Chapter 5 Threats
5.11 Pollution and Contaminants
Threats considered in this category are from introduction of exotic and/or excess materials or energy from point (e.g., waste treatment discharge, industrial effluents) and nonpoint sources (e.g., runoff from roads, lawns, golf courses); waterborne pollutants from industrial, resource extraction, energy production, and military sources; agricultural and forestry effluents, such as herbicide and fertilizer runoff; garbage and solid waste from landfills, construction debris, and waterborne debris that can entangle wildlife; acid rain, smog and excess nitrogen deposition, radioactive emissions, smoke from fires, and other airborne pollutants; and excess energy sources (e.g., transportation noise, submarine sonar, beach lights) (Salafsky et al. 2008) . In addition to physical alteration of aquatic habitat, sediments and contaminants delivered through point and nonpoint sources magnify the level of threats to aquatic systems ( TNC 2000 ). Point source pollution is delivered primarily in the form of municipal wastewater and stormwater discharges. The majority of water quality problems in North Carolina, however, stem from nonpoint source pollution associated with land-use activities such as development projects, forestry and agricultural practices, and road construction (NCDWQ 2000; SAMAB 1996) . Agricultural pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids and fipronil, are having direct and indirect, negative, and nontarget impacts on aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates (Gibbons et al. 2014). 5.11.1 Sewage, Solid Wastes, and Effluents – Anticipated Impacts The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program administered by the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) regulates the discharge of point source pollution in our state. Permits establish limits on pollutants that must be met before wastewater is discharged to surface waters. Wastewater treatment technologies vary among wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). There is increasing concern over contaminants that are not currently treated by WWTPs or regulated by NPDES limits, such as endocrine- disrupting chemicals (EDCs). EDCs can be found in pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and various industrial compounds. Stormwater runoff is a non-point pollutant that is mostly unregulated in North Carolina except in larger cities. Stormwater best management practices (BMPs), such as detention ponds, grassed swales, filter strips, and rain gardens slow down stormwater and reduce pollutant input as it travels to surface waters from construction sites, agricultural fields, and paved areas. Aquatic systems can be impacted by wastewater discharges when effluent fails to meet regulatory limits; accidental spills of untreated wastewater occur; stream baseflows are low and a large percentage of streamflow is composed of treated wastewater; and WWTPs are not equipped to properly treat all contaminants within wastewater that affect aquatic organisms. EDCs have been shown to affect immune and reproductive systems in freshwater mussels
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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