Sediment pollution

Sediment pollution is water pollution caused by excessive suspended or deposited soil and other particles. It can cloud water, smother habitats, and carry attached contaminants.

Soil erosion: The detachment and movement of soil by water, wind, ice, or gravity. Runoff from eroding land is a major source of sediment entering waterways.
Aquatic habitat: The physical environment in which aquatic organisms live. Deposited sediment can bury habitat features and simplify stream and lake beds.
Total suspended solids: A measurement of the mass of particles suspended in a water sample. This indicator is used to quantify suspended material in polluted waters.
Agricultural runoff: Water flowing from farmland that carries soil, nutrients, chemicals, or other materials. Tillage, bare soil, and field drainage can deliver eroded particles to waterways.
Turbidity: The cloudiness of water caused by suspended particles that scatter light. Suspended sediment raises turbidity and reduces light penetration.
Fish gill: The respiratory organ through which fish extract oxygen from water. Fine suspended particles can irritate or damage gills and interfere with respiration.
Sediment quality guideline: A benchmark used to assess whether concentrations of substances in sediment may harm aquatic life. Guidelines help distinguish harmful contaminated sediment from sediment loads assessed mainly by quantity.
Deforestation: The removal of forest cover, commonly through clearing or conversion to other land uses. Removing vegetation can expose soil to erosion and increase sediment runoff.
Sedimentation: The settling of suspended particles out of a fluid under gravity. Particles settle from the water column and accumulate on stream and lake beds.
Coral reef: A marine ecosystem built primarily by reef-forming corals and their calcium carbonate structures. Sediment can shade corals and cover the surfaces where they grow.

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