Definition: Threats from introduction of exotic and/or excess materials or energy from point and nonpoint sources
Exposition: This class deals with exotic materials introduced to the environment. There is obviously a fine distinction when the pollution comes from another threat – for example, should an oil spill from a pipeline be classified as 4.2 Utility & Service Lines or 9.2 Industrial & Military Effluents? You will have to exercise some judgment here as to which represents the direct threat in your situation. In some cases, the source of the pollution may be either unknown or from a historical source (e.g., heavy metals buried in sediments). In these cases, you may have to make an educated guess as to which category to assign the pollutant.
9.1 Household Sewage & Urban Waste Water
Definition: Water-borne sewage and non-point runoff from housing and urban areas that include nutrients, toxic chemicals and/or sediments
Exposition: This category does not include major industrial discharge, which falls under 9.2 Industrial & Military Effluents. It does include chemicals and next generation pollutants (caffeine or pharmaceuticals) in household waste streams. Technically, sewage from a pipe is “point-source” whereas a leaking septic system is “nonpoint-source.” This category does not include agricultural runoff, which falls under 9.3 Agricultural & Forestry Effluents.
Examples:
discharge from municipal waste treatment plants
leaking septic systems
untreated sewage
outhouses
oil or sediment from roads
fertilizers and pesticides from lawns and golf-courses
road salt
9.2 Industrial & Military Effluents
Definition: Water-borne pollutants from industrial and military sources including mining, energy production, and other resource extraction industries that include nutrients, toxic chemicals and/or sediments
Exposition: The source of the pollution is often far from the system—an extreme example are the heavy metals that migrating eels bring to the Sargasso Sea. Often, the pollutants only become a problem when they bioconcentrate through the food chain. Oil spills from pipelines should generally go here.
Examples:
toxic chemicals from factories
illegal dumping of chemicals
mine tailings
arsenic from gold mining
leakage from fuel tanks
PCBs in river sediments
9.3 Agricultural & Forestry Effluents
Definition: Water-borne pollutants from agricultural, silvicultural, and aquaculture systems that include nutrients, toxic chemicals and/or sediments including the effects of these pollutants on the site where they are applied
Exposition: Wind erosion of agricultural sediments or smoke from forest fires goes in 9.5 Air-Borne Pollutants.
Examples:
nutrient loading from fertilizer run-off
herbicide run-off
manure from feedlots
nutrients from aquaculture
soil erosion
9.4 Garbage & Solid Waste
Definition: Rubbish and other solid materials including those that entangle wildlife
Exposition: This category generally is for solid waste outside of designated landfills – landfills themselves should go in 1.2 Commercial & Industrial Areas. Likewise, toxins leaching from solid waste – for example, mercury leaking out of a landfill into groundwater – should go in 9.2 Industrial & Military Effluents.
Examples:
municipal waste
litter from cars
flotsam & jetsam from recreational boats
waste that entangles wildlife
construction debris
9.5 Air-Borne Pollutants
Definition: Atmospheric pollutants from point and nonpoint sources
Exposition: It may be difficult to determine the sources of many atmospheric pollutants—and thus hard to take action to counter them.
Examples:
acid rain
smog from vehicle emissions
excess nitrogen deposition
radioactive fallout
wind dispersion of pollutants or sediments
smoke from forest fires or wood stoves
9.6 Excess Energy
Definition: Inputs of heat, sound, or light that disturb wildlife or ecosystems
Exposition: These inputs of energy can have strong effects on some species or ecosystems.
Examples:
noise from highways or airplanes
sonar from submarines that disturbs whales
heated water from power plants
lamps attracting insects
beach lights disorienting turtles
damaging atmospheric radiation resulting from ozone holes
9 Pollution
Definition: Threats from introduction of exotic and/or excess materials or energy from point and nonpoint sources
Exposition: This class deals with exotic materials introduced to the environment. There is obviously a fine distinction when the pollution comes from another threat – for example, should an oil spill from a pipeline be classified as 4.2 Utility & Service Lines or 9.2 Industrial & Military Effluents? You will have to exercise some judgment here as to which represents the direct threat in your situation. In some cases, the source of the pollution may be either unknown or from a historical source (e.g., heavy metals buried in sediments). In these cases, you may have to make an educated guess as to which category to assign the pollutant.
9.1 Household Sewage & Urban Waste Water
Definition: Water-borne sewage and non-point runoff from housing and urban areas that include nutrients, toxic chemicals and/or sediments
Exposition: This category does not include major industrial discharge, which falls under 9.2 Industrial & Military Effluents. It does include chemicals and next generation pollutants (caffeine or pharmaceuticals) in household waste streams. Technically, sewage from a pipe is “point-source” whereas a leaking septic system is “nonpoint-source.” This category does not include agricultural runoff, which falls under 9.3 Agricultural & Forestry Effluents.
Examples:
9.2 Industrial & Military Effluents
Definition: Water-borne pollutants from industrial and military sources including mining, energy production, and other resource extraction industries that include nutrients, toxic chemicals and/or sediments
Exposition: The source of the pollution is often far from the system—an extreme example are the heavy metals that migrating eels bring to the Sargasso Sea. Often, the pollutants only become a problem when they bioconcentrate through the food chain. Oil spills from pipelines should generally go here.
Examples:
9.3 Agricultural & Forestry Effluents
Definition: Water-borne pollutants from agricultural, silvicultural, and aquaculture systems that include nutrients, toxic chemicals and/or sediments including the effects of these pollutants on the site where they are applied
Exposition: Wind erosion of agricultural sediments or smoke from forest fires goes in 9.5 Air-Borne Pollutants.
Examples:
9.4 Garbage & Solid Waste
Definition: Rubbish and other solid materials including those that entangle wildlife
Exposition: This category generally is for solid waste outside of designated landfills – landfills themselves should go in 1.2 Commercial & Industrial Areas. Likewise, toxins leaching from solid waste – for example, mercury leaking out of a landfill into groundwater – should go in 9.2 Industrial & Military Effluents.
Examples:
9.5 Air-Borne Pollutants
Definition: Atmospheric pollutants from point and nonpoint sources
Exposition: It may be difficult to determine the sources of many atmospheric pollutants—and thus hard to take action to counter them.
Examples:
9.6 Excess Energy
Definition: Inputs of heat, sound, or light that disturb wildlife or ecosystems
Exposition: These inputs of energy can have strong effects on some species or ecosystems.
Examples: