ENV 107

Introduction to
Environmental Science

Water Pollution

North South University

 Water
• Water is life. Plants, animals and humans all depend on
this invaluable natural resource for life.
• Water is used in moving waste, cleaning and sanitation,
manufacturing, construction and farming.
• Almost every human activity you can think of involves
some use of water.
• A renewable resource, A unique liquid
• Plays an important role in biosphere
• Growing global water shortage- crisis leads to various
health, economic, social, cultural and political problems;
also affects food supply
 Global Water Availability

Roughly around 1% ( or less then 1%) of the global water is

available for effective human use
 Global water use Bangladesh
Domestic = 8% 12%
2%
Industry= 23%
86%
Agriculture=69%
 Typical domestic water use
• Survival = 1.3 gallons (5 liters) per day
• Drinking, cooking, bathing, and sanitation = 13 gallons (50
liters). Socio-economic condition is an important factor.
– United States = 65 to 78 gallons (250 to 300 liters) (Includes yard watering)
– Netherlands = 27 gallons (104 liters)
– Somalia = 2.3 gallons (8.9 liters)

 100-600L/person/day (high-
income)
 50-100L/person/day (low-
income)
 10-40L/person/day (water
scarce)
 Water Pollution
• U.S. Department of Health Education and Welfare: "The
adding to water of any substance, or the changing of
water's physical and chemical characteristics in any way
which interferes with its use of legitimate purposes“
• For centuries water has been used as a dumping ground for
human sewage and industrial wastes
• Added to them are materials leached out and transported
from land by water percolating through the soil and
running off its surface to aquatic ecosystems
• Thus water pollution refers to Water contamination by a
variety of chemical substances
 Pollution Sources
• Point sources are direct discharges to a single point;
• Examples include discharges from sewage treatment

plants, injection wells, and some industrial sources.

• Non-point sources are diffused across a broad area and
their contamination cannot be traced to a single discharge
point.
• Examples include runoff of excess fertilizers,

