CHAPTER – II

WATER POLLUTION

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 Water is essential for the survival of any form of life. All

biochemical reactions in the biological systems take place in water

medium. In addition to various domestic purposes, water is required

for irrigation, shipping, sanitation, power generation and industries.

Water with its unique properties is a gift of nature. Water is

abundant on our globe. Out of the estimated 1,011 million Km3 of

the total water present on earth, only 33,400m3 of water is available

for drinking, agriculture, domestic and industrial consumption. The

rest of the water is locked up in oceans as salt water, polar ice –

caps and glaciers and in under grounds.

On an average a human being consumes about 2 liters of

water every day. It is estimated that 97% of the rainfall is used for

agriculture, 3% for domestic use and 1% for industrial activity. With

exploding population resulting in urbanization, industrialization

agriculture etc., the demands of water supply have been increasing

tremendously. These will lead to the generation of large volume of

waste water. Indiscriminate discharge of such waste water into

natural water resources to such an extent, the water would become

unfit for further use.

The stupendous increase in world‟s population resulting in

spurt in urbanization, industrialization, agriculture etc. has put

tremendous pressure on the limited fresh water resources there by

threatening the fresh water bodies with pollution.

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Ground Water Resources:

In nature water has a cyclic flow known as hydrological cycle.

Water evaporates from the sea, due to solar radiation and forms

clouds. Rain fall is precipitated from the clouds. A part soaks into

the ground, joining the ground water, which is also slowly flowing

into the sea.

The soil system has voids or pores which can be filled up with

water. Aquifer is a soil bed in which flows through the voids. The

void volume will be about 40 percent of the soil bulk volume. Thus

one cubic meter of the soil can store 400 liters of ground water. The

aquifer may have a limited thickness and also maybe partially

saturated, if the voids contain air as well as water.

The storage capacity of ground water reservoirs combined with

small flow rates provide large extensively distributed sources of

water

supply. Water pumped from well represents the sole water source in

many regions during much of every year. Practically all ground

water originates as surface water. Artificial recharge occurs from

excess irrigation, seepage from canals and water purposely applied

to augment ground water suppliers.

Water within the ground moves downward through the

unsaturated zone under the action of gravity, where as in the

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saturated zone it moves in a direction determined by the

surrounding hydraulic situation. Discharge of ground water occurs

when water emerges from underground. Most natural discharge

occurs as flow into surface water bodies, such as streams, lakes and

oceans flow to the surface appears as a spring. Ground water near

the surface may return directly to the atmosphere by evaporation

from within the soil and by transpiration from vegetation. Pump age

from wells constitutes the major artificial discharge of ground water.

Quality of ground water:

Generally ground water are free from pollution, contain salts

essential for health available all over the world. The ground water

normally moves very slowly. This results in a slow rate change in

water quality parameters.

Ground water is clear and colorless but when water seeps

down the ground, it dissolves inorganic salts. Thus this water is

harmful than surface water of the area in which it occurs. Ground

water is free from bacteria and other living organism because they

are filtered out while percolating through the sub soil.

The type and concentration of salts depend upon the

environment, movement and source of the ground water. The

concentrations of salts depend upon the environment, movement

42
and source of the ground water. The concentrations of dissolved

constituents are found to be higher than the surface waters1.

Soluble salts in ground water originate primarily from solution

of rock materials2. Ground water absorbs gases (Hydrogen sulphide,

methane and carbon dioxide) of decomposition and degradable

organic matter within the pores of the soil through which they

percolate. In the ground rich in organic matter oxygen is removed

from ground water and carbon dioxide is added, which assists the

solvent action of water as it moves undeground3. Calcium and

magnesium carbonates, sulphates and chlorides enter the water

and increase its hardness. Iron and manganese too, may be

rendered soluble. The silicate minerals of igneous rocks result in

silica being added to the ground water. Bicarbonate ion in ground

water derived from carbon dioxide released by organic

decomposition in the soil. Salinity varies with specific surface area of

aquifer materials, solubility of minerals and contact time. Salinity

increases with depth.

The quality and type of mineral matter dissolved depend on

the chemical composition and physical structure of rocks as well as

pH and redox potential of the water3. Carbon dioxide in solution

derived from the atmosphere and from organic processes in the soil,

assists the solvent action of water as it moves unerground4.

