TPS 553:

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

PREPARED BY:
NURSYAZANA AQILAH BINTI NOR AZ AZLAN
(2021354973)

GROUP : AP221 5A
SESSION : 0CT 2021 – FEB 2022
PREPARED FOR : GS. DR. SUHARTO BIN TERIMAN
SUBMISSION DATE : 17 /12 / 2021
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TABLE OF CONTENT

No. Content Page

1.0 What is water pollution? 1

2.0 How water pollution happen 3

3.0 Why water pollution become issues? 7

4.0 What happen if Water pollution is not contained 9

5.0 What action can we take to avoid or reduce this 12

issues?
6.0 Water pollution in India 14

7.0 Conclusion 16

REFERENCE
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1.0 What is water pollution?

Earth is made up of five elements such as soil, water, air, Fire, and Space. Water
occupies a unique position among these life-sustaining elements. The total amount of
water on Earth is around 1400 million of which just 2.5 percent, or roughly 35 million, is
freshwater. Lakes, rivers, and relatively shallow ground water basins are the main
sources of water. Water is a renewable resource that is necessary for all kinds of life,
food production, economic growth, and overall well-being. It is impossible to substitute
for most of its functions, difficult to decontaminate, and costly to transport, and it is
certainly a one-of-a-kind gift from nature to humans. Water can be diverted,
transported, stored, and recycled, making it one of the most controlled natural
resources. All these characteristics contribute to water's high value for humans.
Agriculture, hydropower generation, animal production, industrial operations, forestry,
fisheries, navigation, and recreational activities all rely heavily on the country's surface
and groundwater resources.

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According to (Ramakrishnaiah, 2009) said in recent decades the demand for

clean water has increased due to rapid population growth and increased industrial
activity. Today, human beings are polluting all these life-sustaining components in the
name of industrial development. The pollution of these vital elements of human
existence is caused by industrial waste. Many industrial activities pose a threat to
human health especially activities related to the use of unsanitary fertilizers. Among the
activities that cause the decline in water quality are such as extensive urban
development, agriculture, industry, and even human development. Also, sewage system
that carries algae growth, which can eventually result in dead zone where the aquatic
life cannot survive because of a lack of oxygen. The microplastics are often found in
marine wildlife and become concentrated in humans who consume seafood. and the oil
spills will kill many different marine species. The increasing air pollution around us
makes it the focus of many researchers. Due to that, the occurrence of water pollution
and the scarcity of global water resources make the maintenance of river water quality
very important.

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2.0 How water pollution happen.

1) Eutrophication and water

pollution
Eutrophication happens when the
environment becomes full of nutrients. It
can be a problem in marine habitats such
as lakes and can cause of algal blooms.
Eutrophication came from Fertilisers and
pesticides. The Fertilisers often used in

farming activity, sometimes fertilisers will run-off into nearby water cause an increase the
nutrient levels of water especially happen on river. It causes more plankton to grow and
reproduce rapidly then resulting of algal blooms. The bloom of algae will disrupt a normal
ecosystem function and may causes many problems happen. The algae may use up all
the oxygen in the water, leaving none for other marine life. This causes the death of many
aquatic life like an example fish, which need the oxygen in the water to live. Next, the
bloom of algae may also block sunlight from marine plants that live under the water
surface. Some algae produce toxins that are harmful to life. This can cause problems
along the food chain and affect any animal or life that eat them.

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2) Global warming. 3) Underground storage leak.

An increase of water temperature A tank or piping network known as an
can result in the death of many aquatic and underground storage tank (UST). They
disrupt many marine habitats. For example, often store substances such as petroleum,
a rise in water temperatures causes coral that are harmful to the surrounding
bleaching around the world. When the coral environment should it become pollution.
expels the microorganisms of which it is Many UST constructed before 1980 are
dependent on it can cause a great damage made from steel pipes that are directly
to coral and subsequently all the marine life exposed to the environment. Over time the
that depends on it. Global warming is a steel corrodes and causes leakages,
process where the average global affecting surrounding soil and groundwater.
temperature increases due to the
greenhouse effect. The burning of fossil
fuel will release greenhouse gasses, such
as carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere.
This causes heat from the sun to get
‘trapped’ in atmosphere and consequently
the global temperature rises.

