What causes water pollution?

Name
Class
Date
What causes water pollution?
Lesson Review
Complete the following.
1. What causes water pollution? ________________________________________________________________
2. What is sewage? ____________________________________________________________________________
3. What harmful things are contained in sewage? _________________________________________________
4. What is a fertilizer? _________________________________________________________________________
5. What is a pesticide? _________________________________________________________________________
6. What kinds of water pollutants are produced by industry? ______________________________________
7. What is a sewage treatment plant? ____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
8. How have laws helped to reduce water pollution? _____________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Skill Challenge
Skills: diagramming, sequencing
In the space below, develop a flowchart that shows two pathways that sewage
may take before it enters the environment. One pathway should show untreated
sewage entering the environment. The other pathway should show treated
sewage entering the environment. Identify the source of the sewage and each
step in your flowchart.
Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM
(c) by Pearson Education, Inc./Globe Fearon/Pearson Learning Group. All rights reserved.
The Human Impact on the Environment
Answer Key
What causes water pollution?
Lesson Review
1. release of harmful substances into the water
2. wastes that are usually flushed away in water
3. bacteria, chemicals, and soaps
4. chemicals that
help plants grow 5. chemical that is used to kill
insect pests 6. chemical pollutants 7. place in
which sewage is changed into less harmful materials
8. The laws require industries to clean their wastes
before dumping them into lakes and rivers and ban
the use of certain pesticides and soaps.
Skill Challenge
Check students’ drawings to be sure that one
pathway shows sewage from a plant or building
being dumped directly into lakes or streams and the
other pathway shows sewage passing through a
sewage treatment plant.
Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM
(c) by Pearson Education, Inc./Globe Fearon/Pearson Learning Group. All rights reserved.
The Human Impact on the Environment