 Natural Treatment of Pollutants in Water

o Pollutants that can be oxidized by bacteria in the presence of free dissolved

oxygen can be aerobically converted to carbon dioxide and water. These
pollutants, such as domestic sewage and biodegradable industrial wastes can be
destroyed in accordance with the oxygen that is naturally reinjected into the
water through surface turbulence.
 Water pollution is one of the main environmental issues that we are facing, as more than 70% of the
Earth’s surface is water-covered.
 Water pollution can be defined as the contamination of a stream, river, lake, ocean or any other stretch
of water, depleting water quality and making it toxic for the environment and humans.
 There are two types of water pollution:
o 1.Organic pollution due to microorganisms - bacteria and viruses - present in the
water, generated by excrement, animal and vegetable waste
o 2.Chemical pollution generated by the nitrates and phosphates of pesticides,
human and animal drugs, household products, heavy metals, acids and
hydrocarbons used in industries
 What are the sources of water pollution? Unsurprisingly, human activity is primarily responsible for
water pollution, even if natural phenomenon - such as landslides and floods - can also contribute to
degrade the water quality.
O SEWAGE AND WASTEWATER

Inadequate sewage collection and treatment are sources of water pollution.
According to the United Nations, more than 80% of the worldwide wastewater
goes back in the environment without being treated or reused.
O URBANIZATION AND DEFORESTATION

Even though it does not have a direct impact on water quality, urbanization
and deforestation have a lot of indirect effects. For instance, cutting down trees
and concreting over large areas generates an acceleration of flows which does
not give enough time for water to infiltrate and be purified.
O AGRICULTURE

Agriculture has an impact on water pollution due to the use of chemicals such
as fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or insecticides running off in
the water, as well as livestock excrement, manure and methane (greenhouse
effect). Regarding aquaculture, pollution is directly in the water, as excess
food and fertilizers are causing dystrophication.
O INDUSTRIES
 Industries produce a lot of waste containing toxic chemicals and pollutants. A
huge amount of the industrial waste is drained in the fresh water which then
flows into canals, rivers and eventually in the sea. Another source of water
 pollution is the burning of fossil fuels, causing air pollution like acid rain which
then flows to streams, lakes, and other stretches of water.
O MARINE DUMPING

Everyday, garbage such as plastic, paper, aluminum, food, glass, or rubber are
deposited into the sea. These items take weeks to hundreds of years to
decompose, and thus they are a major cause for water pollution.
O RADIOACTIVE WASTE
 Generated - among others - by power plants and uranium mining, radioactive
waste can linger in the environment for thousands of years. When these
substances are released accidentally or disposed improperly, they threaten
groundwater, surface water, as well as marine resources.
 Water pollution effects
o ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Water pollution truly harms biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems. The toxic
chemicals can change the color of water and increase the amount of minerals -
also known as eutrophication - which has a bad impact on life in water.
Thermal pollution, defined by a rise in the temperature of water bodies,
contributes to global warming and causes serious hazard to water organisms.
O ON HUMAN HEALTH
 Water pollution has very negative effects on public health. A lot of diseases
result from drinking or being in contact with contaminated water, such as
diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, dysentery or skin infections. In zones where there is
no available drinking water, the main risk is dehydration obviously.
 Water pollution prevention
o 1. Wastewater treatment
 Wastewater treatment consists of removing pollutants from wastewater
through a physical, chemical or biological process. The more efficient these
processes are, the cleaner the water becomes.

o 2. Green agriculture
Globally, agriculture accounts for 70% of water resources, so it is essential to
have climate-friendly crops, efficient irrigation that reduces the need for water
and energy-efficient food production. Green agriculture is also crucial to limit
the chemicals that enter the water.
o 3. Stormwater management
  Stormwater management is the effort to reduce runoff of rainwater or melted
snow into streets, lawns and other sites and the improvement of water quality”
according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is important
to avoid pollutants from contaminating the water and helps to use water more
efficiently.
o 4. Air pollution prevention
 Air pollution has a direct impact on water contamination as 25% of human
induced CO2 emissions are absorbed by oceans. This pollution causes a rapid
acidification of our oceans, and threatens marine life and corals. Preventing air
pollution is the best way to prevent this from happening.
o 5. Plastic waste reduction
80% of plastic in our oceans is from land sources. In order to reduce the
amount of plastic entering our ocean, we need to both reduce our use of plastic
globally, and to improve plastic waste management.
o 6. Water conservation
 Without water conservation, we won’t go very far. It is central in making sure
the world has better access to clean water. It means being aware that water is
a scarce resource, taking care of it accordingly, and managing it responsibly.
 Removal of pollutants from the water:
o Natural resource that removes pollutants from the water
 Natural resources such as wetlands, stream buffers, and
vegetated land cover can also naturally filter out pollutants such
as metals, pesticides, sediment, and overabundant nutrients that
may affect water quality.
o How can we remove pollutants from water?
 There are many methods are used for the treatments of polluted
water such as, adsorption, ion exchange process, nanofiltration,
using agricultural wastages, reverse osmosis, distillation and
phytotechnologies and using biological compound

