The 1980s: A closer look at toxic compounds and water quality

摘要

The 1980s were characterized by stringent hazardous waste regulations, increased public awareness of the effect of toxic compounds on the environment, and the controversy over the improvement in water quality since the passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act in 1972. The decade saw the catastrophic release of hazardous substances in Bhopal, India; major oil spills on the Ohio River and Alaska's Prince Williams Sound; and numerous beach closings because of medical waste washouts and high bacterial counts ―all of which increased public awareness and sensitivity to toxicity and water quality issues. Some of the major issues during the 1980s include more hazardous waste minimization, reuse, or recycling; the requirement for whole effluent toxicity (WET) testing; the demise of the federal construction grants program for municipal wastewater treatment plants; additional pollution control requirements for point sources; and increased beneficial application of wastewater treatment plant effluents and biosolids. The new regulations and the awareness of water resources degradation resulted in greater use of technologies to control toxics and nutrients.