Environmental Impacts Of Urban Storm Water

     Heavy metals, such as copper, lead, mercury, and selenium are another group of toxins that pollute the water as well as the rest of the environment. The source of many of these pollutants are industries, automobile exhaust, mines, and even natural soil.

Nowadays, the most water pollution in Washington States comes from storm-water runoffs. Storm-water discharges are generated by runoff from land and impervious areas such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops. During rainfall and snow events that often contain pollutants in quantities that could adversely affect water quality. Moreover, toxic chemical runoff from storm-water has an impact on organisms and human health. Therefore, this essay will focus on Puget Sound storm-water pollution, how they impact on living organisms, some solution of storm-water pollution, and why do we should care about of Puget

The runoff carries pollutants such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediments into the Bay. In urban areas the standard city block creates five times more runoff than a forested area. About 30% of runoff in an urban area is evaporated, 55% stays runoff, and the other 15% soaks into the land with a variation of deep and shallow infiltration. About 40% of runoff in a forest evaporates, 10% stays runoff, and the extra 50% seeps into the ground with a variation of deep and shallow infiltration. The runoff is actually the fastest growing source of pollution for the Chesapeake

Although the amount of pollutants from a single town or construction site may seem insignificant, the combined concentrations of contaminants threaten our lakes, streams and wetlands. When things such as: human and animal waste, decaying plants and animals, discarded litter, or food waste enter surface waters, either dissolved or suspended in stormwater runoff, they can deplete the supply of dissolved oxygen in the water. When dissolved oxygen is reduced below a certain critical level, it can impair or kill aquatic plants and animals (CNYRPDB, 2011).

The polluted water supply that results can become harmful to humans. Aquatic life quickly suffers the effects of watershed pollution.

Richard Smith, Richard Alexander, and M.Gordon Wolman, Water Quality Trends in the Nation's Rivers. 235 Science 1607, 1987.

Storm water runoff is caused by rain draining through areas of pollution and then taking it into large bodies of water, this is one of the major water pollution areas. Storm water pollution effects every living organism on earth. With so many contaminates going into the water that we bathe in and drink, it is becoming a major problem. With 70% of the Earth being covered in water, this is every ones concern. Thomas M. Parris said in the article Managing Storm-water, "Storm-water run off is a major source of water pollution. When rain falls or snow melts, it picks up debris, chemicals, dirt, and other pollutants and often flows directly into lakes, streams, wet lands, and coastal waters.". With the proper analysis of risk and management, storm-water run off can

Often, toxic substances are being drained into the air, waterways, and undergrounds wells. According to the report by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over 60 million pounds of deadly chemicals are produced by industries in Florida. Notably, Florida’s water has been suffering mercury contamination until the state’s department of migration issues a circular regularly for regulations of eating freshwater fish in the region (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). In fact, such metals emanate from coal combustion’s emissions which run into water bodies. Not to mention, pesticides and herbicides utilized by government and homeowners pollute the environment (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). Indeed, all chemicals released into the atmosphere find themselves in rivers.

Currently, the way that we use the stormwater runoff is one of the most important issues that was raised, and that was wanting to be discussed. However, green infrastructure is a entire field of thinking for the conveyance of stormwater, and there are many different types of green infrastructure. Due to the variety of different green infrastructure types, the cost of the instastructure will vary, especially when comparing them to the beginning of construction than what typical grey stormwater management costs The main cost savings of green infrastructure are the long term benefits, from the reduction of flooding, and pollution in the water table, to the beautification or our communities. This has been shown in many different cities and urban landscapes, in New York City they calculated that the cost per gallon of storm sewer reduction for the Grey infrastructure was more expensive costing $0.62 per gallon while it only costed. $0.45 per gallon for Green infrastructure. This means that cities are going to be able to save money while reducing the amount of stormwater that enters the storm sewers.

Sliva and Dudley Williams gathered information that with increased urban land use, there were increased chemical fluxes, and their data they gathered from increased agricultural land use disagreed with the results of other similar studies. They determined major trends in water quality and where pollution could potentially be derived from (Sliva & Dudley-Williams, 2001).

The chemical poisoning in water have a great impact on humans because it can cause brain damage and physical deformities in unborn fetuses. Pollution disrupts the natural food chain as well. Pollutants such as lead and cadmium are eaten by tiny animals. Later, these animals are consumed by fish and shellfish, and the food chain continues to be disrupted at all higher levels. Eventually, humans are affected by this process as well. People can get diseases such as hepatitis by eating seafood that has been poisoned. Besides,

Rainwater flows over construction sites picking up sediment and other pollutants such as building materials, paint, and wastewater which then enter, through storm drains, into local streams and lakes lowering the level of dissolved oxygen which could essentially kill off living organisms. This experiment is important because dissolved oxygen plays a major role in the life of aquatic organisms. It is necessary to the life of fish and other aquatic life because it is what helps the underwater life to breathe. Dissolved oxygen is also important because it helps to decompose bottom sediments and organic matter. Toxic runoff from construction sites lowers the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water which will lessen the ability to decompose sediments

The largest source of contamination is runoff from land. Toxic runoff can be sewage, rainwater flowing over exposed topsoil, flooding or agricultural runoff. Rain can cause runoff of chemicals or waste that can seep into creeks, rivers and other waterways that lead to the ocean. Some of the chemicals found could be antibiotics or waste from animals, pesticides from crops or from pollutants, originating in the air, which have settled on land and washed away. Unless a solution to pollution runoff is found, this type of contamination will continue indefinitely and contribute to the deterioration of the ecosystem in the

The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a wide spectrum of chemicals, pathogens, and physical or sensory changes such as elevated temperature and discoloration. While many of the chemicals and substances that are regulated may be naturally occurring (calcium, sodium, iron, manganese,

waterways. Because water can float and be carried by the wind, it can cause harm