Water Pollution Management Strategies (DP IB Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS))

Water Pollution Management Strategies

• Human activities, such as farming and industrial practices, urbanisation, development of transport, and energy production, are the major causes of pollution

  • The amount of material released into the environment determines the impact

• There are three main stages leading to the impact of pollutants on the environment:

  • Stage 1: Human activity producing the pollutant

  • Stage 2: Releasing of the pollutant into the environment

  • Stage 3: The impact of the pollutant on ecosystems

• There are three types of strategies for managing the impacts of pollution (which relate to the stages of pollutant impact shown above):

  • Changing human activity

  • Regulating and reducing quantities of pollutants released at the point of emission

  • Cleaning up the pollutants and restoring the ecosystem after pollution has occurred

Management Strategies for Eutrophication

• Eutrophication and other types of water pollution can be addressed at three different levels of management:

  • The reduction of human activities that produce pollutants

  • The reduction of the release of pollution into the environment

  • The removal of pollutants from the environment and restoration of ecosystems

1. Reduction of human activities producing pollutants

• This level aims to prevent pollution at the source by changing human practices and products

• Alternatives to fertilisers:

  • Organic fertilisers: use compost or manure instead of synthetic fertilisers

  • Slow-release fertilisers: release nutrients gradually, reducing the amount of nitrate and phosphate leaching into water bodies

• Alternatives to detergents:

  • Phosphate-free detergents: use products without phosphates to minimise pollution

• Sustainable farming practices:

  • Crop rotation: improve soil health and fertility by alternating crops with different nutrient needs, reducing the need for chemical fertilisers

  • Buffer strips: plant vegetation along waterways to absorb excess nutrients

2. Reduction of pollution release into the environment

• This level focuses on treating pollution before it reaches natural waters

• Wastewater treatment:

  • Nutrient removal: use treatment plants that remove nitrates and phosphates from sewage

  • Advanced treatment methods: use methods like constructed wetlands and biofilters

• Regulation and monitoring:

  • Enforce pollution controls: introduce and enforce regulations on nutrient discharge from industries and farms

  • Monitoring programmes: regularly test water bodies for nutrient levels

• Agricultural practices:

  • Controlled fertiliser application: apply fertilisers at optimal times to minimise run-off (e.g. apply during the growing season and avoid periods of heavy rain)

  • Cover crops: plant cover crops to absorb excess nutrients and prevent soil erosion

3. Removal of pollutants and restoration of ecosystems

• This level involves cleaning up polluted environments and restoring natural ecosystems

• Pollutant removal:

  • Dredging: remove nutrient-rich mud and sediments from eutrophic lakes

  • Algae removal: physically remove excess algae from water bodies

• Ecosystem restoration:

  • Reintroduction of species: reintroduce native plants and fish that may have become locally extinct, to restore ecosystem balance

  • Habitat restoration: create or restore wetlands to filter nutrients naturally

Application to other types of pollution

These strategies can also be applied to manage other types of pollution:

• Plastic pollution:

  • Prevention: reduce plastic use and improve recycling

  • Treatment: implement systems to capture and remove plastics from waterways

  • Cleanup: remove plastic waste from beaches and oceans

• Chemical pollution:

  • Prevention: reduce the use of harmful chemicals in agriculture and industry

  • Treatment: use filtration and treatment systems to remove chemicals from wastewater

  • Cleanup: clean contaminated soils and sediments e.g. using bioremediation