Pollution & Pollutants

• Monitoring Water Quality
  
• Monitoring Air Quality
  
• Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)
  
• Conventional Pollutants
  
  • Dissolved Oxygen & BOD
    
  • Temperature
    
  • pH
    
  • Sewage, Animal Wastes, & Bacteria
    
  • Nutrients
    
  • Turbidity
    
  • Sediment
• Toxic Pollutants and Metals
  
  • Dioxin
    
  • Lead
• Non-Conventional/Non-Toxic Pollutants & Impairments
  • Ammonia
    
  • Exotic Species
    
  • Instream Flow
    
  • Radioactive Materials
• Air Pollutants
  
  • Carbon Dioxide
    
  • Sulphur Dioxide
    
  • Particulate Matter
    
  • Nitrogen Oxides

[5J] Monitoring Water Quality

States are required to monitor water quality. Every two years, states report the results of this monitoring to EPA, which in turn reports to Congress about the state of water quality in the nation. These reports are call "305 (b) reports," after the section of the Clean Water Act that requires them. States are also required to produce 303(d)(1) lists of waters that violate state water quality standards every two years. These lists are required to be based upon the results of monitoring performed by the state as well as all other readily available information and data.

[6Q] Monitoring Air Quality

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[5Y] Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[6R] Conventional Pollutants

Conventional pollutants are materials or qualities that are naturally present in water, such as gases, nutrients, and soil particles. What is measured in waterbodies through monitoring may or may not be harmful to people and/or aquatic life. For example, bacteria are used to detect levels of animal and human wastes that carry human pathogens such as hepatitis but the bacteria themselves are not harmful. Some qualities that are natural - such as sediment and pH - may be harmful if present in too great or too little amounts. Likewise, whereas the gas oxygen is best in higher amounts, excessive total dissolved gases (TDG) are harmful and cause fish to die.

[6D] Dissolved Oxygen & BOD

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[4Q] Temperature

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[4T] pH

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[4U] Sewage, Animal Wastes & Bacteria

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[4V] Nutrients

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[4W] Turbidity

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[4X] Sediment

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[4Y] Toxic Pollutants & Metals

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[6S] Dioxin

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[6T] Lead

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[6U] Non-Conventional/Non-Toxic Pollutants & Impairments

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[6E] Ammonia

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[4S] Exotic Species

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[4Z] Instream Flow

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[5A] Radioactive Materials

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[6V] Air Pollutants

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[4R] Carbon Dioxide

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[6W] Sulphur Dioxide

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[6X] Particulate Matter

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[14U] Nitrogen Oxides

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

[4Z] Instream Flow

THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

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