Water Pollutants and their

Sources
 River and Lake Pollutants
• Sewage, manure
 nitrogen, phosphorus
 pathogenic organisms
 biodegradable chemicals – consume O2
• Fertilizers
 nitrogen, phosphorus
• Pesticides, oil
• Toxic chemicals
• Sediments
 Effects of Pollutants
• Oxygen depletion • Accumulation in
– septic conditions sediments (benthic
– change in biota organisms)
– destruction of – more turbid
certain species waters
• Biomagnification – loss of habitats
– Restrictions on – clog fish gills
fish
– change in biota
consumption
• Foaming
 Point sources
• Wastes that are collected in pipes or
channels and discharged to a surface water
with or without treatment
• Distinguished by source
– municipal sewage or wastewater
– industrial waste waters
– combined sewers and combined sewer
overflows
 Non-point sources
• Storm water runoff discharged at multiple
points
• Varies substantially with use of the land
runoff originates from
– agricultural
– urban
– suburban
– commercial
– special (e.g. golf courses)
• Minimal regulation
Oxygen-Demanding Material

• When organic substances are broken down

in water, oxygen is consumed
organic C + O2 → CO2
• High oxygen levels necessary for healthy
stream ecology
– trout require 5-8 mg/L dissolved
oxygen (DO)
– carp require 3 mg/L DO
– aesthetic problem <1 mg/L
 Oxygen-Demanding Material
• Pollutants measured by oxygen demand potential
or total organic content
– biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
– chemical oxygen demand (COD)
– total organic carbon (TOC)
• Sources
– municipal sewage -- agricultural wastes
– storm water -- leachate
– industrial wastes (e.g. pulp and paper, food
processing, chemical processing)
 Nutrients
• Phosphorus is typically the limiting nutrient in
lakes, and algae growth is linked to
phosphorus inputs
• Problems
– aesthetics
– taste and odor in drinking water
– can be toxic, especially to farm animals
– Disturbance in DO cycles
 Nutrients
• Phosphorous Sources
– fertilizers
– detergents
• Phosphorous can exist in a variety of
chemical forms, so total P in normally
measured
 Nutrients
• Nitrogen is often the limiting nutrient in
ocean waters and some streams
• Nitrogen can exist in numerous forms, but
nitrate (NO3-), nitrite (NO2-), ammonia
(NH3) are most commonly measured
• Sources are primarily from fertilizers and
acid deposition
 Salts

• Dissolved solids, or salts, may be present as

any number of ions
– cations: Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+
– anions: Cl-, SO42-, HCO3-
• Typically measures as total dissolved solids
(TDS)
• Water classification
– freshwater <1500 mg/L TDS
– brackish water 1500 – 5000 mg/L
– saline water >5000 mg/L
– sea water 30-34 g/L
 Salts

• Sources and concentration influences

– minerals
– evaporative losses
– irrigation
– industrial discharges
– sea water intrusion
• Effects
– limits use for drinking
– crop damage/soil poisoning
 Suspended Solids
• Organic and inorganic particles in water are
termed suspended solids
• May be distinguished from colloids,
particles that do not settle readily
• Measured by filtering a water sample,
drying and weighing the filter
 Suspended Solids
• Problems
– sedimentation
– may exert oxygen demand
– primary transport mechanism for many
metals, organics and pathogens
– aesthetic
– complicates drinking water treatment
• Sources
– storm water
– wastes
– erosion
 Pathogenic Organisms
• Many organisms that cause human or
animal diseases colonize the intestinal tract
but can live for a period of time outside the
body
• Carriers (who may or may not exhibit
disease symptoms) excrete these intestinal
tract organisms in very large numbers
• When water is contaminated by excreta, the
organisms can be transmitted to those who
contact the water
Pathogenic Organisms
Pathogenic Organisms
 Toxic and Hazardous
Substances
• Heavy metals • Volatile organic
• Other inorganic compounds
elements • Petroleum Additives
• Acids/bases • Pesticides
• Oxidants/reductants
• Chlorination by-
products
• Combustion by-
products
Volatile Organic Compounds
• Petroleum constituents:
– benzene and substituted benzenes
CH3 CH2CH3 CH3

CH3
Benzene Toluene Ethylbenzene m-Xylene
– prevalent in gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil
– most easily transported, slow degradation,
toxic
Volatile Organic Compounds

• Oxygenated gasoline additives

CH3
CH3 C O CH3 Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE)
CH3
– added to gasoline to improve air quality
– very soluble, resistant to degradation,
toxic
– attempt to solve one problem caused
another (spills)
 Volatile Organic Compounds
• Chlorinated solvents
– C1 and C2 aliphatic
Cl Cl Cl H Cl H
Cl C Cl H C Cl Cl C C H C C
Cl Cl Cl H H H

carbon tetrachloride chloroform 1,1,1-trichloroethane vinyl chloride

– widely used in degreasing, dry cleaning,
extraction
– somewhat soluble, volatile, difficult to
degrade
 Hydrophobic Organics/
Chlorinated Aromatics
• Chlorinated Pesticides
• Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs)
Cl O Cl

Cl O Cl
2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)

• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Cl

Cl

Cl
Biphenyl 2,3',4-trichlorobiphenyl
 Some Other Categories
• Trihalomethanes
• Explosives and Propellants
• Phenolics
• Aldehydes
• Organometallics
• Asbestos
 Arsenic
• Occurs naturally in rock and soil
• Released to groundwater under some
conditions
• Health effects include skin cancer, nervous
system effects, and kidney disease
• Major problem in Bangladesh