herbicides, and insecticides from agricultural lands and

residential areas; oil, grease, and toxic chemicals from
urban runoff and energy production.
Point and Nonpoint Sources
 Point Sources
 Single large source
 Can localize it to one spot
 Industrial Plants
- Sewage pipes
 Non-point Sources
 Diffuse source or many smaller point sources
 Automobiles
 Fertilizer on fields
 Water Quality Parameters
• Water quality parameter
– Physical
• Suspended solid (SS), color, taste, smell, temp.
– Chemical
• Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
• Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) & Chemical
Oxygen Demand (COD)
• pH
• Electrical Conductivity (EC)
• Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
– Biological
• Bacteria, virus, protozoa, helminthes.
 Major categories of Water Pollutants
Infectious agents – Disease causing agents or pathogens, e.g. bacteria, viruses,
protozoa, parasites; these come from raw sewage and animal waste
Oxygen-demanding wastes – Sewage, animal manure or biodegradable
organic wastes, which can be decomposed by aerobic bacteria; cause a
reduction in dissolved oxygen (DO); suffocating for oxygen-consuming
organisms (e.g. fish and submerged plants). Measured by biological oxygen
demand (BOD)
Water soluble inorganic chemicals –Water-soluble inorganic chemicals,
including acids, salts, and metals; at higher concentrations, they make water
unfit to consume and use for irrigation; also can harm organisms and cause
material corrosion
Organic chemicals – Include oil, gasoline, plastics, pesticides, solvents,
detergents; present health risks to humans and other organisms.
 Major categories of Water Pollutants
Nutrients – For instance, nitrates, phosphates, ammonium mostly
originated mostly from fertilizer and sewage; cause algal bloom that
lower oxygen levels when they decompose leading to
eutrophication (discussed in lectures on Ecology and Agriculture).
Sediment – Include mud, silt, sand; disrupt photosynthesis and
transports large amounts of adsorbed pollutants, which cause harm
to aquatic animals. (discussed in lectures on Ecology and
Agriculture).
Radioactive materials –Include radium, uranium, polonium; may come
either from natural or anthropogenic sources, e.g. mine drainage or
runoff, nuclear power plant leakage
Heat – From cooling water for power plants and other industrial
exotherimic plants; lowers solubility of oxygen in water and thus
affect aquatic lives directly
 Domestic Water Pollution
• Domestic water pollution is mainly caused by sewage
– Sewage: waterborne waste derived from home, animal or
food processing plants and includes human excreta, soaps,
organic materials, solids, waste food, oil detergents, paper
and cloth
• Largest group of water pollutants
– Domestic sewage contributes to the largest amount of
waste
• Water pollution is caused by uncontrolled dumping of
waste
 Domestic Water Pollution
• Impacts of water pollution from sewage:
• Depletion of Oxygen Contents
• Promotion of Algal Growth
• Spread of Infections/Diseases
• Presence of Escherichia coli in water indicates the degree
of water pollution as describe below -
• Heavily polluted 10,000 / L
• Polluted 1,000/ L
• Slightly polluted 100 / L
• Satisfactory 10/ L
• Drinking water 3/L
 Industrial Water Pollution
• Caused by the discharge of industrial effluents into water
bodies
• These effluents contain a wide variety of inorganic and
organic substances
– i.e. oils, greases, plastics, plasticizers, methylic wastes,
suspended solids, phenols, pesticides, heavy metals and
acids
• Major industries of the country are located on or near
the coastline or riversides
 Industrial Water Pollution
Impacts of water pollution from industrial waste discharge:
• 1) Organic substances deplete the oxygen content
• 2) Inorganic substances render the water unfit for drinking
and other purposes
• 3) Acids and alkalis adversely effect the growth of fish and
other aquatic organisms
• 4) Dye change the color of water and affect the aquatic life
• 5) Toxic substances cause serious damage to flora and fauna
• 6) Oil and other greasy substances interfere with the self
purification mechanism of water
 Agricultural Water Pollution
• Water pollution can be caused by agricultural wastes i.e.
fertilizers, pesticides, soil additives and animal wastes
that are washed off from the land to the aquatic system
through irrigation, rainfall and leaching
• Fertilizers and pesticides are non-biodegradable
• They can enter the food chain (Bio-accumulation)
• They can find entry into drinking water supplies
• They can cause eutrophication in the water bodies, thus
reduce dissolve oxygen level.
 Thermal Pollution
• An increase in the optimum water temperature by
industrial processes steel factories, electric and atomic
power plants
• Water applied to cool generators. This hot water is
released into a water body
• Many organisms are killed instantly by the hot water,
resulting into a high mortality
• May bring other disturbances in the ecosystem
– Eggs of fish may hatch early or fail to hatch at all
– May lead to unplanned migration of aquatic animals
 Radio Active Waste
• Nuclear waste is produced from industrial, medical and
scientific processes that use radioactive material.
Nuclear waste can have detrimental effects on marine
habitats.
Nuclear waste comes from a number of sources:
• Operations conducted by nuclear power stations
produce radioactive waste.
• Nuclear-fuel reprocessing plants in northern Europe are
the biggest sources of man-made nuclear waste in the
surrounding ocean.
• Radioactive traces from these plants have been found
as far away as Greenland.
• Mining and refining of uranium and thorium are also
causes of marine nuclear waste.
 Oil Pollution
• 15 million water crafts on navigable waters throughout
the world. Thus oil pollution happens not only from
sensational major spills from ships and offshore drilling
rigs but also from small spills and cleaning operations
• Impacts:
– An oil layer floating on the ocean surface can reduce
photosynthesis rate of marine plankton and respiration of
marine animals
– Death of birds from oil spills
• Acute effects of oil spills are more serious than chronic
effects
 Groundwater Pollution
• Groundwater in fact may easily be polluted by any one of
the following sources:
– Landfills
– Disposal wells
– Waste disposal sites for hazardous chemicals
– Mining
– Buried product storage tanks and pipelines
– Naturally occurring elements in the Earth’s crust e.g.
Arsenic
 Arsenic Contamination

