Geoenvironment Management and Sustainability - Sustainable Practices in Geoenvironmental Engineering - page 22

Some of the more common and signiicant impacts to the quality of groundwater and
receiving waters have been shown in Figures 1.5 and 1.6. Deterioration of the quality of
these waters will not only limit their usefulness but will also cause distress to the animal
and plant species that live in these waters. Considering that at least one half or more of
the world's plant and animal species live in water, it is clear that any deterioration and/or
decrease of water quality and water availability will have severe consequences on these
species. Protection of both surface water and groundwater must be a priority. Chapter 3
discusses these and other issues in greater detail. Water usage by industry, for example,
can produce liquid waste streams that are highly toxic by virtue of the chemicals con-
tained in the waste streams, or by virtue of concentration of noxious substances. Before the
liquid phase of any waste stream can be returned to the environment, it has to be treated
and rendered harmless as a health threat to biotic receptors. As indicated previously, the
source of these pollutants can be traced to waste streams and discharges from industrial
plants, households, resource exploitation facilities, and from farms. Table 1.3 shows some
chronic effects on human health from some of these waste products.
Farming and agricultural activities contribute agro-additives to the receiving waters and
groundwater through surface runoff and through transport in the ground (Figures 1.5
and 1.6). All the other discharges and waste streams shown in Figures 1.5 and 1.6 are most
likely contained in storage dumps, landills, holding ponds, tailings ponds, or other simi-
lar systems. All of these containment systems have the potential to deliver pollutants to
the receiving waters (ground and surface waters) because of eventual and inevitable leaks,
discharges, and failures. Many of these phenomena will be discussed in greater detail in
the later chapters of this topic.
We highlight the importance of groundwater resources because, it is a major water
resource (Figure 1.9), and as a rule, groundwater is more accessible than surface water.
Furthermore, it is not uncommon for many rural communities to rely heavily on these

TABLE 1.3
Chronic Effect of Some Hazardous Wastes on Human Health

Reproductive
System Damage Waste Type Carcinogenic Mutagenic Teratogenic

Halogenated organic pesticide A A A H

Methyl bromide H

Halogenated organic phenoxy herbicide A A A A

2-4-D a
Organophosphorous pesticide A A A

Organonitrogen herbicide A A A

Polychlorinated byphenyls A A

Cyanide wastes a
Halogenated organics

H H

Non-halogenated volatile organics A A

Zn, Cu, Se, Cr, Ni H

Hg H H

Cd H
Source: Adapted from Governor's Ofice of Appropriate Technology, Toxic Waste Assessment Group, California,
1981.
Note: H and A, statistically veriiable effects on humans and animals, respectively.
a No reportable information available.