Approximately how long would it take for the water surrounding a waste-disposal plant to initially contaminated. And once the initial contamination has begun, how long until it is completely contaminated to the point that most fish and birds can not live in or off of it?

-- Danielle Sadkin (sadkin@oswego.edu), April 29, 2001

Answers

It depends on the ground material that the contaminants travel through (i.e. how permeable it is) and what the contaminants are. This site lists contaminants and info about them. I hope it helps you. http://www.nce.unr.edu/swp/water_factsheets.htm

-- Johanna Besaw (jbesaw1@oswego.edu), May 01, 2001.

IT would also depend on the amount of water and what surrounds the water. Plus other contaniments affect different animals in and outof the water. Water pollution is a very improtant problem in our world today. To fin dout more take Chemistry 300, its a really fun class and you learn alot about the enviroment

-- Kevin Markowitz (Kmarko67@aol.com), May 04, 2001.

When you examine the world vegetation map,you will notice that almost every region of the earth has some type of vegetation. the type of vegetation, plant life that grows naturally in a particular enviroment, depends on the climate, the conditionof the soil, and the topography.

-- Richard Dresser (alanpk@gateway.com), October 22, 2001.

Put it this way, Approximately 6 years ago a waste-disposal/dispersal plant, was produced call swan hills, a short drive from calgary. And findings show that these chemicals are now found in animals which are hunted in the area, where people have been going for years to find an abundance of wildlife. I would nolonger want to eat anything from that area. Also, when not so toxic "transformer juice" (used for neon lighting) is disposed of in these plants parts of the furnace do not reach the temperatures needed to fully decompose this compound, but only synthisizes it into one one the most leathal compounds produced by man. Where one single drop in a lake big enough to waterski in, will make it too toxic to be in.

-- steven glockner (g_zoomerz@hotmail.com), November 04, 2002.

I mainly depends on the types of contaminate, if it dilutes in water, how posionous it is and how much water within the source before it become a real danger. if there is only a little, it will build up over time within an animal or plant taking water from the same source, and what 'eats' that animal or plant may intake more contaminated animals or plants which also be dangerous. e.g. if contaminated water was used to water grass which beef cows were to eat, the grass is contaminated and when the cows eat the grass they are now contaminated. once the cows are big enough and eaten heap of grass which has been contaminated, the cows may have a high contaminate level in them. When we 'humans' intake beef from one of these cows we only have a small amount of containation within us, however if we eat intake more beef from a cow that comes from the a pace as the first we are adding more contaminate into our body.

-- M. Farnham (lord_atlantis69@hotmail.com), March 05, 2003.