Unit 4. Water Pollution Exercises (a)

1. Learn new words:

water pollution – загрязнение воды domestic sewage – местные

serious –серьезный сточные воды

urbanization – урбанизация way – путь, способ

bacteria – бактерия, микроб oxidation – окисление

desease – смерть dangerous – опасный

decomposable – разлагаемый purification – очистка

organic matter – органическое вещество growth – рост, развитие

oxygen – кислород

inorganic salt – неорганическая соль

irrigation – орошение

oily materials – маслянистые материалы

toxic agents – токсичные вещества

chemicals – химические препараты

A. 1. Translate the following word combinations:

almost all countries; water-pollution problem; became very serious; as а result of urbanization and industrialization; many types of water pollution; pollution by bacteria, viruses and other organisms; рollution by decomposable organic matter; to be removed by any simple treatment process; to make water quite unsuitable for drinking; for irrigation and for many industries; pollution by plant nutrients; pollution by oily materials; may screen the river surface from the air; to reduce reoxygenation; pollution by specific toxic agents; ranging from metal salts to complex synthetic chemicals; pollution control; а sanitary engineering problem; to be solved by strict laws; for sewage and industrial-waste treatment; the disposal of а certain amount of sewage by dilution; through bacterial action and aeration; to include an investigation of stream flows; by means of reservoirs; in additional sewage treatment plants; with responsibility for the conservation and utilization of water.

Text (a)

Read the text «Water Pollution Control»:

Almost all countries of the world have а water-pollution problem, which became very serious as а result of urbanization and industrialization.

There are many types of water pollution. It is convenient to divide them into classes, as follows: а) pollution by bacteria, viruses and other organisms that can cause diseasе; b) рollution by decomposable organic matter, which by absorbing the oxygen in the water kills fish; с) pollution by inorganic salts. They cannot be removed by any simple treatment process and may make water quite unsuitable for drinking, for irrigation and for many industries; d) pollution by plant nutrients; е) Pollution by oily materials which may screen the river surface from the air thus reducing reoxygenation; f) pollution by specific toxic agents ranging from metal salts to complex synthetic chemicals.

Pollution control is largely а sanitary engineering problem, to be solved by strict laws and enforcement and involving vast expenditures of public funds for sewage and industrial-waste treatment. However, the disposal of а certain amount of sewage by dilution is usually considered permissible, particularly in functioning through bacterial action and aeration. А complete stream pollution control study must include an investigation of stream flows. 1п some instances the augmentation of low flows, by means of reservoirs, has proved to be at least as important to the control of stream pollution as have investments in additional sewage treatment plants.

The Water Resources Act of 1963 set up а Water Resources Board acting through 29 river authorities, charged with responsibility for the conservation and utilization of water. Standards are laid down, enforceable by law, governing the permitted levels of pollutants which may be discharged into rivers. Similar regulations are applied in other countries — although accidents can occasionally happen, as was the сазе in 1969 when the illegal dumping ol chemicals caused the destruction ol millions о1 f!sh along the entire length of the River Rhine.