Introduction to Thermal Pollution

Thermal Pollution is unfavorable change in the temperature of water.  Thermal pollution can lead to the death of aquatic wild life. This affects the ecosystem and the fishing economy due o fish kill by temperature changes. Thermal pollution is caused by a number of sources including, nuclear power plants, urban runoff, soil erosion, shoreline deforestation, and by natural causes. However there are measures of prevention and alternative methods to prevent this cause of destruction of the ecosystem. This blog is dedicated to providing information on all of the affects, causes, and solutions to thermal pollution.

Solutions to Thermal Pollution Visualized

Soulutions to Thermal Pollution

            Thermal pollution is devastating to the wildlife surrounding the pollution hotspot. The creatures’ lives can only be saved by enacting solutions that can fix the issue of thermal pollution. Some issues are more easily resolved than others. We sometimes ignore the problem and instead focus solely on the positive outcomes that the system produces.  Other causes can easily be substituted to prevent further pollution, and these alternatives need to be enacted.

-        Deforestation of Shoreline: This source is a cause of pollution that can be resolved much more efficiently than many other causes. We simply need to look for other sources of lumber. Shoreline-specific lumber may have to be substituted for other types of wood. If the trees along the shoreline are simply left alone, the light rays will continue to be blocked and the temperature will not change.

-        Nuclear Power Plants: Nuclear power must not be seen as a primary source of energy. Cooling the plants with the surrounding water is the chief cause of thermal pollution. The power plants must be cooled to operate efficiently, but other methods should be considered. Moving towards other sources of energy, such as hydroelectric power, wind power, or solar power, will prevent wasting water on nuclear power plants. The transition will be difficult because nuclear power plants produce much more energy then their environmental-friendly counterparts. If enough alternate power sources are constructed, power plants may be able to generate energy levels nearly equal to that of nuclear power plants.

-        Soil Erosion: Stronger soil will prevent erosion. Plowing fields in circular or wavy pattern will prevent the soil from eroding as quickly. The wind does not affect circular and wavy paths as much as straight-line paths. Soil will always erode due to the vast amount of land, which is untouched by humans but causes the erosion cycle. We can lessen the level of the thermal pollution by erosion but completely eliminating it would be near impossible.

-        Urban Runoff: Redirecting water flow away from the hot surfaces in the urban environment will prevent the water from making any drastic changes in temperature. The water could also be collected and brought to an environment where the temperatures are identical to each other.

-        Natural Causes: Natural causes are caused by nature. Scientists have yet to find any real solutions that can prevent nature from thermally polluting our environment. Perhaps in the future, man-made structures will be constructed to limit the effect natural causes have on the pollution of the environment.

Thermal pollution results from numerous man-made causes. Humans simply neglect the environmental issues and allow them to build up. To most humans, the benefits outweigh the costs. If nothing is done to prevent pollution from entering the environment, the costs will outweigh the benefits. People will have no environment to worry about. To prevent all wildlife from ending, actions must be taken to alleviate thermal pollution, as well as other pollution sources, from the environment.

The Causes of Thermal Pollution Visualized

The Effect of Water Temperature on Dissolved Oxygen

Thermal Pollution: Causes

Thermal Pollution: Causes

            According to the Encyclopedia of Earth, thermal pollution is the act of altering the temperature of a body of water, such as a river, lake or ocean setting.  Thermal pollution is chiefly discussed in the sense of raising the water temperature but can also be referred to as releasing cold reservoir water into a warmer aquatic environment.  This concept is primarily caused by wastewater released from power generation plants into surrounding bodies of water, but other sources also contribute to thermal pollution.

-      Nuclear Power Plants: These plants are usually constructed near large bodies of water in which the plants could extract water to cool down the systems.  After the water runs through the plant, the water is recycled and returned to the reservoirs of water.  The temperature remains significantly high and has severe ecological impacts, such as decreasing dissolved oxygen levels.

-      Urban Runoff: Runoff contributes to thermal pollution as water from smaller streams passes over hot surfaces (i.e. parking lots) and enters a variety of aquatic environments. 

-      Soil Erosion: Soil erosion on the shore results in muddy waters.  The darker color increases light absorption, which causes the water temperature to rise.

-      Deforestation of Shoreline: Deforestation further contributes to thermal pollution by encouraging soil erosion and increasing the amount of light that shines on the water.  The increase in light rays causes an increase in water temperature.    