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4) Oil pollution on ocean

Oceans are polluted by oil daily from oil spills, routine shipping, run-offs and dumping.
The Oil that spills make about 12% of it enters the ocean. The rest come from shipping
travel, drains and dumping. An oil that spills from a tanker will cause problem because
there is such a huge quantity of oil being spilt into one place. Oil spills cause a very
localised problem but can be catastrophic to local marine wildlife such as fish, birds,
and sea otters. Oil cannot dissolve in water and forms a thick sludge in the water. This
suffocates fish, gets caught in the feathers of marine birds stopping them from flying
and blocks light from aquatic plants.

5) Nuclear waste

The nuclear waste is produced for industrial, mechanical, and scientific produces, that
usually use for radioactive matter. It comes from a few sources which such as the
operations that conducted a nuclear power stations, that produce a radioactive waste.
North European that produce a nuclear fuel for plants are detected as a biggest man-
made nuclear waste in ocean. The effect of the radioactive was traces until Greenland.

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6) Marine dumping
The huge problem of water pollution in the ocean are cause from human activity that
dumping the litter on sea. The litter on the ocean mostly will affect the death of ocean
life. Every item of litter will take different length of time to be degrade in water. Like an
example, cardboard will take at least around 2 weeks to degrade, while for the plastic
packaging it will take almost 400 years to be degrade on the water. And for glass there
are no certain time because its take so long time to be degrade.

7) Sewage and waste.

Sewage is stemming from the domestic problems when human flush a chemical

households, industrial and agriculture that and pharmacy substance on the toilet.

produce a waste that will cause a pollution Sewage also carries the harmful virus and

for many lakes and rivers. Sewage is term bacteria into our environment that will

from wastewater that contain poop, urine, causing health problem to people.

and laundry waste. The total of human in

this world are treating the sewage
systems. Sewage disposal is major
problem in develop country because many
people doesn’t have a access to sanitary
conditions and clean water. Diarrhoea and
environment pollution are example of
effect from the untreated sewage water in
such areas. The function of sewage is to
dealings with water and waste, the waste
is often disposed into the ocean. In
develop country, sewage is often cause

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3.0 Why water pollution become issues?

Water is necessary for the biological cycle to continue. It must be safeguarded and
protected against pollution of any kind. It is required by the human body and other living
creatures. Sea water, particularly near land or continents, is also contaminated by
industrial and urban pollutants, which are primarily transported by rivers. With a rapidly
rising human population and rapid industrialisation, it seems unclear that we will be able
to obtain enough clean water for long. Drinking water is a requirement for human survival.
Water is also necessary in indirect ways, such as a necessary input in agriculture.

1. Effect of water pollution on human health

The chemicals in water can affect human health. The chemicals can affect human health
because of existence of heavy metals such as Arsenic, Mercury, Fluoride,
Petrochemicals, Chlorinated, Nitrates, and more. Fluoride in water is essential because it
give human a protection for against a dental carries and mottling of teeth. The higher
level of using Fluoride will lead to adverse effect on human health leading to a condition
that be called fluorosis. Arsenic is a very poisonous chemical that enters the water
system naturally or by wastewater from tanneries, ceramic plants, chemical plants,
pesticides such as lead arsenate, fertiliser effluents, and fumes from coal and petroleum
combustion. Arsenic is extremely harmful to human health, producing lung cancer and
arsenic skin lesions in various West Bengal regions due to polluted drinking water. Long-
term exposure causes cancer of the bladder and lungs. Pipes, fittings, solder, and
domestic plumbing systems pollute the drinking water supply. It affects the blood, the
central nervous system, and the kidneys in humans. Lead poisoning is particularly
common in children and pregnant women.

