Surfacewater Pollution and the Analysis of Effective

Technologies as Prevention for Surfacewater Pollution

Mhadel Yu1, John Alex Gubantes1, John Rey Montianto1

1Civil Engineering Department University of Mindanao, Davao City, Philippines

m.yu.402529@umindanao.edu.ph

j.gubantes.455422@umindanao.edu.ph

j.montianto.446937@umindanao.edu.ph

I. INTRODUCTION Most surface waters like oceans are populated by aquatic

lifeforms like fishes and corals, once these harmful
Water is very essential to every living being since it
industrial wastes enters the surface water, it’ll cause severe
can replenish energy and nourish our body. Water is also
damage to the aquatic environment, and it has a domino
called as a “Universal Solvent”. According to usgs.gov
effect to this thing, According to the study from M.R Singh
(2020), it says that, Water is called the "universal solvent"
and A. Gupta (2016), one of the major effects for surface
because it is capable of dissolving more substances than
water pollution is the human health. It says that, Some of
any other liquid. This is important to every living thing on
the chemicals affecting human health are the presence of
earth. It means that wherever water goes, either through the
heavy metals such as Fluoride, Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium,
air, the ground, or through our bodies, it takes along
Mercury, petrochemicals, chlorinated solvents, pesticides
valuable chemicals, minerals, and nutrients. It is water's
and nitrates. Fluoride in water is essential for protection
chemical composition and physical attributes that make it
against dental carries and weakening of the bones.
such an excellent solvent. Water molecules have a polar
Concentration below 0.5 mg/l causes dental carries and
arrangement of oxygen and hydrogen atoms—one side
mottling of teeth but exposure to higher levels above 0.5
(hydrogen) has a positive electrical charge and the other
mg/l for 5-6 years may lead to adverse effect on human
side (oxygen) had a negative charge. There are common
health leading to a condition called fluorosis. Arsenic is a
types of sources of water, one of which is surface water.
very toxic chemical that reaches the water naturally or from
Surface Water are those sources of water that is found open
wastewater of tanneries, ceramic industry, chemical
in the terrain. One of the common examples are rivers, seas,
factories and from insecticides such as lead arsenate,
and oceans. Most industries use these surface water from
effluents from fertilizers factories and from fumes coming
rivers as raw materials for their products. According to the
out from burning of coal and petroleum. Arsenic is highly
study from D.B. Walker, et al. (2019), it says that
dangerous for human health causing respiratory cancer,
Freshwater is a scarce and valuable resource—one that can
arsenic skin lesion from contaminated drinking water in
easily be contaminated. Once contaminated to the extent it
some districts of West Bengal. Long exposure leads to
can be considered “polluted,” freshwater quality is difficult
bladder and lungs cancer. Lead is contaminated in the
and expensive to restore. Meaning that overuse of
drinking water source from pipes, fitting, solder, household
chemicals that use to mix with water in order to create a by-
plumbing systems. In the human beings, it affects the
product, without proper management of industrial waste,
blood, central nervous system and the kidneys. Child and
can contaminate waters and causes surface water pollution.
pregnant women are mostly prone to lead exposure.
Mercury is used in industries such as smelters,
manufactures of batteries, thermometers, pesticides,
fungicides etc.

REFERENCES:

[1] usgs.gov (2020) “Water, the Universal Solvent” cited

at: https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-
school/science/water-universal-solvent?qt-
science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

[2] D.B. Walker, et al. (2019) “Environmental and

Pollution Science (Third Edition)” ch. 16, pp 261-292
cited at:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978012
8147191000161
[3]