Water Pollution to En

What Is Water Pollution?

• Water pollution is the contamination of water
sources by substances which make the water
unusable for drinking, cooking, cleaning, swimming,
and other activities.

• Water pollution happens when toxic substances

enter water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans and
so on, getting dissolved in them, lying suspended in
the water or depositing on the bed. This degrades
the quality of water.
 What Is Water Pollution?
• Some substance or condition that so degrades
water quality that it cannot be used for a
specific purpose
 Sources of Water Pollution
• There are various classifications of water
pollution.
• The two chief sources of water pollution can
be seen as Point and Non-Point.
 Sources of Water Pollution
• Point refer to the pollutants that belong to a
single source. An example of this would be
emissions from factories into the water.
• Non-Point on the other hand means
pollutants emitted from multiple sources.
Contaminated water after rains that has
traveled through several regions may also be
considered as a Non point source of pollution.
 Two major classes of pollutants
• POINT SOURCE
– Can be traced to their single,
stationary source such as a
pipe
– Sewage spills from a
treatment plant, dumping
from cruise ship or septic tank
are point sources

• NON POINT SOURCE

– Cannot be traced to a specific
stationary source; but is
diffuse and mobile
– Urban and agricultural Runoff
are non-point sources
 Water Pollution Parameters
•Water may be called polluted when the following
parameters reach beyond a specified concentration in
water.

•i) Physical parameters: Color, odor, turbidity, taste,

temperature and electrical conductivity constitute the
physical parameters and are good indicators of
contamination.
•For instance, color and turbidity are visible evidences of
polluted water while an offensive odor or a bitter and
difference than normal taste also makes water unfit for
drinking.
ii)Chemical parameters: These include the amount of
carbonates, sulphates, chlorides, fluorides, nitrates, and metal
ions. These chemicals form the total dissolved solids, present
in water.

iii)Biological parameters: The biological parameters include

matter like algae, fungi, viruses, protozoa and bacteria.

the biological parameters give an indirect indication of the

amount of pollution in water.
SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION:
SOURCES OF
WATER
POLLUTION

NATURAL
HUMAN SOURCES
SOURCES

VOLCANIC DOMESTICS

ERUPTION EFFLUENTS

ALGAE BLOOMS SEWAGE

ANIMAL INDUSTRIAL
WASTES EFFLUENTS

AGRICULTURAL
SEDIMENTS
EFFULUENTS

RADIOACTIVE
WASTES

THERMAL
POLLUTION

OIL POLLUTION

ACID RAIN
1) NATURAL CAUSES:
i) VOLCANIC ERUPTION:
Volcanic eruptions happen when lava and gas are
discharged from a volcanic vent
Newly fallen volcanic ash results in short-term
physical and chemical changes in water quality. Upwelling
magma that is of high temperature, when mixed up with river
water, may harmful for aquatic life.

Fig- water pollution by volcanic eruption

ii) ALGAE BLOOMS:
Algae bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the
population of algae in freshwater or marine water systems.

As algal blooms grow, they deplete the oxygen in the water

and block sunlight from reaching fish and plants. ...

the microbes which decompose the dead algae use up even

more oxygen, which in turn causes more fish to die or leave
the area.

Fig- water pollution by algae blooms

 ii) ALGAE BLOOMS:

• Algae grow better when more nutrients (nitrates

and phosphates) are present in the water
column.
• An enrichment by or excess of nutrients to the
water is called eutrophication
• Eutrophication causes STRUCTURAL CHANGES to
the ecosystem such as:
• increased production of algae and aquatic plants,
• depletion of fish species,
• general deterioration of water quality and other
effects that reduce and prevent use
 ii) ALGAE BLOOMS:

• These structural changes mainly depend on 3

factors:
• USE OF FERTILISERS:
• Agricultural practices and the use of fertilisers in
the soil contribute to the accumulation of
nutrients.
• When these nutrients reach high concentration
levels and the ground is no longer able to
assimilate them, they are carried by rain into rivers
and groundwater that flow into lakes or seas.
 ii) ALGAE BLOOMS:

