Answer to problem 2.
2. You have been placed in charge a foundation
that will grant $100,000 to a municipality for upgrade
of their wastewater treatment facilities to include
denitrification. Four cities apply for the grant. Based on the
following geographical descriptions given, who would you give
the funds to:
- Albany -- a large city located on the Hudson River
- Miami -- a large city whose wastewater effluent is delivered
to the Atlantic Ocean
- Baltimore -- a large city perched on a major estuary
(the Chesapeake Bay)
- Minden, Nebraska -- a small agricultural town near a large lake.
C (Baltimore) is the correct answer. High
nitrogen loading to a region that relies heavily on shellfish offers
the strongest case for denitrification. Nitrogen accumulation
in a fast moving river like the Hudson is unlikely, so Albany
is a poor choice. Miami is a little more interesting because
it is coastal, but chances are the effluent will be diluted
by the tide. Though nitrogen loadings to a lake in Minden,
Nebraska might be of concern, these loadings would probably
be due to fertilizer runoff, not the wastewater plant effluent.
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