-      Natural Causes: Geothermal and volcanic activity underneath the ocean surface is known to cause thermal pollution. Lightning strikes and a ground flow of lava also introduce excessive amounts of heat to water reservoirs, while the flow of warmer currents into colder environments fosters thermal pollution as well. The drastic temperature increase resulting from these natural causes can damage fish eggs and larvae thus disrupting the food chain balance within the ecosystem.

Thermal pollution is defined as the discharge of water into aquatic biomes that causes an unfavorable change in temperature.  Whether this change is caused by natural or man-made sources, thermal pollution severely affects the organisms living in the regions where the pollution is present.    

Thermal Pollution

                        Thermal pollution is a result of great inputs of heated water entering aquatic ecosystems via power plant drains.  The power plants release wastewater into nearby streams and lakes causing harmful effects on marine species.  Not only do power plants return the heated water to these bodies of water, but also the plants receive about half of the necessary water for cooling the plant from these nearby streams.  The increase in temperature lowers the solubility of oxygen in water decreasing the level of dissolved oxygen.  This decrease makes it difficult for organisms to “breathe”, or remove oxygen from the water.  At the same time, the warmer water causes these same species to respire faster and require more oxygen at a quicker rate.   This combination of effects has detrimental outcomes on the aquatic life’s population levels.  Though this process has detrimental effects on the environment, this method is the cheapest and easiest process to cool the power plant.           

            Thermal pollution is also caused by other secondary sources. Deforestation along shorelines increases water’s exposure to light.  The added heat warms and pollutes the water. Soil erosion on shore can cause cloudy waters.  The turned up sediment reduces the water’s clarity and increases light absorption, which heats the water.   This warm water can have drastic effects on the affected ecosystem. The plants in the biome will grow at a faster rate using more oxygen than the environment can provide.  Thermal pollution reduces dissolved oxygen, which prevents plant life from receiving the necessary amounts of oxygen.  Additionally, this occurrence can cause an algal bloom, a natural phenomenon that witnesses a rapid increase in algae [population within a given body of water. The algae die at a similar time thus further decreasing the levels of dissolved oxygen.  The increase in plant populations combined with the low levels of dissolved oxygen can kill fish and other living organisms in the water.

            Organisms can also go into thermal shock. This result occurs when the temperature of an ecosystem changes too quickly before the organisms can adapt to the change. The thermal shock causes all functions of the species’ bodies to operate differently.  The organisms begin to operate in a way unfit to the environment, which results in the animals’ deaths. Many animals, mainly marine life, have been killed due to thermal shock.

            Only a few possible solutions exist for thermal pollution. First, nuclear power plants should perfect any machinery that creates thermal pollution.  The systems should strive for maximum efficiency, which would cause the plants to use less water and to recycle any water used at a lower temperature.  Unnecessary amounts of friction in the machinery will cause the system to run less efficiently.  The plant can see small problems adding up to a significantly increased amount of cooling water needed. We can also minimize factory hours in order to produce less pollution.  Unfortunately, this solution can face much legal, governmental and industrial opposition. Factories need to keep up with the market and that demand cannot necessarily be controlled.  

Climate Changes Effects on the Ecosystem

            As global warming becomes more of a concern, the climate change’s effect on marine ecosystems is further studied. 

• Warm water can cause a stress response in coral that bleaches the coral and can lead to coral’s death. 
• Coral provides home to about 25% of marine life making it vital to the marine habitat
• Fish have an ideal water temperature in which they thrive.  The location of this temperature may shift in accordance to global warming and climate change.
•  As the water warms and the ice melts, the oceans will experience an increase in sea level also causing organisms to relocate.
• Deeper water makes photosynthesis difficult for algae and offshore plants that are dependent on sunlight for survival. 
• Organisms can lose certain marine plants as a food source.
• Temperature is a biological cue for organisms to reproduce. A change in temperature can cause an imbalance in population growth and survival. 
• The oceans are absorbing the excess carbon dioxide released by human activities and making the water acidic. Acidity makes it difficult for marine species to separate dissolved oxygen from the water making “breathing” for these animals harder.

Research on Climate change

            Climate change is a natural occurrence within the environment, but over the past few decades, the earth’s climate has changed at an abnormal pace. The most widely discussed cause of global warming is the depletion of the atmosphere’s ozone layer. 

• Ozone depletion allows harmful UV rays to reach the surface of the earth increasing the Earth’s temperature. 
• Methane gas, which is released by landfills, waste treatment, and biomass burning, is an additional cause of global warming.
• Man-made emissions of methane are 20 times more dangerous than carbon dioxide.
• Greenhouse gases, which are the biggest cause of global warming, include nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, methane, and most notably carbon dioxide.
• According to GlobalWarming.com, 8 billion tons of carbon dioxide emission entered the atmosphere last year.  A portion of this emission is due to volcanic activity and people exhaling, but the Earth is equipped to absorb this small level of carbon dioxide.  The excess carbon dioxide caused by power plants, engines, etc. cannot be absorbed thus negatively affecting the climate. 

