| A | B |
|---|
| surface water | freshwater that is above ground in lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. |
| watershed | the entire area of land that is drained by a river. |
| groundwater | water that seeps down through the soil and is stored underground. |
| aquifers | large amounts of groundwater stored in underground rock formations. |
| recharge zone | the area of land from which water originates. |
| desalinization | the process of removing the salt from saltwater. |
| water pollution | the introduction of chemical, physical, or biological material that degrades the quality of teh water and affects the organisms that drink it and live in it. |
| pathogens | disease causing organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and parasitic worms |
| dam | a structure built across a river or stream that prevents most of the water from travelling downstream |
| organic matter | biodegradable remains of animals and plants, including feces, coming primarily from nonpoint sources |
| organic chemicals | pesticides, fertilizers, plastics, detergents, gasoline and oil, and other materials made from fossil fuels, mostly nonpoint source pollution |
| inorganic chemicals | acids, salts, toxic metals, from both point and nonpoint sources |
| toxic chemicals | chemicals that are poisonous to living things; including heavy metals, adn industrial and some household cleaners |
| physical agents | heat and suspended solids such as oil |
| radioactive waste | waste from power plants or nuclear processing and defense facilities |
| point pollution | pollution that is discharged from a single source |
| nonpoint pollution | pollution that comes from many sources rather than from a single specific site |
| fecal coliform test | a test used to find bacteria |
| bioaccumulation | the process of toxins increasing as they pass along the food chain |
| artificial eutrophication | the natural process of eutrophication being accellerated when inorganic plant nutrients get into the water from sewage and fertilizer run-off |
| thermal pollution | when excessive amounts of heat are added to a body of water |
| Clean Water Act | an act passed to "restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters" |
| Exxon Valdez Oil Spill | the 1989 oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska |
| territorial sea | the area 22km from a coastal nation's coastline |
| Safe Water Drinking Act | the 1975 act that introduced programs to protect both groundwater and surface drinking water from pollution |
