This deep dive covers Deep Dive: Water Pollution Sources within Water Treatment for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Water Treatment in Using Resources for GCSE Chemistry with 23 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 3 of 14 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
💧 Deep Dive: Water Pollution Sources
Water pollution comes from three main sources that contaminate our rivers, lakes, and groundwater supplies.
🏭 Industrial
- Heavy metals (lead, mercury)
- Chemical solvents
- Hot water (thermal pollution)
- Acids and alkalis
🚜 Agricultural
- Fertilizers (nitrates, phosphates)
- Pesticides and herbicides
- Animal waste (bacteria)
- Soil erosion (sediment)
🏠 Domestic
- Sewage (bacteria, viruses)
- Detergents (phosphates)
- Oil and grease
- Microplastics
Environmental impact: Pollutants cause eutrophication (algae blooms), kill aquatic life, contaminate drinking water supplies, and create dead zones in water bodies.
Practice questions for Water Treatment
What does the term 'potable water' mean?
Explain what happens to the sewage sludge produced during waste water treatment, and why this process is useful.