• DISCHARGE OF WASTE WATER INTO WATER

BODIES:
• In various parts of the world, and particularly
in developing countries, waste water is
discharged directly into water bodies such as
rivers, lakes and seas.
• The result of this is the release of a high
quantity of nutrients.
 ii) ALGAE BLOOMS:

• REDUCTION OF SELF-PURIFICATION CAPACITY:

• Over the years, lakes accumulate large quantities of
solid material transported by the water (sediments).
• These sediments are such as to able to absorb large
amounts of nutrients and pollutants.
• Consequently, the accumulation of sediments starts
to fill the basin and, increasing the interactions
between water and sediment, the re-suspension of
nutrients present at the bottom of the basin is
facilitated.
iii) ANIMAL WASTES:

The wastes produced by animals are washed

away into the river when rainfall occurs.
It gets mixed up with harmful chemicals,
causes various water related diseases like- cholera,
diarrhea, and typhoid.

Fig- water pollution by animal wastes

iv) SEDIMENTS:

Sediment is the loose sand, clay, silt and other soil

particles that settle at the bottom of a body of water.
During flood and turbulence in water body, sediment
mixed up with water and become harmful for fishes and
other aquatic life. It also degrades the water quality.

Fig- water pollution by sediments

 .
2) ANTHROPOGENIC CAUSES:
i) DOMESTIC WASTES:
Domestic sewage is the wastes water from households.
Sewage is the wastewater generated by a community,
namely: domestic wastewater, from bathrooms, toilets,
kitchens, etc.,
It contains a variety of dissolved and suspended particles.
Domestic sewage contains disease causing microbes and
chemical contained in washing powders affect the health of
all life forms in water.

Fig- water pollution by domestic wastes

ii) INDUSTRIAL WASTES:
Industrial sewage consists of liquid wastes originating from the
industrial processes of various industries, such as Dyeing, Paper
making, etc.
Many of these plants discharge wastewater with significant levels
of metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium, as well as
arsenic, and nitrogen compounds (nitrates and nitrites).

Fig- water pollution by industrial wastes

 iii) AGRICULTURAL WASTES:

Agriculture, which accounts for 70 percent of water withdrawals

worldwide, plays a major role in water pollution.

Farms discharge large quantities of agrochemicals, organic matter, drug

residues, sediments and saline drainage into water bodies

Farmers put fertilizers and pesticides on their crops, so that, their crops
grow better, but these fertilizers and pesticides can be washed through
the soil by rain to end up in river. Fertilizers and pesticides care harmful
because, they cause algae growth. The algae then destroy water plants.

Fig- water pollution by agricultural wastes

v) OIL SPILL:

Oil spill is an accidental release of oil into a body of water, as from a

tanker, offshore drilling rig, or underwater pipeline, often presenting a
hazard to marine life and the environment.

Oil spill pose a huge concern as large amount of oil enters into the sea
and does not dissolve with water, there by opens problem for local
marine wildlife such as- fish, birds, and sea otters.

Fig- water pollution by oil spill

vi) RADIOACTIVE WASTES:

Nuclear energy is produced using nuclear fission or fusion. The

element that is used in production of nuclear energy is uranium which is
highly toxic chemical. Such as, Strontium 90 (can cause bone cancer)
percolates down through the soil into ground water reservoirs or is
carried out into rivers or pond.
Nuclear wastes can have serious environmental hazards if not
disposed of properly.
Few major accidents have already taken place in Russia and
Japan (2011).
vii) THERMAL WASTES:

Thermal pollution is the degradation of water quality by

any process that changes ambient water temperature.

