WATER POLLUTION

MODULE :4

Muhammad Farhan Arooj

 WHAT IS WATER POLLUTION?

Any chemical, biological,

or physical change in water
quality that has a harmful
effect on living organisms
or makes water unsuitable
for desired usage.
 WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF WATER
POLLUTION?
 Point Sources
 Can be traced back to one
particular origin
 Industrial Plants (Power,
Chemical, Waste Treatment)
 Drain pipes, Sewer Lines,

Underground Mines
 Nonpoint Sources
 Tend to be widespread with
many regions contributing to
the water pollution.
 Agricultural Runoff
 Stormwater Runoff (Roads and

Parking Lots)
POINT SOURCE OF POLLUTED WATER
NONPOINT SOURCES

Buffer Zones Near Streams

POLLUTION OF LAKES
EUTROPHICATION OF LAKES

Nutrient enrichment of lakes

mostly from runoff of plant
nutrients (nitrates and phosphates)

 During hot dry weather can lead to

algae blooms
 Decrease of photosynthesis
 Dying plants then drops DO levels
 Fish kills, bad odor
EUTROPHICATION IN LAKES

Solutions:
 Advanced sewage treatment
(N, P)
 Household detergents
 Soil conservation
 Remove excess weed build up
 Pump in oxygen or freshwater
 DO LEVELS

Water Quality DO (ppm) at 20°C

Good 8–9

Slightly
polluted 6.7–8

Moderately
polluted 4.5–6.7

Heavily
polluted 4–4.5

Gravely
polluted Below 4
SOLUTIONS: PREVENTING AND
REDUCING SURFACE WATER POLLUTION

Non-Point
Non-Point Sources
Sources Point
Point Sources
Sources


Reduce
Reduce runoff
runoff

 Clean
Clean Water
Water Act
Act

 Buffer
Buffer zone
zone
vegetation
vegetation 
 Water
Water Quality
Quality Act
Act


 Reduce
Reduce soil
soil erosion
erosion

 Only apply pesticides and fertilizers as needed

 Use of Palletized Organic Fertilizer.
 DICHLORO DIPHENYL
TRICHLOROETHANE

 Very hydrophobic molecule which acts by

interfering with ion transport systems in
neuronal cell membrane
 „ Inhibits neurotransmission → kills animals at
certain dose
 „ DDT (introduced in 1950s) is not species
specific in its effects
 „ DDT and related insecticides, endrin,
dieldrin and aldrin are called
ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDES
 „ DDT revolutionised farming practices

 „ DDT was developed by Swiss entomologist

– Paul MÜller
 „ Nobel Prize in 1948!

 „ Banned in the mid-1960s in most developed

countries
MERCURY POISONING (MINAMATA BAY-
1960)

POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYL & PBB

Biomagnifications of PCBs in an aquatic food chain
from the Great Lakes.
MICROORGANISMS

 Virus: obligate parasites, 0.01 and 0.03 μm

 Bacteria: single cell (spherical, rod shaped or spiral) 0.1 to 15 μm-
pipe)
 Protozoa: unicellular, nonphotsynthetic, aerobic ; 2-200μm
 Fungi & molds: aerobic single/multicellular heterotrophic (sugar, fats,
protein, carbohydrate source), saprophytes mostly; few μm to cm
 Algae: autotrophic (use CO2 carbon source), photosynthetic; 1μm-
metre
COMMON WATER BORNE DISEASES
CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION
Category Example Sources
Causes health problems
Infectious agents Bacteria, virus, worms Human, animal waste
Organic chemicals Pesticide, plastic, Industrial household farm
detergents, oils use
Inorganic chemicals Acids, caustic salts, metals Industrial effluent,
household cleaners, runoff

Cause ecosystem disruption

Sediments Soil, silt Land erosion
Plant nutrients NO3,PO4,NH4 Agriculture fertilizers,
sewage, sludge
Oxygen demanding wastes Animal human faeces, Sewage, agriculture
plant residues runoff, paper mill
industrial waste
Thermal Heat Power plant, cooling water
 WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
MEASURES

 Pollution prevention approaches - Cleaner technologies

“diverse range of products, services, and processes that harness renewable materials
and energy sources, dramatically reduce the use of natural resources, and cut or
eliminate emissions and wastes”
 Good housekeeping-

Water conservation Oil grease

traps
 Reuse/recover materials

(Cr recovery, sewage irrigation)

 Organic fertilizers
 Less pesticide(IPM)
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL

 Treat wastewater –physical ,chemical, biological treatments

 Pollution control legislation

 Pakistan environmental quality act (1997)
 National environmental quality standards (NEQS)
 Pollution charges

 Enhance public awareness

PAKISTAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT (1997)

 Act No. XXXIV of 1997

An Act to provide for the protection, conservation,
rehabilitation and improvement of the
environment, for the prevention and control of pollution, and
promotion of sustainable
development.
 Assignment:
To explore Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997 from
the internet/library and rewrite the clauses of this law in your
own words.