Advance Diploma in Env. Engg.

Course: EZ
Paper 23156, Pollution control and waste Management
Expected question: Explain the water quality requirement of human and Habitat.(
Mark 5 )
(Compiled by Bharat Dighe)

Module 1: Quality requirements of water for Human& Habitat

Standards

 Agencies make political, technical / scientific decision about water usages.

 Chemical characteristics

 Biological characteristics

 Measure of conditions of water one or more biotic species or human need

 Frequently used by reference against set of standards against compliance can be assessed

 Different uses raise different concerns and therefore different standards are considered.

 Natural water bodies will vary in response to environmental conditions.

 Environmental scientists work to understand how these systems function, which in turn
helps to identify the sources and Fates of Contaminants.

 Environmental lawyers and policymakers work to define legislation with the intention that
water is maintained at an appropriate quality for its identified use.

 The vast majority of surface water on the planet is neither potable nor toxic.

 This remains true even if seawater in the Oceans (which is too salty to drink) is not counted.

 Another general perception of water quality is that of a simple property that tells whether
water is polluted or not.

 In fact, water quality is a complex subject, in part because water is a complex medium
intrinsically tied to the ecology of the Earth.

 Industrial and commercial activities (e.g. manufacturing, mining, construction, transport) are
a major cause of water pollution as are runoff from agricultural areas, urban runoff and
discharge of treated and untreated sewage.

 The vast majority of surface water on the planet is neither potable nor toxic.

 This remains true even if seawater in the Oceans (which is too salty to drink) is not counted.

 Another general perception of water quality is that of a simple property that tells whether
water is polluted or not.

 In fact, water quality is a complex subject, in part because water is a complex medium
intrinsically tied to the ecology of the Earth.
 Industrial and commercial activities (e.g. manufacturing, mining, construction, transport) are
a major cause of water pollution as are runoff from agricultural areas, urban runoff and
discharge of treated and untreated sewage.

 The parameters for water quality are determined by the intended use.

 Work in the area of water quality tends to be focused on water that is treated for human
consumption, industrial use, or in the environment.

Human Consumption

 Contaminants that may be in untreated water include

 microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria

 inorganic contaminants such as salts and metals;

 organic chemical contaminants from industrial processes and

 petroleum use

 Pesticides and herbicides;

 Radioactive contaminants.

 Water quality depends on the

 Local geology and ecosystem,

 Human uses such as sewage dispersion, industrial pollution,

 use of water bodies as a heat sins,

 Overuse (which may lower the level of the water).

 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants
in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health. Drinking water,
including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of
some contaminants.

 The presence of these contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a
health risk.

 The Guidelines for drinking-water quality (GDWQ)

 WHO produces international norms on water quality and human health in the form of
guidelines that are used as the basis for regulation and standard setting world-wide.

 It promote the protection of public health by advocating for the development of locally
relevant standards and regulations (health based targets),

 Globally, two billion people use either unimproved drinking-water sources or improved
sources that are faecally- Contaminated.

 Household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) is an important public health
intervention to improve the quality of drinking-water and reduce diarrhoeal disease
 Safe drinking-water is an immediate priority in most emergencies, and HWTS can be an
effective emergency response intervention.

 Some people use water purification technology to remove contaminant from the municipal
water supply to get in their homes, or from local pumps or bodies of water.

 Water drawn directly from a stream, lake, or aquifer and has no treatment will be of
uncertain quality

 Dissolved minerals may affect suitability of water for a range of industrial and domestic
purposes.

 The most familiar of these is probably the presence of ions of calcium and magnesium which
interfere with the cleaning action of soap, and can form hard sulfate and soft carbonate
deposits in water heaters or boiler.

 Hard water may be softened to remove these ions.

 The softening process often substitutes sodium cations.

 Hard water may be preferable to soft water for human consumption, since health problems
have been associated with excess sodium and with calcium and magnesium deficiencies.

 Softening may sacrifice nutrition for cleaning effectiveness

Industrial and Domestic Use

 Environmental water quality, also called ambient water quality, relates to water bodies such
as Lakes, rivers, oceans.

 Water quality standards for surface waters vary significantly due to different environmental
conditions, ecosystems, and intended human uses.

 Toxic substances and high populations of certain microorganisms can present a health
hazard for non-drinking purposes such as irrigation, swimming, fishing, rafting, boating,
and industrial uses.

 These conditions may also affect wildlife which use the water for drinking or as a habitat.

 Laws generally specify protection of fisheries and recreational use and require, as a
minimum retention of current quality standards.

 There is some desire among the public to eturn water bodies to pristine, or pre industrial
conditions.

 Most current environmental laws focus on the designation of particular uses of a water
body.

 In some countries these designations allow for some water contamination as long as the
particular type of contamination is not harmful to the designated uses.

 Given the landscape changes (e.g., land development, urbanization, clearcutting in forested
areas) in the watersheds of many freshwater bodies, returning to pristine conditions would
be a significant challenge.
 In these cases, environmental scientists focus on achieving goals for maintaining healthy
ecosystems and may concentrate on the protection of populations of endangered species
and protecting human health

Sampling and Measurement

 The complexity of water quality as a subject is reflected in the many types of measurements
of water quality indicators. The most accurate measurements of water quality are made on-
site because water exists in equilibrium with its surroundings. Measurements commonly
made on-site and in direct contact with the water source in question include temperature,
pH, dissolved. oxygen, conductivity, oxygen reduction potential (ORP) and turbidity.

 The process of water sampling introduces two significant problems. Many water source vary
with time and with location.

 Measurement vary seasonally or from day to night .

 Sample collection procedure must assure correct weighing .

 MOC of Sample container – Must be made minimal reactivity with substance to be

measured.

Chemical Analysis

 A gas chromatograph mass spectrometer measures pesticides and other organic pollutant

 The simplest methods of chemical analysis are those measuring chemical elements without
respect to their form. Elemental analysis for dissolved oxygen as an example would indicate
a concentration of 890,000 milligrams per litre (mg/L) of water sample because water is
made of oxygen. The method selected to measure dissolved oxygen should differentiate
between diatomic oxygen and oxygen combined with other elements.

 The comparative simplicity of elemental analysis has produced a large amount of sample
data and water quality criteria for elements sometimes identified

Drinking water indicators

 An electrical conductivity. meter is used to measure total dissolved solids.

 The following is a list of indicators often measured by situational category:

 Alkalinity

 Color

 pH

 Dissolved metals and salts ( K, Cl, Na, Ca, Mg, Ar, Pb , Hg)

 Microorganism such as fecal coliform, bacteria –E coli

 Dissolved organic

 Heavy metals