Thermal pollution: Select one:

a. decreases the amount of dissolved oxygen.

b. is linked to agricultural run-off.

c. greatly increases turbidity.

d. only impacts the respiration of fishes and other aquatic animals.

e. has little effect on smaller aquatic organisms.

a. decreases the amount of dissolved oxygen.

Explanation:

Thermal Pollution can be defined as the reduction of water quality by human and anthropogenic factors, thereby creating changes in normal water temperature. Causes of thermal pollution include soil erosion (this will increase water and there will be exposure to sunlight), usage of water as coolant by power plants. Water used as a coolant creates (a sudden change in temperature leading to decrease in oxygen supply and thus affects the composition of an ecosystem) when returned to the natural environment at higher temperature.

Organisms adapted to a particular temperature can be killed during the process of abrupt change in water temperature. This is true because, high temperature limits oxygen dispersion into deeper waters, contributing to anaerobic conditions.

The increased temperature can also change the balance of microbial growth, as well as the rate of algae blooms which reduce dissolved oxygen concentrations.