometimes killed by the ingestion of plastic, rubber, or foam that they have mistaken for food. Some animals drown from entanglement, others are choked by plastic rings.
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS
A mixture of human generated waste is dumped into the oceans from sewage treatment plants that are not able to handle the load that is routed through them. This leads to partially treated or untreated sewage sludge being dumped into the water.
Sewage sludge is made up of organic waste containing bacteria, viruses, poisonous compounds, synthetic and organic chemicals, and an overabundance of nutrients.
The majority of the beach closings in the United States are due to indications of the presence of high levels of harmful microorganisms found in untreated or partially treated sewage.
STORMWATER RUNOFF
Combined sewer systems are designed to carry both raw sewage and storm water runoff to sewage treatment plants. During heavy rainstorms, these systems can become hydraulically overloaded and discharge a mixture of raw sewage and polluted runoff into local waterways. The discharges pollute the water around the outfalls and downstream beaches.
POLLUTED RUNOFF FROM FARMS, ROADS, And CITIES
This is runoff that goes into sewer system or just makes its way directly into the water system. Much of the pollution comes from illegal dumping of household and industrial chemicals, automobile waste, and agricultural chemical and fertilizer usage.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified 67 toxic pollutants in urban runoff which accounts for 84 percent of coastal pollution.
ACCIDENTAL OIL SPILLS
This encompasses oil spills from ocean going tankers, offshore drilling, and illegal dumping
What are the major problems caused by beachfront pollution?
The most obvious problems are aesthetic ones. No one likes to go to the beach and see trash lying all over the area. Other problems come from the destruction of the habitats of the organisms that call the beachfront home as well as the actual "killing off" of the organisms with oilspills, solidwaste trash (plastics, metals, etc), chemicals, etc.
Significant problems also arise from things that we cannot see.....microorganisms. Many harmful microorganisms ( viruses, bacteria, protozoans) are released into the ocean through untreated or partially treated sewage.
These organisms pose a serious problem in that people with weakened immune systems (children, elderly) can develop illnesses or infections after swimming in polluted water. Swimming related illnesses are typically minor. The most commin illness associatd with seimming in water polluted by sewage is gastroenteritis. It occurs in a variety of forms that can have one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, stomachache, diarrhea, headache, and fever. Other minor illnesses associated with seimming include ear, eye, nose, and throat infections. In highly polluted waters, swimmers may occassionally be exposed to more serious diseases such as dysentery, hepatitis, chlorea, and typhoid fever.
What can you to prevent non-point source pollution?
Solid Waste
This is probably the easiest for a person to prevent. Simply do not throw trash down at the beach and if you see trash left by someone else...pick it up and throw it away!
Urban Stormwater Runoff
1. Keep litter, pet wastes, leaves, and debris out of street gutters and storm drains.
2. Apply lawn and garden chemicals sparingly and according to directions
3. Dispose of used oil, antifreeze, paints, and other household chemicals properly...NOT in storm drains or sewers. If your community does not have a program for collecting household hazardous wastes, ask your local government to establish one.
4. clean up spilled brake fluid, oil, grease, and antifreeze. Do not hose them into the street where they can eventually reach the water.
5. Control soil erosion on your property by planting ground cover and stabilizing erosion prone areas.
6. Encourage local government officials to develop construction erosion/sediment control ordinances in your community
Agricultural Runoff
1. Manage animal waste to minimize contamination of surface water and ground water.
2. Protect drinking water by using less pesticides and fertilizer.
3. Reduce soil erosion by using conservation practices and other applicable best management practices.
4. Use plannied grazing systems on pasture and rangeland.
5. Dispose of pesticides, containers, and tank rinsate in an approved manner.