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2) Water bone disease

Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia coli, and Vibrio cholera are some of the bacteria that
are associated with water-borne illnesses. Typhoid fever, diarrhoea, dysentery,
gastroenteritis, and cholera are all caused by them. When faeces enters the water supply,
the most serious kind of water contamination occurs. The faecal-oral mode of
transmission, in which germs are shed solely in human faeces, is responsible for the
perpetuation of many illnesses. The presence of E. coli faecal coliforms is employed as a
marker for the presence of these water-borne pathogens. According to Larry (2006),
ground water pollution is the largest cause of fatalities and illnesses in the world, killing
over 14,000 people per day, the majority of whom are children under the age of five. The
increasing reports of contaminants in groundwater in recent years have heightened public
awareness about groundwater quality. Children are more sensitive to intestinal infections
than adults, with an estimated 1.1 million children dying each year from diarrhoeal
illnesses.
3) Effect of water pollution on plants.
Acid deposition has several effects. Many of the gases from acid, aerosols, and other
acidic substances released into the atmosphere from industrial or domestic sources of
fossil fuel combustion eventually fall to the ground and reach water bodies, along with
run-off rainwater from polluted soil surfaces, causing acidification of water bodies by
lowering its PH. Chemical compounds such as sulphates, nitrates, and chloride have
been found to render water bodies such as lakes, rivers, and ponds acidic in numerous
regions.
Next, the nutrient defence in aquatic ecosystem. In acidified water, the population of
decomposing microorganisms such as bacteria and fungus decreases, slowing the
breakdown of organic waste and influencing nutrient cycling. For most aquatic organisms,
the essential PH is 6.0. Below this PH, species diversity decreases, but the quantity and
richness of acid-tolerant species rises. During the early stages of water acidification,
filamentous algae rapidly multiply and produce a thick mat. Below PH 5.8, diatoms and

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green algae go extinct. Cladophora is an acid-tolerant species that thrives in acidic

freshwater environments. In acidic water, macrophytes are often absent because their
roots are generally harmed, resulting in poor plant development. Acidified water is home
to Potamogetonaceae pectinases. In acidic water, plants with deep roots and rhizomes
appear to be less harmed, but plants with short root systems appear to be badly
damaged.
Also, Chemicals from fertilisers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, and other
agricultural chemicals that are applied to crops in excess are carried away with rains as
runoff, then penetrate the soil, and eventually end up in water bodies. Eutrophication is
caused by fertiliser chemicals causing nutrient enrichment. Ammonium from fertilisers is
acidic by nature, leading water to become acidic. Pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides,
on the other hand, alter the pH of water bodies. The most prevalent side effect of these
chemicals is a decrease in photosynthetic rate. Some of them may decouple oxidative
phosphorylation or inhibit the enzyme nitrate reductase. Because of their limited solubility
in water, these compounds have a high absorption and bioaccumulation capacity in
macrophyte plants.

4.0 What happen if Water pollution is not contained

Water serves as a solvent, a temperature regulator, a metabolite, a living habitat, and

lubricants in living organisms. However, water is considered contaminated when some of
the water quality metrics have been inhibited by unguided and irregularities caused by a
variety of anthropogenic activities, leaving the water unfit for its intended purpose. Water
contamination may endanger both the environment and people's lives. Pollution effects
different based on the kind and source of the pollution.

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1. Heavy metal pollution.

metal-contaminated water, or breathing.
Heavy metals are the most toxic inorganic
Heavy metals enter the human and
pollution, causing harm to aquatic creatures,
animal bodies via the food chain. The
plants, and humans. Heavy metals are
effects of heavy metal toxicity on humans
discharged into the environment through a
range from minor irritations of the eyes,
variety of channels, including industrial,
nose, and skin to severe headaches,
mining, and agricultural activities. Metals that
stomach-aches, diarrhoea, hematemesis,
are bioavailable in the soil can be absorbed by
vomiting, and dizziness, as well as organ
plants, causing significant plant metabolic
dysfunction such as cirrhosis, necrosis,
malfunction. High heavy metal ion
low blood pressure, hypertension, and
concentrations have also been shown to harm
gastrointestinal disturbances.
cell membranes, disrupt enzymes involved in
chlorophyll formation, lowering photosynthetic
rate, and influence plant reproduction by
diminishing pollen and seed viability. Heavy
metal toxicity can be transmitted to humans and
animals through the food chain, direct intake of

2. Affects aquatic life.

toxic wastes from dumped industries cause
chemical wastes to accumulate in the sea and
rivers and the pH of the water will also
increase. Industrial waste often contains many
toxic compounds that damage the health of
aquatic animals and their food. Poisons can
cause fatal effects and habitat loss to animal
life for example, the dumping of domestic
waste into the sea caused turtles to die due to
ingestion of plastic.

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3. Affects human health.

Marine life such as fish and shellfish in the sea eaten by humans can cause infectious
diseases. Waste disposal also causes reproduction and gives problems to water and
humans because human food source consists of water. High and excessive nitrate
content in the water will cause poisoning. Diseases such as cholera, hives (allergies), and
germs. `For example, in the Gulf of Minamata, Japan, toxic pollution causes people to
have headaches, numbness and blurred vision.

