5.6 WHAT IS THERMAL POLLUTION?

Thermal pollution can be defined

presence of waste heat in the
as
water which can cause undesirable changes in the natural
environment.

What are the Causes of Thermal Pollution?

Heat producing industries i.e., thermal power plants, nuciear power
plants, refineries, steel mills etc. are the major sources of therma
pollution. Power plants utilize only 1/3 of the energy provided by toss
uels for their operations. Remaining 2/3 is generally lost in the formn
Cold water, generally, 1s drawn
0 heat to the water used for cooling.
the plant and returned
On
some nearby water-body, passed through
L e same water body, with temperature 10-16
Chigher than the niai
such waterbodies Causes tihera
eperature. Excess of heat reaching

pollution of water.
Pollution?
h a t are the Effects of Thermal
water 1s decrease as the
content of
T h e dissolved oxygen

is decreased at high tempCrature

t i i t y of oxvgen in water
penetaton
becomes a barrier tO OXYgeR
temperature
igh
ito deep cold waler chemicals inthe eftluents
detergents and
)ToXiCity of pesticides,
temperatur
Cases with increase in
 (w) The composition of flora and fauna changes because tha
the s
sensitive to increased temperature due to thermal shoct.le
replaced by temperature tolerant species.
(Metabolic activities of aquatiC organisms increase at k
temperature and require more oxygen, whereas oxygen level1fall
falls under high
thermal pollution.
(v7) Discharge of heated water near the shores can disturb sna.
and can even kill young fishes. spawning
(vi) Fish migration is affected due to formation of various thermal
zOnes.
rmal
How can we Control Thermal Pollution?
The following methods be employed for control
can
of thermal
pollution:
) Cooling ponds, (i) Spray ponds,
(i) Cooling towers
() Cooling ponds: Water from condensers is stored in ponds
where natural
evaporation cools the water which can then berecirculated
ordischarged in nearby water body (Fig. 5.8).

Condenser

Cooling pond

(a)

Condenser

Cooling pond

River

(b)
Fig. 5.8 Dissipation of heat by cooling ponds.
 Lnvironmental Pollutiun 199
(i) Spray ponds: The water from
Here the water is sprayed condensers is received in
through nozzles where fine spray
Parmed. Heat from these fine droplets is droplets
dissipated to the atmosphere
(Fig.5.9).

Condenser
AAAAM& Sprayer

ondenser
AAAAMA Sprayer

River

Fig. 5.9 Dissipation of heat by spray ponds

(ii) Cooling towers:

baftles. Cool
water is sprayed over
(a) Wet cooling tower: Hot heat and cools the
sides takes away the
air entering from or discharged. Large
water can be recycled
This cool in the
water. evaporation and
is lost through
fog is formed which
of water
amount
extensive
tower
cooling c a u s e s da mmage
to
VICinity of wet environment
and
for
1S n o t good

vegetation (Fig. 5. 10). ot pipes.

water
flows in a system
tower: The heated tans. There
is no wate
D) Dry cooling with
over
these hot pipes operation
cost of
passed and
A i r is installation

method but than wet cooling

loss in this times higher
tower is many

dry cooling
tower (Fig. 5.10).
200 Chapler 5

Water air
and steam

Hot
water

Cool
air inlet

Cool-
water

Wet cooling tower

Warm air

Hot water

Cool water/

Cool
air inlet
Fan

Dry cooling tower

Fig. 5.10 Cooling towers: wet and dry.

5.7 WHAT IS MARINE POLLUTION?

ents,
Pollution of oceans caused by sewage sludge, industrial e vaste

metals ar
detergents, agrochemicals, solid wastes, plastics,
heat is called
marine polution.
What are the
Environmental Pollution 201
Causes of Marine
he main
Th sources of marine Pollution?
nollutants from their drainage
pollutants pollution are ()
rivers, which bring
uhere human settlements in basins, (in) Catchment
the form of area i.e. coastline
practices
nractices hav
have been hotels,
established, and (ii) oil industry, agricultu al
Most of the rivers drilling and shipment.
ultimately
these rivers carry from their join the ocean. The
drainage basins are pollutants which
sea These include sewage finally poured into the
sludge,
detergents, agrochemicals, solid wastes, industrial effluents, synthetic
released by industries as discussed earlier. plastics, metals and waste heat
In the sea the
pollutants get diluted and the organic matter is
broken down as occurs in river water. further
Still many
the recalcitrant ones remain pollutants specially
unchanged
marine pollution. These pollutants get
or are
partially degraded causing
and other marine life. Another biomagnified and affect fisheries
the leaking toxic
important source of marine pollution is
substances, radioactive wastes etc. which are stored in
large containers and dumped in deep sea
disposal site than land.
considering sea to be a better
Tankers and other shipping means, industries
(petroleum, refinery,
lubricating oil using industry, metal industry, paint industry), automotive
wastes, ship-accidents and off-shore production add to marine pollution.
Tankers transporting oil contribute to oil pollution significantly. After
delivering the oil through sea-route, earlier empty tankers used to be
filled with water called ballast-water to maintain balance. The ballast-
water containing residual oil from tankers was released into the sea on
Completion of return journey. Now-a-days the oil floating on the ballast
water is removed in the newly designed load-on-top-tankers' before
ballast-water is let-off
Oil in sea water can spread over a large area of the sea, remain
aispersed or get adsorbed on sediments. It can cause adverse etfects on
marine life.
Pollution?
wnat are the Effects of Marine
flora and fauna. Phytoplankton,
Oin the water affects sensitive
sea
invertebrates, coral reefs,
various species of
00plankton, algal species, oil pollution. Fishes show
and mammals are alfected by
USn, birds with oil after the slimy
because the fish gills get laden
nortality (death) the insulating capacity of
feathers.
Oil disrupts
nucus of gills is affected. subsequent drowning of
buoyancy and
c a t h Occurs due to loss of
 Chapter
202
n e a r Alaska
in 1989 ccaused
aused
amage to
tanker
from oil
birds. Lcakage about 390 thousand hird.and birds. Some
resulted in death of 0me
coral reefs and
mortality due to oil have been
been re
reported
incidents of bird at
important thousand birds died due to more
where 20 220
Brittany, France Germany 500 thousa.
in 1978. At Elbe,
tonnes of oil spillage
the 1991 Gulf War 200 million gallone
died in 1955. During affected the marine
ne ecosystem
ee.

in the Persian Gulf badly

spillspread
control marine
pollution?
How c a n we

from industries and sewage treatment nlan.

ants
() Toxic pollutants waters.
should not be discharged
in coastal
sources should be prevented to reach
(i) Run off from non-point
Coastal areas.

should be prevented by having separate sewer

(i1) Sewer overflows
and rain water pipes.
hazardous wastes and sewage sludgeshould
(iv) Dumping of toxic,
be banned.
activities on coastal areas should beminimized.
(v) Developmental
from service stations should be processed tor
(vi) Oil and grease

Teuse.

(vit) Oil ballast should not be dumped intosea.

should be protected by not
(viil) Ecologically sensitive coastal
areas

allowing drilling.