A common cause of thermal pollution is use of water as a

coolant by power plants and industrial manufactures. It
cause dangerous for the lives of aquatic animals and plants.
viii) ACID RAIN:
Air pollution can also have a direct effect on water pollution.
When particles like- sulfur dioxides get high into the air they can
combine with rain to produce acid rain.
Acid rain can turn lakes acidic, killing fishes and other aquatic
animals. pH level of water increases by acid rain and degrade the water
quality.

Fig- water pollution by acid rain

Major Water Pollutants and Their Sources
 Types/Categories of Pollutants
 Group of Substances
 Oxygen demanding wastes
 Nutrients
 Pathogens
 Suspended solids
 Salts
 Toxic metals
 Toxic organic compounds
 Heat
 Radioactive substances
 Major Pollutant Categories and Principal sources of
Pollutants
Pollutant Category Point Sources Non-Point Sources

Domestic Industrial Agricultural Urban run

Sewage Waste runoff off
Oxygen-demanding X X X X
waste

Nutrients X X X X
Pathogens X X X X
Suspended X X X X
solids/sediments

Salts X X X
Toxic metals X X
Toxic organic X X
chemicals
Heat X
 Oxygen Demanding Wastes
Substances that oxidize in the receiving body of water
with the consumption of dissolved oxygen
OR
• When organic substances are broken down in
water, oxygen is consumed

Organic matter + O2 ------- CO2 + H2O + new cells

+

stable product
 Oxygen Demanding Wastes
 Major Sources:
Biodegradable organic substances contained in
i) Municipal wastewater (mainly human waste and food
residue )
ii) Industrial wastewater (e.g. from textile, paper
& pulp and food processing industries)
 Minor Sources:
Crop residue, decaying plants and leaves, animal
droppings, oxidation at certain inorganic compounds
 Dissolved oxygen (DO)
• Just like animals and humans living on land, animals that live
in water need oxygen to survive.

• Oxygen can only enter water from two sources: it either

dissolves into water from contact with the atmosphere or is
produced by plants during photosynthesis.
• Dissolved oxygen concentration also affects the chemicals in
the water.
• For example, in the presence of oxygen, some metals such
as cadmium solidify and sink out of the water. Without
oxygen, these metals dissolve into the water in a form which
is far more dangerous to animals.
 Effect of Oxygen Demanding Wastes on
Rivers
• As DO drops below 4 or 5 mg/L the forms of life that can survive
begin to be reduced.
• In an extreme case, when anaerobic conditions exist, most
higher forms of life are killed.
 Oxygen Demanding Wastes
 Measurement of strength of oxygen demanding wastes:
 BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand)
 COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand)

Biological oxygen demand (BOD), also known as biochemical

oxygen demand, is a procedure that measures the dissolved
oxygen (DO) consumed by bacteria from the decomposition
of organic matter

COD is the amount of oxygen required to chemically

breakdown the pollutants
whereas BOD is the amount of oxygen required to do this
biologically through micro-organisms
 What to Expect

When BOD levels are high, there is a

decline in DO levels

This is because the demand for oxygen by the

bacteria is high and they are taking that oxygen from
the oxygen dissolved in the water
 Pathogens
Disease-causing microbes can also be called pathogens
and are responsible for causing infectious diseases.
 Most microbes belong to four major groups: bacteria,
viruses, protozoa or fungi.
The presence of certain organisms of these various types can
lead to such infectious diseases as typhoid fever, cholera,
hepatitis, as well as other diseases which spread through
drinking unsafe water.
 Nutrients
 Chemicals that are essential for the growth of living
things (N, P, C, Ca etc.)
 Nutrients are pollutants when their concentrations are
sufficient to allow excessive growth of aquatic plants,
particularly algae.
 The process of nutrient enrichment, leading to
excessive growth of algae, is called eutrophication
(algal bloom).
 Nutrients: Problems
 Algae eventually die and their decomposition removes
DO from water
 Algae and decaying organic matter add color, turbidity,
odor and objectionable taste to water, making it less
attractive as a source for domestic water supply,
recreational and other uses.
 Nutrients: Sources
 Major sources of
nitrogen and
phosphorus include
municipal wastewater
discharges,
 runoff from animal
feedlots,
 Chemical fertilizers and
phosphorus based
detergents
 .
 Suspended solids
 Suspended solid (SS) is the
amount of tiny solid particles that
remain suspended in water and
act as a colloid (mixture) or
insoluble particles .
 Many of these particles settle to
the bottom of as sediment

