WATER POLLUTION

Water pollution
Sources of Water Pollution

3
 INTRODUCTION
• Water pollution is a state of deviation from the pure condition, whereby its
normal properties and function are affected.

• Noticeable signs:-

⮚ Odours from rivers, streams, lakes and ocean beaches.

⮚ Oily and greasy materials floating on surface of water bodies.

⮚ Unchecked growth of aquatic weeds in water bodies.

⮚ Bad taste of drinking water.

⮚ Decrease of aquatic life etc.

• Water pollution is studied under 3 sub-heads, viz., inland fresh surface water
pollution, ground water pollution, and marine water pollution.
Sources of water pollution :-
Point sources
Diffused sources
• Those sources which can be readily • Those sources whose location cannot be
identified at a single location. easily identified.
• For instance- industrial, municipal • For instance- run off from agriculture lands,
sewage ,treatment plants, combined sewer forestry, mining, construction, etc.
overflow, raw sewage discharges, etc.
• This cannot be easily controlled.
• This type of discharge can be controlled.
 Wastewater and sewage
Wastewater and sewage from household are also common causes of water pollution. Sewer
water carried chemicals and harmful bacteria which pose serious health issues. Sewers from
houses carry pathogens which cause diseases. Wastewater and sewer carry microorganisms
which carry deadly diseases and are also breeding ground for disease carriers.
 Industrial Waste
The main pollutants added by industries in water are grit, asbestos, and phosphates. For many industrial
processes, water is used which comes in contact with harmful chemicals. These chemicals may include
organic compounds (such as solvents), metals, nutrients or radioactive material.
 Marine Dumping
Every household produces garbage. It can be in the form of papers, plastic bottles, glass, rubber, aluminium
and also waste food. This garbage is sometimes dumped in water bodies, and this causes water pollution.
Some of these waste deposits take up to 200 years to decompose. When they enter the sea, not only do they
cause pollution to the water but also harm to water creatures
 Agriculture
In order to protect their crops from bacteria and insects, farmers often use chemicals and pesticides. When
these substances seep into the groundwater, they can harm animals, plants and humans. Additionally, when it
rains, the chemicals mix with rainwater, which then flows into rivers and streams that filter into the ocean,
causing further water pollution.
 Oil Leaks and Spills
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine
ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually given to marine oil spills,
where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land. Oil spill effects on
environments and habitats can be catastrophic: they can kill plants and animals, disturb salinity/pH levels,
pollute air/water and more
 Radioactive Waste
Radioactive waste from facilities that create nuclear energy can be extremely hazardous to the environment
and must be disposed of properly. This is because uranium, the element used in the creation of nuclear
energy, is a highly toxic chemical. The coal and gas industries are, in many ways, no better. This is one of
the major impetuses behind the development of alternative, clean sources of energy, including solar and
wind.
Sources of water
pollution:-
Effects of Water Pollution
8
Effects of Water
Pollution
The adverse effects of water pollution can be studied under the following heads:-

• Physical effects

• Oxidation effects

• Toxic chemical effects

• Chemical nutrient effects

• Micro-organism effects

• Radionuclide effects
i. Physical Effects:-

• Due to suspended particle solids, cooling water from power stations and oily surface films.

• Solids may be inert material wastes or insoluble finely divided organic solids.

1. Inert materials in water slowly accumulate on vegetation foliage, and produce a deposit on river bed.

—These may cause reduction in solar energy absorption thereby decreasing rate of
photosynthesis causing low oxygen conditions on the river bed.

—Suspended materials may also cause turbidity .

2. Finely divided organic solids will be biodegraded and will cause reduction of the dissolved oxygen in
water.
ii. Oxidation Effects:-

There are two types of oxidation namely:

a) Oxidation by action of bacteria upon organic pollutants.

b) Chemical oxidation of other pollutants.

• Both type of oxidation involves the use of dissolved oxygen.

• It will cause increase in Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) .

• Causes deficiency of oxygen in water.

• Bacterial Oxidation-
Sulphides Sulphate

• Chemical oxidation-
Ferric salts
Ferrous salts
iii. Toxic chemical effects:-

• Some organic and inorganic chemical

substances are toxic to plant, animals
and humans.

• Chemical toxic substances can be

broadly classified as metals and salts,
pesticides, acids and alkalies etc.

• Pesticide pollutions produce harmful

effect over the body.

• Acids and alkalies may

change the Ph value of

water .Changes in ph value may

affect physiological processes and

actions of toxins.
v. Micro- organism Effects:-

• Wastes that are discharged into water

contain pathogenic organisms that are
capable of transmitting human diseases.

• Bacteria are responsible for cholera,

typhoid fever, bacillary dysentery,
gastroenteritis.

• Virus may cause poliomyelitis, infective

hepatitis, and echo and consackil fevers.

• Round worm beef and pork tape worms

may also cause diseases.
vi. Radio- Nuclide Effects:-
• Solid waste(nuclear) filed in containers is dumped into sea bed.

• The corrosive action of sea water my cause leakage of radioactive waste in

water and it may pose health hazards.

• Radionuclides can enter the human body through dusts and aerosols and can
also be absorbed by plants and animals.
Major Pollutants of Water
20
 Classification of Water Pollutant
• The various types of water pollutants can be broadly classified in to four categories.

●ORGANIC POLLUTANT

●INORGANIC POLLUTANT

●RADIOACTIVE POLLUTANT

●SUSPENDED SOLIDS AND SEDIMENTS

Common Water-Borne Diseases

30
Water-borne diseases are caused by pathogenic organisms carried by water
containing faecal or sewage contamination.

a) Bacterial Diseases
B) Helminthic (worm) disease
C) Cholera
D) Protozoal Diseases
E) Virus & Fungal Infections
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Control measures
Rather than releasing sewage waste into water bodies, it is better to treat them before
discharge. Practising this can reduce the initial toxicity and the remaining substances can be
degraded and rendered harmless by the water body itself.

•More trees should be planted. Plants such as water hyacinth absorb Cardium and mercury
which are regarded as toxic substances of water bodies.

One should use natural pesticides and fertilizers in place of chemical fertilizers.

Overall water pollution can be controlled by reusing or reducing the wastage of water
•Bioremediation is the process in which bacteria and fungi are used to
purify environmental pollutants into less harmful matters.
•An outcome of the paper industry which includes oil zapper,
microorganisms, and sawdust is known as bregoli which is essential to
remove oil spills in water.
•EcoSan toilets handle human excreta by using dry composting toilets in
a sustainable system.