Figure 14.4 illustrates how a septic tank and drain field is used to treat house
ID: 110657 • Letter: F
Question
Figure 14.4 illustrates how a septic tank and drain field is used to treat household wastewater. a) Explain why it is so important that the drain field and gravel bed of the septic system be located well above the water table. b) Describe a common landscape position where people like to build homes, but where the geologic conditions make it nearly impossible for septic tanks to function properly. Figure 14.4- Subsurface view of a septic tank and drain field, which are used to treat wastewater for individual households not connected to a municipal sewer system. Explain what inevitably happens when homeowners fail to have the sludge periodically pumped out of their septic tanks. Figure 14.5 shows the drainage basin of the Mississippi River and the hypoxic or dead zone that has developed in the Gulf of Mexico. Here, excessive amounts of nutrients are being carried by the modern Mississippi and then discharged into the Gulf of Mexico, causing an oxygen-depleted (ie, hypoxic) zone. a) Describe at least two anthropogenic (human) sources for the excessive nutrients being carried by the modern Mississippi. b) Explain how the oxygen-depleted zone in the Gulf of Mexico would impact both the marine life and human economy in the region.Explanation / Answer
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a)
Drain field is the subsurface water-waste disposal facility which is used to remove contaminants and other impurities (smaller) from the liquid that is the by-product of anaerobic digestion in the septic tank. Such drain fields help in filtering these contaminants from wastewater and human wastes that could cause harm or contaminate other water bodies if left untreated.
Gravel bed also plays a vital role in controlling the contamination by filtering the larger and solid waste particles from entering into subsurface water body. This is a primary filtering system which reduces the work of Drain field as it filters heavier and larger contaminants and waste materials.
b)
People normally like to build houses in elevated landscapes such as hilly portions as it would give them a good and pleasant ecological environment and good weather condition. But this affects the construction and functionality of a septic tank as septic tanks are totally based on subsurface water and gravity. In hilly regions, the steepness would affect the flow of wastewater towards the steepness causing the construction of septic tanks tricky as the gravel and drain field should be planned accordingly as the pressure and flow would be higher towards the steeper end of the septic tank if constructed opposing the geological condition.
The substratum of such landscapes would also be a challenge for construction of a septic tank as the properties of such landscape would mostly not support in holding of water particles due to their nature. Moreover there would be less or no subsurface water present in such hilly landscapes due to the gravity and steepness of the landscape making the land a hard place to construct a septic tank and expect its full functionality.
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When it comes to septic tanks, along comes the responsibility of pumping out waste from the septic tank regularly given the volume of waste dumping. The sludge must be pumped out periodically in order to maintain the proper functionality of the septic tank as the drain field and gravel bed would get accumulation of sludge over it making it harder for the process to happen. When there is too much of sludge present, it naturally slows down the process of filtration and the process might not even happen in some cases.
The accumulation of sludge must be periodically removed/ pumped out in order to make sure that the septic tank is in shape and is working properly or else which might cause lots of trouble like overflow of sludge over the surface, causing land pollution and air pollution by contaminating the top surface of land and spread of bad odour making it impossible to stay in that place and also destroying the environment in other indirect ways.
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a)
b)
Oxygen is one of the most important gases present on earth. It would be impossible for life on earth without Oxygen in the atmosphere and water. Oxygen is used by all living things on this earth for respiration which Oxygen is used by the blood for life functioning hence making it so important. When there is a case of oxygen depletion in the Gulf of Mexico it would affect both marine and human life directly and indirectly.
Without oxygen, the survival and life of plants and fishes would be impossible as it is very important of respiration. The plants respire oxygen in the night hence making it important. Without the plants and algae present in marine ecology it would be impossible for fishes to live as they are their chief source of food and habitat. Without fishes and marine plants it would affect the human economy as they are one of the most important part of food that is consumed by almost all the meat eaters. Fishes do not only serve as food but also in maintaining the ecology in many un-predictable ways.
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