Research on Radioactive Waste

Radioactive waste is an ongoing environmental issue that has been discussed by environmentalists since the invention if nuclear power plants. The radioactive waste contains radioactive material that is harmful to the environment and all surrounding inhabitants. The danger of the waste depends on the type of material within the waste. The waste is categorized into multiple categories.

            The most basic of forms is categorized as uranium tailings. This waste is the leftover of processed uranium ore. The content is not always radioactive, but contains harmful materials such as arsenic. The radioactive pieces are not very dangerous, and are usually left out and become safe to handle within a few hours.

            The next category is low-leveled waste. This waste is risky to handle after it is produced. The source of this waste is mainly produced from operations taking place at a factory. After a few hours, days, or weeks, the waste can be handled and dealt with.

            The level not commonly seen is the intermediate-leveled waste. This is not a category seen in the United States. It describes the waste found in a chemical sludge. Some of the waste is more dangerous than the low-leveled waste, but the larger risk is that the waste can stay at a dangerous level for a few years.

            The most dangerous, and sadly the most common form, is the high-leveled waste. This is found in the nuclear reactors. This waste is highly dangerous and can cause radiation poisoning. The waste must be stored away for thousands of years before it will be safe to handle. The waste is usually placed within a mountain, using a complex tunnel system. The mountain will prevent the waste from reaching the inhabitants of the earth.

            The problem is that nuclear power is hard to replace. The power produced from the reactors is very difficult to match with other sources of energy. The waste is harmful, but the power produced is viewed currently to outweigh the dangers. The advantages that nuclear power brings to the world cannot be ignored.

            There are two widely accepted solutions to fix this problem of waste. The first would be to find uses for this "waste". The waste is categorized as waste because we have no use for it. If a use is found, we will finally have some uses of the waste beneficial to humanity. The only other solution would be to slowly move away from nuclear power. Wind and solar power sources are becoming more and more popular. The power they produce can never reach the levels of a nuclear power plant, but it is unsure what kind of power can harnessed if these natural sources of energy are mass-produced.

Research on Thermal Pollution

            Thermal pollution is the change in the temperature of water due to the addition of warmer water into a source of cooler water. This is often the result of industrial plants and factories, typically plans the generate electricity, pumping the water used to cool down their machinery into a near by body of water. Increases in the temperature of the water also occur in streams where shading vegetation along the banks has been removed or where turned up sediments have made the water cloudier. Both the addition of the hot water, lack of shading vegetation, and turned up bottom sediments, makes the water absorb more sunlight, also heating the water.

            The most thermally efficient machines are the one where their input water temperature and the output water temperature vary drastically. To do this cool water from a surrounding area is pumped into a factory or plant. Half the water is left at the normal temperature and the other half is heated so the two temperatures vary greatly. When the water is done being used it is all pumped back into the original water source. Over time, the heated water will change the temperature of the body of water.

            Effects of thermal pollution are thermal shock, changes in dissolved oxygen, and the redistribution of organisms in the body of water being used. Stenothermic organisms adapt to the water temperature and even small changes can ruin the metabolic processes, as well as their reproductive systems, and kill them.

            One of the ways to avoid this is gradually adding the warmer water to a water source. This give the organisms time to either adapt of move away from the source of the heat.

Research on the water crisis

The term Water Crisis refers to the lack of clean water for human use. This problem is persistent in many developing countries. This problem affects the poor who live in slums. Many diseases and many hardships are had due to the bad condition of water systems. Many lack not only water to drink but also plumbing or outhouses compounding the problem.

Causes of the water crisis:

• ·      Overpopulation causes greater demand for water
• ·      Pollution from direct (traceable) sources
• ·      Pollution from indirect (not traceable) sources
• ·      Lack of funding for water filtration plants

Who is affected:

• ·      1/6th of the worlds populations
• ·      2.2 Million die in developing countries
• ·      ½ of people in all hospitals are there for water related issues
• ·      80% of diseases in the developing world are caused by dirty water
• ·      Areas mostly in Africa and Asia are effected

Effects of crisis:

• ·      Every 20 seconds, a child dies from a water-related illness
• ·      People walk for hours a day to get water
• ·      in Africa, an estimated 5% of GDP is lost to illnesses and deaths caused by dirty water
• Many diseases are spread by water