Pollution Management in the Twentieth Century

Abstract

A literature review is presented on the evolution of water pollution management and its impact on land pollution from 1900 to 2000 within an hypothesis of whether we could have done more, sooner. Stream pollution science in the context of the fundamental sanitary engineering concepts of reasonable use and assimilative capacity is examined in light of evolving regulatory frameworks from the early 1900s, when regulation and standards were mostly lacking, to the zero discharge goals and comprehensive federal command/control regulations of the late Twentieth Century. Details on the interplay through the years of improving environmental analytical chemistry, environmental quality definitions, wastewater control technologies, municipal-industrial wastewater differences, and regulatory will/ diligence are provided. The pressure exerted on land and groundwater pollution as a result of water pollution control is emphasized. The author's conclusion is that more effective, faster pollution control evolution would have been difficult.