 COLLOIDAL PARTICLES that do not

settle readily are the cause of turbidity
found in many surface waters

 Inorganic suspended solids

are discharged by some
industries, result mostly from
soil erosion
 Thermal Pollution
• Water temperature is a
physical property expressing
how hot or cold water is
• Warm water holds less
dissolved oxygen than cool
water, and may not contain
enough dissolved oxygen for
the survival of different species
of aquatic life.
• Some compounds are also
more toxic to aquatic life at
higher temperatures
 Thermal Pollution

• Higher temperature reduce the solubility of

oxygen in water bodies.
• This less solubility of oxygen in water mainly
affects the metabolism of water animals and
thus it leads to death of aquatic animals.

 Primarily from industrial cooling water that is

discharged into river (typically from power plants)
 Heavy Metals
• The term heavy metal refers to any metallic chemical element
that has a relatively high density and is toxic or poisonous at
low concentrations.
• Examples of heavy metals include mercury (Hg), cadmium
(Cd), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), thallium (Tl), and lead (Pb).

• They are mainly produced by industrial activities, and deposit

slowly in the surrounding water and soil

• Their toxicity depends on several factors including the dose,

route of exposure, and chemical species, as well as the age,
gender, genetics, and nutritional status of exposed individuals.
Heavy Metals
 Heavy Metals
• Drinking Heavy metals in water can
cause cancer, reduced mental and central
nervous function, also cause damage in
lungs, kidneys, liver, and other vital organs
• The accumulation of the heavy metals results
in damage to the brain and nervous
system causing cause learning difficulties,
memory impairment and also result in
behavioural problems in the form of aggression
 Heavy Metals

Heavy metals disrupt metabolic functions in two

ways:
• They accumulate and thereby disrupt function
in vital organs such as the heart, brain,
kidneys, bone, liver, etc.
• They displace the vital nutritional minerals
from their original place, thereby, hindering
their biological function.
 Heavy Metals
• The most significant use of cadmium is in
nickel/cadmium batteries
• Cadmium coatings provide good corrosion
resistance, particularly in high stress
environments such as marine and aerospace
applications where high safety or reliability is
required
• Cadmium is also present as an impurity in several
products, including phosphate fertilisers,
detergents and refined petroleum products
 Heavy Metals
• Chromium is used in steel industry, its
compound are used as industrial catalyst.
• Long-term exposure chromium can cause
kidney and liver damage, and damage too
heart and nerve tissue.
• Chromium often accumulates in aquatic life,
adding to the danger of eating fish that may
have been exposed to high levels of chromium
 Heavy Metals
• Copper is an essential substance to human
life, but in high doses it can cause liver and
kidney damage, and stomach and intestinal
irritation.
• Copper normally occurs in drinking water from
copper pipes
 Health Effects
• Lead can enter drinking Children
water when plumbing Even low levels of lead in the
materials that contain blood of children can result in:
Behavior and learning problems
lead corrode, Lower IQ and hyperactivity
especially where the Slowed growth
water has high acidity Hearing problems
or low mineral content Adults
Lead is also harmful to adults.
that corrodes pipes
Adults exposed to lead can suffer
and fixtures. from:
• The most common Cardiovascular effects, increased
sources of lead in blood pressure and incidence of
hypertension
drinking water are lead Decreased kidney function
pipes, and fixtures. Reproductive problems (in both
men and women)
• Arsenic is naturally present at Health Effects
high levels in the
groundwater of a number of Acute effects
The immediate symptoms of acute
countries. arsenic poisoning include vomiting,
• Arsenic is used industrially as abdominal pain and diarrhoea. muscle
contraction and death, in extreme
an alloying agent, as well as in cases.
the processing of glass,
textiles, paper, metal Long-term effects
The first symptoms of long-term
adhesives, wood exposure are usually observed in the
preservatives . Arsenic is also skin,
used to a limited extent, in after a minimum exposure of
approximately five years and may be a
pesticides, and cause to skin cancer.
pharmaceuticals. may also cause cancers of the bladder
and lungs
Up to 60 million people in Pakistan are at risk from the
deadly chemical arsenic, according to a new analysis of
water supplies.
The study looked at data from nearly 1,200 groundwater
quality samples from across the country.
The WHO has
established a level
of 10 micrograms per
litre as the permissible
concentration in
drinking water. In
Pakistan, the
government says that
50 micrograms per
litre is acceptable
 Methods for measurement of trace metals