• Arsenic was first detected in the

Bengal basin in the late 1980’s
• More than 28 million people in the
region have been drinking water with
concentrations of arsenic higher than
50 µg 1-1.
• A total of 61 surveyed districts out of
total 64 has been found to be
contaminated, this is 80% of the total
area of Bangladesh
• The incident of Arsenic in Bangladesh
has been described as the worst case
of mass poisoning in history
 Preventing and Reducing
Surface Water Pollution

Non Point Source Point Source

• Reduce Runoff • Clean Water Act

• Buffer Zone Vegetation • Water Quality Act

• Reduce Soil Erosion

Water Pollution Prevention
Water Pollution Prevention
 Water Scarcity
• The absence of (lack of) water, or inadequate safe water
in any geographic area for human, animal and
environmental use.
• Economic water scarcity: very little resources (money and
ability) to bring it home, and makes it very expensive.
• Physical scarcity: means there is no water at all (or just
not enough).
Water stress 
• water stress is the result of scarcity, in the sense that the
demand for water far exceeds the available amount. This
causes deterioration of fresh water and results in drought.
 Effects of Water Scarcity
Health
• People are forced to drink low quality water from flowing
streams, many of which are contaminated; cause water-borne
disease that people die of
• Less water also means sewage does not flow, and mosquitoes
are other insects breed on still (stagnant) dirty water. The result
is the deadly malaria and other infections.
• Lack of water or quality water causes huge sanitation issues.
Clinics, local restaurants, public places of convenience and many
other places are forced to use very little water for cleaning. This
compromises the health of the staff and people who use the
facilities.
 Effects of Water Scarcity
• Hunger
• Experts say that globally we use 70% of our water
sources for agriculture and irrigation, and only 10% on
domestic uses.
• Less water means farming and other crops that need
water to grow have lower yield. It means farm animals
will die and others will not do well without water. 
• The result is constant hunger and thirst and low quality
of life.
 Effects of Water Scarcity
Education
• Many people in other parts of the world children (and teen
girls) have to be up at dawn to collect water for the family.
They have to walk for several miles to get water. The
children get tired and some have to miss school as a result.
Poverty
• Access to quality water is key to economic prosperity and
better living standards.
• Lack of water means no economic activities will happen
and the people will be in constant poverty.
 Water Conservation
• Water conservation: careful use and protection of water
resources
• Involves both the quantity of water used and its quality
• Conservation is an important component of sustainable
water use
• Can be done by
– Raising awareness to use water wisely
– Developing stewardship for better water conservation techniques
– Government incentives for individuals and industries to use water
saving techniques and practice water conservation measurements
– Establish/join pressure groups that prevent wasting water
 The goals of water conservation efforts
• Sustainability. To ensure availability for future generations,
the withdrawal of fresh water from an ecosystem should
not exceed its natural replacement rate.
• Energy conservation. Water pumping, delivery, and
wastewater treatment facilities consume a significant
amount of energy. In some regions of the world (for
example, California) over 15% of total electricity
consumption is devoted to water management.
• Habitat conservation. Minimizing human water use helps
to preserve fresh water habitats for local wildlife and
migrating waterfowl, as well as reducing the need to build
new dams and other water diversion infrastructure.
 Techniques of Water Conservation
Agriculture
• Pricing agricultural water to encourage conservation. Subsidizing
water will encourage overuse
• Use of lined or covered canals that reduce seepage and
evaporation
• Use of computer monitoring and schedule release of water for
maximum efficiency
• Integration of the use of surface water and groundwater to more
effectively use the total resource
• Irrigation at times when evaporation is minimal, such as at night
or in the early morning
• Use of improved irrigation systems, such as sprinklers or drip
irrigation, that more effectively apply water to crops
 Techniques of Water Conservation
Agriculture
• Improving land preparation for water application; to improve the
soil to increase infiltration and minimize runoff
• Encouraging the development of crops that require less water or
more salt tolerant so that less periodic flooding of irrigated land is
necessary to remove accumulated salts in the soil
• Water lawns and plants in early morning, late afternoon, or at night
to reduce evaporation
• Plant drought-resistant vegetation that requires less water
• In semi-arid regions, replacing lawns with decorative gravels and
native plants
• Use drip irrigation for garden plants
 Techniques of Water Conservation
Domestic
• Low-flow shower heads sometimes called energy-efficient
shower heads as they also use less energy
• Low-flush toilets and composting toilets. These have a
dramatic impact in the developed world, as conventional
Western toilets use large volumes of water
• Dual flush toilets created by C aroma includes two buttons or
handles to flush different levels of water. Dual flush toilets use
up to 67% less water than conventional toilets
• Faucet aerators, which break water flow into fine droplets to
maintain "wetting effectiveness" while using less water. An
additional benefit is that they reduce splashing while washing
hands and dishes
 Techniques of Water Conservation
• Waste water reuse or recycling systems, allowing:
• Reuse of graywater for flushing toilets or watering gardens
• Recycling of wastewater through purification at a water treatment plant.
• Rainwater harvesting
• High-efficiency clothes washers
• Weather-based irrigation controllers
• Garden hose nozzles that shut off water when it is not being used,
instead of letting a hose run.
• Low flow taps in wash basins
• Automatic faucet is a water conservation faucet that eliminates
water waste at the faucet. It automates the use of faucets without
the use of hands.
 Techniques of Water Conservation
Industry/Commercial Spaces
• Waterless urinals
• Waterless car washes
• Infrared or foot-operated taps, which can save water by using short
bursts of water for rinsing in a kitchen or bathroom
• Pressurized waterbrooms, which can be used instead of a hose to
clean sidewalks
• X-ray film processor re-circulation systems
• Cooling tower conductivity controllers
• Water-saving steam sterilizers, for use in hospitals and health care
facilities
• Rain water harvesting
• Water to Water heat exchangers.
 Virtual Water
Amount of water required (from cradle to grave)
to produce a unit amount of commodity (mostly
agricultural products).

