Note III

WATER POLLUTION
Overview
 Introduction
 Define of Pollution
 Types of Pollution

 Water Pollution
 Definition of water pollution
 Causes of water pollution
 effects water pollution
 Measures of control
 Definition of Pollution

 When Harmful Substances Contaminate

the environment it is Called Pollution.
 It can be defined as any undesirable

change in the physical, chemical,

biological characteristics of any
component of the environment which can
cause harm to life and property.
 Types of Pollution

Air
Water
Marine

Thermal
Pollution
Soil

Noise

Nuclear
Water Pollution
 Introduction

 Water is a precious resource and without it life is not

possible on earth
 Water is getting polluted day by day due to excessive

and careless use so the percentage of available

drinking water is reducing
 The source of infection was cut off, the cholera

epidemic diminished, and the public began to

understand the importance of having clean drinking
water supplies.
 Introduction
 Until recently, water pollution was viewed
primarily as a threat to human health because
of the transmission of bacterial and viral
waterborne diseases.
 In this chapter we discuss the sources of water

pollution and the effect of this pollution on

water
 Water Pollution
 Water pollution is defined as alteration in the
physical, chemical and biological characteristics of
water which may cause harmful effects on human and
aquatic life.
 The Contamination of water with undesirable
substances which make it unfit for usage is termed
water Pollution.
 A number of substances including nutrients, bacteria,
oxygen wastes, metals, and toxic substances, cause
water pollution.
 Pollution Sources
 Point sources are direct discharges to a single point;
examples include discharges from sewage, 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, and insecticides
from agricultural lands and residential areas; oil, and toxic
chemicals from urban runoff and energy production; and
sediment from improperly managed construction sites.
Water Pollutants and Their Sources
Point source pollution
Non-point source pollution
 Surface Water Pollution

 Sewage

 Industrialeffluents
 Synthetic detergents

 Agrochemicals

 Oil

 Waste heat
 Domestic Sewage
 Refers to waste water that is discarded from
households. Also referred to as sanitary sewage, such
water contains a wide variety of dissolved and
suspended impurities.
 It is large by volume and contains impurities such as

organic materials and plant nutrients that tend to rot.

 The main organic materials are food and vegetable

waste, plant nutrient come from chemical soaps,

washing powders, etc.
 Domestic sewage is also very likely to contain

disease-causing microorganisms.
 Industrial Effluents
 Waste water from manufacturing or chemical
processes in industries
 Industrial waste water usually contains specific and

readily identifiable chemical compounds.

 Mainly in the form of toxic wastes and organic

pollutants.
 Chromium, mercury, lead, copper, cadmium etc
 Synthetic Detergents And Oils
 Added because of washing clothes, cleaning
utensils.
 Oceans are polluted by oil on a daily basis from

oil spills, routine shipping, run-offs and

dumping.
 Oil spills make up about 12% of the oil that

enters the ocean. The rest come from

shipping travel, drains and dumping.
 Agricultural Run Off

 Routine applications of
fertilizers and
pesticides for
agriculture and
uncontrolled run off in
water bodies.
 Adds Nitrogen and

Phosphorus to water
 Causes Eutrophication

and algal blooms.

 Ground Water Pollution

 Groundwater contamination occurs when man-made

products such as gasoline, oil, road salts and chemicals
get into the groundwater and cause it to become unsafe
and unfit for human use.
 Presence of heavy metals in groundwater is found in
40 districts from 13 states,
 Fluoride Poisoning

 Fluoride toxicity is a
condition in which
there are elevated
levels of the fluoride
ion in the body
 Excess exposure to

fluoride can lead to a

bone disease known
as skeletal fluorosis
Pathogen Spread

 Stagnant water and other untreated water

provide a habitat for the mosquito and a
host of other parasites and insects that cause
a large number of diseases especially in the
tropical regions.
 Among these, malaria is undoubtedly the

most widely distributed and causes most

damage to human health.
 Pesticides. The organophosphates and the carbonates present in
pesticides affect and damage the nervous system and can cause
cancer.
 Some of the pesticides contain carcinogens that exceed
recommended levels. They contain chlorides that cause reproductive
and endocrinal damage.
 Lead. Lead is hazardous to health as it accumulates in the body and
affects the central nervous system. Children and pregnant women are
most at risk.
 Petrochemicals. Benzene and other petrochemicals can cause cancer
even at low exposure levels.
 Chlorinated solvents. These are linked to reproduction disorders and
to some cancers.
 Other heavy metals. –Heavy metals cause damage to the nervous
system and the kidney, and other metabolic disruptions.
Control of Water Pollution
 Treatment of water before leaving in water bodies.
 Restoration of polluted water bodies.
 Ganga Action Plan
 River Water Monitoring
Marine Pollution
 Marine Pollution is caused due to Sewage Sludge,
Indutrial Effluents, Detergents, solid waste, plastic,
etc.
 Sources :
River- Bring pollutants from drainage basins
Catchment Area- Human Settlements
Oil Drilling & Shipment
 Effects :
Fishes show mortality
Oil disrupts the insulating capacity of feathers
Due to loss of Buoyancy and subsequent drowning of Birds
cause Deaths
 Control measures

 Effluents should not be discharged

 Treatment before discharge
 Strict law enforcement- regarding drilling in

Ecosensitive zones, dumping of toxic & Hazardous

wastes
 Minimum developmental activities on shore
 CRZs: Coastal regulation Zones
Thermal Pollution

•Definition : Presence of waste heat in the water which can

cause undesirable changes in natural environment.
•Causes:
• Heat producing Industries
• Power plants utilize only 1/3rd energy produced by fossil fuel
rest is wasted as heat
• Cold water is taken from water body for cooling ….used and
left in the water body….back with increase of 10-15 Deg.
Effects…?
 Oxygen penetration decreases, dissolved oxygen also
reduces as the solubility is decreased
 Heat kills fishes and other aquatic life.

 Toxicity of pesticides & chemicals increase with increase

in temperature
 Metabolic Activities increase at high temp. requiring more

oxygen.
 Spawning is disturbed

 Fish migration is affected

 Composition of flora & fauna changes-

 Temp. tolerant spp. Start developing

Control of Thermal pollution
 Cooling ponds, cooling towers and spray ponds
 Prevention
 The best way to prevent large-scale water pollution is
to try and reduce its harmful effects. There are various
small changes we can make to protect ourselves from a
scary future where water is scarce.
 Save Water: Conserving water is our first aim. Water

wastage is a major problem globally and we are only

now waking up to the issue. Simply small changes you
can make domestically will make a huge difference.
 Prevention
 Better treatment of sewage: So treating waste products
before disposing of it in a water body helps reduce
water pollution on a large scale. Agriculture or other
industries can reuse this wastewater by reducing its
toxic contents.
 Use environmentally friendly products: By using

soluble products that do not go on to become

pollutants, we can reduce the amount of water pollution
caused by a household.
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