Water Pollution

Presented by
Dr. Chowdhury Kamrul Hasan
Senior Lecturer

Department of Environmental Science and Management

School of Environment and Life Sciences
Independent University, Bangladesh
E-mail: chowdhury.hasan@iub.edu.bd
 Outline

o Definition of water pollution

o Sources of water pollution o
Nutrient pollution and its effect

Water pollution
• Water pollution...changes in water quality •
Changes...physical...biological...chemical...make
water unsuitable for use
• Sources...point...non-point
Sources of water pollution
• Point sources...discharge pollution from a specific location •
Example...factories...power plants...underground coal mines...oil
wells
• Characteristics
o Discrete and identifiable
o Relatively easy to monitor and regulate
o Effluent diversion...treatment...possible

Sources of water pollution

• Non-point sources...no specific location
• Example...runoff from farm fields
• Characteristics
o Highly episodic
o Difficult to monitor and regulate
o Treatment...not easy

Nutrient
pollution
• Caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in the
water
• Nitrogen and phosphorus are nutrients that are natural
parts of aquatic ecosystems.
 • Nitrogen and phosphorus support the growth of algae
and aquatic plants, which provide food and habitat for
fish, shellfish and smaller organisms that live in water.

hytoplankton Seaweed Seagrass

Sources of nutrients causing pollution
• Agriculture…animal farm…manure and chemical fertilizers •
Storm water
• Wastewater
 Effects of nutrient pollution
Environmental Effects
• Direct exposure to algae: harmful algal blooms • Dead zones
and hypoxia…algal blooms when age consume oxygen as
they die and decompose….result is community shift
 Algal blooms and death of a fish
Source: https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/effects-environment

An EPA documentary on nutrient

pollution
o Water pollution o Nutrient pollution
Summary