The concept of virtual water emerged in the early

1990s and was first defined by Professor J.A.
Allan (University of London) as the water
embedded in commodities.
Alternative options for
potable/safe water
 Desalination as a Water Source
• Desalination- a technology for removing salt from water
and making it usable
• Several hundred plants around the world- fresh-water
resource
• Seawater about 3.5% salt- must be reduced to about
0.05%
• Desalinated water costs several times more than
traditional water supplies
• Price rises due to energy costs, cost of transport distance
moving  water from the plant etc
 Desalination as a Water Source
• Around 1% of global population depend on it
• Alternatives not always available, so desalination
industry has a very strong future despite high cost
• Saudi Arabia- largest producer of desalinated water in
the world with 27 plants producing 3.3 million m 3/day
• Jebel Ali, UAE– largest desalination plant on earth
– Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia under construction- can become
the largest
 Reclaimed Water
• Reclaimed water- treatment of wastewater to remove solids and
impurities for using in agriculture, to meet commercial and industrial
water needs, and even for drinking
• Wastewater sent from a home or business through a pipeline system to
a treatment facility, where it is treated to a level consistent with its
intended use. Treated water then routed directly to a reclaimed water
distribution system for use
• Most uses of reclaimed water are non potable
• New water for drinking and reclaimed for other purposes- dual piping
system to keep reclaimed water separate from potable water
• Israel- global leader in water reclamation with 120 wastewater
treatment plants. In 2010 about 400 million m3 of treated wastewater
was reused, primarily in agriculture- about 40% of water used in
agriculture
 Artificial Groundwater Recharge
• Process of moving water downward from surface to aquifers
• Done to increase groundwater levels in the aquifers
• Also useful to counteract seawater intrusion
• Process includes collecting runoff from monsoon rains in a
drainage basin and directing it into recharge ponds
• Treated wastewater can also be used
• Then water is sent to the aquifer through an injection well
• Groundwater is then pumped back up during summer through
extraction wells
• Cost effective
• Israel- extensive practice of artificial groundwater recharge