o 15 Proven Ways We Can Reduce Water Pollution


 Everyone understands that clean water is vitally important. Yet, many things we do can
contribute to water pollution in different ways. This post describes some easy and
inexpensive ways to protect water by doing certain things at home and in the community.
o Dispose of Toxic Chemicals Properly:
 Household solvents, pesticides, and cleaners might not seem that bad. But,
bleach, paint, paint thinner, ammonia, and many chemicals are becoming a
serious problem. If you combine millions of people every month dumping
toxic chemicals down the drain or flushing them down the toilet, the
effects add up. This is why proper disposal is important.  
 Many household chemicals can be recycled. Your community may have a
recycling center that can take the old paint, used motor oil, and other
chemicals and recycle them. Community collection centers and drop-off
sites also exist in some areas. Your community may even have a
hazardous waste collection day where those toxic old chemicals can be
dropped off for safe disposal.
o Shop with Water Pollution in Mind: 
 You can avoid issues with household chemicals and pesticides by not
buying products that contain persistent and dangerous chemicals in the
first place. Many companies now sell non-toxic cleaners and
biodegradable cleaners and pesticides. Spending a little extra money on
those products automatically cuts down on water pollution.

o Do Not Pour Fat and Grease Down the Drain:

 Grease, fat, and used cooking oil should be disposed of in the trash or kept
in a “fat jar” for disposal with other solid waste. Your pipes might clog
and cause sewer pipes to clog and back up into yards and basements. The
waste also contaminates local bodies of water.
o Use Phosphate-Free Detergent and Dish Cleaner:
 You can further cut down on water pollution by using just enough of these
cleaners to do the job. Phosphates aren’t the only harmful chemicals in
cleaners. Phosphates lead to algae blooms and kill fish and other aquatic
animals by reducing the oxygen in the water. 
o Check Your Sump Pump or Cellar Drain:
 Sometimes these devices drain into the town’s sanitary sewer pipes. This
connection dumps biological wastes, heavy metals, cleaning chemicals
and more into the system. If you have a sump pump or cellar drain and
aren’t sure where they drain to, you should be able to find out by checking
with the city’s pollution control department.
o Dispose of Medical Waste Properly:
 Never flush medicines down the toilet, and never dump them in the
nearest pond or creek. The drugs tend to accumulate in the water, and in
fish and other wildlife. Hormones and other compounds end up causing a
variety of health problems in fish and birds and contaminate drinking
water that people and livestock use.
o Eat More Organic Food:
 While chemicals can be used on organic foods, they tend to be produced
with few synthetic chemicals. Eating organic reduces the amount of
chemical pollution that ends up in the water. The food we choose to eat
has a huge impact on environmental quality, between the chemicals used
to grow food, the fuel used to transport the crops, and the fuel used to
power farm equipment on industrial farms.
o Report Water Polluters:
 Many cases of illegal waste disposal and other forms of water pollution go
unreported and often aren’t cleaned up. Report people who pour oil in
storm drains, toss bags of trash in a stream, and so on.  
o Support Environmental Charities:
 No matter where you live in the country, there are going to be charities
working on watershed protection, water pollution cleanup, and similar
causes. Find an organization that’s active in your area and make a
donation every year. Your support may even lead to expanded anti-
pollution work.
o Cut Down on Meat Consumption:
 Raising animals for meat takes lots of water for the grains and other foods
they need, as well as to keep them alive. Further, the antibiotics and solid
waste both tend to end up in groundwater and rivers.