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Ground Water Pollution:

With beginning of life in earth there was no pollution. Nature

was in perfect balance. Problem of pollution started with civilization

of man5. Man has polluted much of this limited quantity of water

with sewage, industrial wastes and wide array of synthetic

chemicals. Moreover the rain fall on its own way down to the earth,

brings down the air pollutants by either dissolving the soluble

chemicals or by physically bringing down the particulate

contaminants. These pollutants affect man directly or indirectly by

endangering his health, harming his living resources and

ecosystems or by interfering with legitimate uses of the environment.

As a result of investigations conducted recently, nearly 70% of our

water resources are polluted about 15,000 plant species and 75,000

animal species are on the verge of the extinction6.

The wide spread practice of dumping raw sewage in shallow

soak pits has made apprehension of pollution of ground water in

many cities7. It attributes in the rise of cholera, hepatitis, dysentery

and other water-borne diseases to the pollution of ground water

especially in the zones where the water table is high.

Decomposition of organic wastes by bacteria and fungi result

in severe depletion in the level of dissolved oxygen (DO) in water

which may be harmful to the aquatic plants and animals specially

44
fishes. Various gases are evolved as by product during the process of

decomposition of organic matter (eg., H2S, CH4 etc.) which give

unpleasant taste and odor to the waste making it unfit for use.

Industrial effluents discharged into the aquatic system change

the physico chemical properties of water such as hardness,

conductivity, pH value, turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), total

suspended solids (TSS), Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and

Dissolved oxygen (DO) there by affecting the aquatic flora and fauna.

Industrial effluents generally contain heavy metals which have

more disastrous and long lasting adverse effects on human health.

Most of the heavy metals8 show the phenomenon of

„Bioaccumulation‟ and are gradually transferred from one tropic level

to another in the ecosystem.

Fertilizers and biocides both affect the plant and animals

adversely, if they are present in excess amount. Phosphate and

nitrate fertilizers are responsible for the degradation of water quality

and make it unfit for human consumption.

Pesticide poisoning is reported to cause hyper sensitivity

muscular disorders, respiratory troubles, convulsion nausea and

vomiting and diarrhea in human beings.

Bio-accumulation of radio isotopes (Cs137 and Sr90) in

muscles and bones damage the tissues and accumulation of

45
radioactive iodine in the thyroid glands is known to disrupt its

functioning.

One potential pollutant arises in petroleum drilling where

brine gets discharged along with crude oil when the latter is pumped

to the surface. In some places the brines have proved valuables

sources of important minerals and elements such as Bromine,

Iodine and Magnesium.

Chlorides in natural waters can be attributed to leaching of

chloride containing rock and soils discharge of industrial effluents

contamination from refuse leachates and sea water intrusion in

coastal regions. Each of these sources may result in local

contamination of both surface and ground water. Also it has been

estimated that about 25% of the irrigated land of the world is now

affected to some degree by water salinity9.

To ensure safe water for drinking in urban and rural areas, a

multi faced and comprehensive approach is necessary. The co-

operation of government, engineers, teachers, health staff, industrial

management, social workers and voluntary organizations and the

people is needed to preserve drinking water quality in our towns and

villages.

The origin and effects of some important constituents of both

natural and anthropogenic nature in potables waters10 are provided

in Table-I.

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 Table 1
Effects of impurities in water
S.No. Parameter Effect
1. colour Consumer acceptance decreases
2. Turbidity Consumer acceptance decreases
3. pH Effects mucous membrane and corrosion
Of water supply system
4. Dissolved Potability decreases and may cause
Solids gastro intestinal irritation
5. Total Hardness and Encrustation in water supply structure
Calcium or Magnesium adverse effects on domestic use
6. Copper Astringent taste, discolouration and
Corrosion of pipes, fittings and utensils
7. Iron & Manganese Taste and appearance affected have
adverse Effect on domestic uses and
water supply Structures and promote
specific bacteria
8. Chloride Taste, corrosion and potability effected
9. Sulphate Gastro intestinal irritation when Mg &
Na are present
10. Nitrate Methemoglobinemia or Bluebaby
11. Fluoride Low level causes dental carries and high
Level causes dental and skeletal fluorosis
12. Phenolic compounds Objectionable taste and odour
13. Mercury, cadmium Toxic
Selenium, Arsenic
Lead& pesticides
14. Zinc Astringent taste and an opalescence
In water
15. Anionic detergent Causes frothing in water
16. Chromium and Carcinogenic
Poly nuclear hydrocarbons

47
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3) Him J.D. „study and Interpretation of the chemical

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substances in the environment polluted by textile effluents‟

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