 Identification and concentration of individual trace metals

like lead,cadmium, arsenic, mercury and chromium is
determined by

1: Atomic absorption
Spectrophotometer

2: X-ray fluorescence
The most important disasters with heavy
metals:
 Pesticides
• Pesticides are chemical compounds that are
used to kill pests, including insects, rodents,
fungi and unwanted plants (weeds)

• Pesticides are used to protect crops against

insects, weeds, fungi, and other pests

• Types:
– Insecticides – kill insects
– Herbicides – kill weeds
– Fungicides – suppress or kill fungi
 PEST & PESTICIDES
Pest

An organism, usually an insect, regarded as injurious or

unwanted.
Causes damage to agriculture through feeding on crops

Pesticides

 Any substance or mixture of substances intended for

preventing, destroying, or controlling any pest
 Ecological effects of pesticides
• Different categories of pesticides have different types of
effects on living organisms
• The principal pathway that causes ecological impacts is
that of water contaminated by pesticide runoff.
• The two principal mechanisms are:
• Bioconcentration: This is the movement of a chemical
from the surrounding medium into an organism.
• Biomagnification: This term describes the increasing
concentration of a chemical as food energy is transformed
within the food chain.
• As smaller organisms are eaten by larger organisms, the
concentration of pesticides and other chemicals are
increasingly magnified in tissue and other organs.
• The major types of effects vary depending on
the organism under investigation and the type
of pesticide
• Death of the organism.
• Cancers, tumours and lesions on fish and
animals.
• Reproductive inhibition or failure.
• Suppression of immune system.
• Disruption of endocrine (hormonal) system.
• Poor fish health marked by low red to white
blood cell ratio
How can Pesticides Affect Us?
•Pesticides can……
Make your skin itch • Cause a variety of
and turn red cancers
Give you • Cause child
headache development
interference
• Cause low birth
weights
• Cause birth defects
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are
chemicals that both vaporize into air and
dissolve in water.
• VOCs are general in daily life, because they’re
used in industry, agriculture, transportation,
and day-to-day activities around the home.
• Once released into groundwater, many VOCs
are persistent and can migrate to drinking-
water supply wells
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
• Organic chemicals are widely used as
ingredients in household products.
• Paints, polishes & wax all contain organic
solvents, cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic,
degreasing and hobby products.
• Fuels are made up of organic chemicals. All of
these products can release organic
compounds while you are using them & to
some degree, when they are stored.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
• Most VOCs enter the water supply directly as
a result of human activity.
• Improper disposal of volatile organic
compounds causes them to leach into the
ground.
• Once they've infiltrated the groundwater, they
can migrate from aquifers to lakes and
reservoirs
 Health effects of VOC
 In general, exposure to low levels of certain VOCs
over long periods of time may lead to impaired
 immune system function,
 may damage the liver or
 increase the risk of cancer.
 At high levels of exposure, many VOCs can cause
central nervous system depression