o Try to Avoid Plastic Containers:
 Plastic shopping bags and plastic rings from six-packs of beverages cause
inordinate problems in the nations lakes and seas. Plastic bottles can last
for decades in the water. Buy some reusable cloth or plastic grocery bags
instead. They can be had for as little as $1 each, so there is a minimal cost
involved. Use reusable, insulated containers to hold drinks and make your
own filtered water at home.
o Keep Your Vehicles from Leaking:
 Oil and other fluids leak from motor vehicles and end up in the local water
table, or running off into creeks and streams. This runoff problem is easy
to treat; just be diligent about maintaining and repairing your vehicles.
Leaky seals, hoses, and gaskets tend to cause expensive mechanical
problems anyway, so replacing the worn parts can save you money.
o Cut Down on the Chemicals:
 
Homeowners like to keep the yard looking green and healthy. This desire
for a green lawn produces water pollution in two ways: Fertilizers and
pesticides inevitably run off the shrubs and lawns and into the water.
Select landscaping that is adapted to the climate. No matter where you
live, there are bound to be attractive plants that can thrive with minimal
help from added chemicals. This makes the plants cheaper to care for. As
a bonus, you will waste less water keeping those plants alive.
o Plant Some Trees:
 Trees reduce erosion that washes pollution into the water and reduces
erosion. You can also volunteer your time in a local tree-planting effort. If
you own land along a river or pond, plant trees, bushes, or grass along the
bank.
o Help Clean Up Beaches and Rivers:
 Supporting charities devoted to protecting the water is important because
they can do work that is beyond the power of the average homeowner. If
you choose not to donate money, or really can’t afford it, volunteer to help
plant trees or clean up the local river or help collect leftover chemicals
from local residents. Some environmental groups might have collection
days where they need volunteer labor.
o How can we remove organic pollutants from water?

o

 A number of methods such as coagulation, filtration with

coagulation, precipitation, ozonation, adsorption, ion
exchange, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation
processes have been used for the removal of organic pollutants
from polluted water and wastewater.
o How do you reduce organic chemicals in water?
 Various treatment options are available for removing organic
contaminants from drinking water. Three of the treatment options
are: granular activated carbon, air stripping, and reverse
osmosis

 Artificial Treatment of Pollutants in Water

o Dissolved oxygen can be added artificially to a body of water by aerating the
surface with floating aerators. This can provide the oxygen necessary for natural
 bacterial decomposition of pollutants and for the propagation of aquatic life. Can
also prevent lake or river stratifications minimizing the return of the settled
pollutants to the water surface. Air diffusers and blowers can also be used for
artificially aerating water.

o Water pollution occurs mainly due to inorganic and organic pollutants,

such as nutrients, heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants. For the
modeling and optimization of pollutants removal, artificial intelligence
(AI) has been used as a major tool in the experimental design that can
generate the optimal operational variables, since AI has recently gained a
tremendous advance. The present review describes the fundamentals,
advantages and limitations of AI tools. Artificial neural networks (ANNs)
are the AI tools frequently adopted to predict the pollutants removal
processes because of their capabilities of self-learning and self-adapting,
while genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) are
also useful AI methodologies in efficient search for the global optima. This
article summarizes the modeling and optimization of pollutants removal
processes in water treatment by using multilayer perception, fuzzy neural,
radial basis function and self-organizing map networks. Furthermore, the
results conclude that the hybrid models of ANNs with GA and PSO can be
successfully applied in water treatment with satisfactory accuracies.
Finally, the limitations of current AI tools and their new developments are
also highlighted for prospective applications in the environmental
protection. (experimental design)

 Watershed Management
o Watershed management can be defined as any program or collection of
strategies that positively influence activities and land characteristics within a
drainage basin.

o Watershed management is the study of relevant characteristics of a watershed

aimed at the sustainable distribution of its resources and the process of creating
and implementing plans, programs, and projects to sustain and enhance
watershed functions that affects the plant, animal, and human communities within
a watershed boundary.
o Since most indirectly discharge, pollutants are transmitted to a body of water
across the surface, management of the watershed can minimize this pollutants.
Direct discharges can be eliminated or controlled through watershed
management. Vegetation, such as trees and grasses can be used to filter and
biologically treat pollutants. The vegetation serves to stabilize the soil to prevent
erosion. Human and even animal activity can be limited in a watershed to
minimize associated pollution.
 

o The features of watershed that agencies seek to manage include:

 Water supply
 Water quality
 Drainage
 Stormwater runoff
 Water rights
 Overall planning and utilization of watersheds
o Management of the environment has been primarily focused in specific issues
such as air, land and water. Most efforts have resulted in decreasing pollutant
emissions to air and water, improved landfills, remediation of waste sites and
contaminated groundwater, protection of rare and endangered species, design
of best management practices to control water and contaminant runoff, and
much more.
 

o Watershed – is simply the geographic area through which water flows

across the land and drains into a common body of water, whether a
stream, lake or ocean. The watershed boundary will more or less follow
the highest ridgeline around the channels and meet at the bottom lowest
point of the land where water flows out of the watershed, the mouth of the
waterway.
 Importance of Watershed:
o Watersheds are important because the surface water features and
stormwater runoff within a watershed ultimately drain to other bodies of
water. It is essential to consider these downstream impacts when
developing and implementing water quality protection and restoration
actions.
o Watersheds sustain life, in more ways than one. According to the
Environment Protection Agency, more than $450 billion in foods, fiber,
manufactured goods and tourism depends on clean, healthy watersheds.
That is why proper watershed protection is necessary.

o The three main components in watershed management are land

management, water management and biomass management. Land
characteristics like terrain, slope, formation, depth, texture, moisture,
infiltration rate and soil capability are the major determinants of land
management activities in a watershed.

o Watershed Functions

 There are three processes within a watershed that can protect water
quality if pre- served: water capture, water storage, and water release.
o Main purpose of a watershed?
 A watershed – the land area that drains to a stream, lake or river
– affects the water quality in the water body that it surrounds.
Healthy watersheds not only help protect water quality, but also
 provide greater benefits than degraded watersheds to the people
and wildlife that live there.
o Characteristics of watershed?




 Watersheds can be classified using any measurable characteristics in the
area like- size, shape, location, ground water exploitation, and land
use.

o Objectives of Watershed Management

 provision and securing of access to sanitation; improvement and
restoration of soil quality and thus, raising productivity rates;
reducing the impact of natural hazards (especially in the context of
climate change)
 to protect, conserve and improve the land of watershed for more
efficient and sustained production.
 To protect and enhance the water resource originating in the
watershed.
 To check soil erosion and to reduce the effect of sediment yield on
the watershed
 To rehabilitate deteriorating lands
 To moderate the floods peak at downstream areas
 To increase infiltration of rainwater
 To improve and increase the production of timbers, fodder and
wildlife resource
 To enhance the groundwater recharge, whenever applicable
 To reduce the occurrence of floods and the resultant damage by
adopting strategies for food management.
 To provide standard quality of water by encouraging vegetation and
waste disposal facilities.
 Why do we need to protect our watersheds?
 Earth is covered in 70% water and unfortunately 40-50% of our nation’s
water are impaired or threatened. “Impaired” means that the water body
does not support one or more of its intended uses. These could mean
 that the water is not suitable to drink, swim in or to consume the fish
that was caught there.

o The leading causes of pollution in our waterways are:

 Sediments
 Bacteria (such as e. coli)
 Excess nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus)

o Agencies involved in collecting hydrologic data:

 World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
 PAG ASA

o Problems of watershed management:

 Watershed Management issues can be grouped as:
 Natural Resources – includes invasive species and endangered
species.
 Flood and Erosion Control – without adequately addressing flood
hazards, significant damage can occur and has occurred in the
past. Erosion also contributes to the flooding issues by
undermining properties located along the creek banks.
 Land Use – zoning and development can have significant effects
on the watershed.
 Pollution Prevention – attempts to preserve and restore the
natural resources of the creek will require additional pollution-
prevention measures.
 Social Issues – Besides the various political jurisdictions, there is a
wide array of citizens who have specific values and views about
natural resources.
 Public Education and Involvement – any management initiative
will require active support by the general public if the watershed
is to be managed successfully.
One of a series of issues facing the watershed is pollution, a major
threat to the water quality and habitat of the creek. Pollutants
such as garbage, oil, manure from horse stables, and silt from
agriculture and construction.

 Reference/Source:
Water Quality Control Handbook, 2nd Edition
By: E. Roberts Alley, P. E., Copyright 2007
www.dep.wv.gpv/wwe/watershed/Pages/watershed_management.aspx
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watershed_management
nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamrica/unitestates/Indiana/journeywithnature/
watersheds-101.xml