4. Reduces oxygen pressure in water.

Sewage sludge and toxic wastes accumulate on the water surface and are suspended in
fresh water. Reducing human and environmental water quality for marine life. Reduces
the amount of sunlight penetrating the water, interfering with the growth of photosynthesis
and microorganisms. Sulphate particles from acid rain can cause affect the health of
marine life in rivers and lakes it will pollute and can cause death.

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5.0 What action can we take to avoid or reduce this issues?

Temporal and spatial variations in rainfall, uneven geographic distribution of surface

water resources, persistent droughts, overuse of ground water and contamination,
drainage and salinisation, and water quality problems due to treated, partially treated,
and untreated wastewater from urban settlements, industrial establishments, and runoff
from the irrigation sector, as well as poor management, are the main challenges to
better water quality management.
1. Domestic wastewater is seldom handled in most regions of the nation due to a
lack of sanitation services. This wastewater, which has a high level of organic
pollution, makes its way into surface and groundwater channels near human
settlement, from which more water is extracted for usage. The treatment systems
should be installed with significant cost.
2. To combat water contamination, Congress created the Clean Water Act in 1972.
Since then, many pieces of anti-pollution legislation have been enacted, and the
United States now has reasonably clean, safe drinking water compared to much of
the rest of the globe. Water contamination, on the other hand, continues to be an
issue. Between July 2003 and December 2004, "more than 62 percent of industrial
and municipal facilities throughout the country released more pollutants into U.S.
waterways than their Clean Water Act licences permitted," according to the
Environmental News Service (ENS). Over 40% of American rivers were deemed
unsuitable for swimming and fishing, according to the ENS. Furthermore, man-
made environmental disasters such as the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, in which
about 11 million gallons of crude oil were mistakenly poured into the sea off
Alaska's Prince William Sound, pose a constant danger to water supplies. The
accident, which resulted in a 3,000-square-mile oil slick, happened in an instant.

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3. Agriculture that is environmentally friendly. Agriculture uses 70% of the world's

water, therefore having climate-friendly crops, effective irrigation that decreases the
demand for water, and energy-efficient food production is critical. Green agriculture
is also important for limiting the number of pesticides that end up in the water.
4. Preventing air pollution. Because seas absorb 25% of human-induced CO2
emissions, air pollution has a direct influence on water contamination. Our seas are
rapidly acidifying because of this pollution, posing a threat to marine life and corals.
Preventing air pollution is the most effective strategy to avoid this.
5. Reduction of plastic trash. Land-based plastic accounts for 80% of the plastic in our
seas. To limit the quantity of plastic that enters our ocean, we must cut our
worldwide consumption of plastic as well as enhance plastic waste management.
6. Water conservation is important. We won't get very far without water conservation. It
plays a crucial role in ensuring that the entire globe has improved access to clean
water. It entails acknowledging that water is a limited resource, caring for it
appropriately, and managing it properly.

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6.0 Water pollution in India.

Water pollution is a severe problem in India, with biological, toxic, chemical, and
inorganic pollutants contaminating about 70% of its surface water resources and an
increasing percentage of its groundwater reserves. These sources have been rendered
dangerous for human consumption as well as other uses such as irrigation and
industrial demands in many situations. This demonstrates how poor water quality
contributes to water shortage by limiting its availability for both human and
environmental usage.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) identified 18 major rivers in India as
having seriously contaminated portions in 1995. The bulk of these spans were located
in and around large metropolitan centres, which is unsurprising. The high frequency of
severe contamination near urban areas suggests that the contribution of the industrial
and household sectors to water pollution is considerably more than their proportional
prominence in the Indian economy suggests. In terms of total influence on water quality,
agricultural activities also have a role.

6.1 Extent of Water Pollution in India

The state of water quality surrounding India may be used to determine the extent of
water pollution in the country. The findings of CPCB's water quality monitoring, notably
for the indicator of oxygen-consuming compounds (biochemical oxygen demand, BOD)
and the indicator of pathogenic bacteria (total coliform and faecal coliform), suggest that
water quality is gradually deteriorating (CPCB 2009).

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6.2 Effects of Water Pollution

Water, sanitation, and hygiene are responsible for the deaths of 0.4 million
people in India each year, whereas air pollution is responsible for the deaths of 0.52
million people (WHO 2007). In India, environmental causes cause 60 years of illness
per 1,000 people, compared to 54 in Russia, 37 in Brazil, and 34 in China. Water
contamination has extremely significant socio-economic costs: Each year, 1.5 million
children under the age of five die because of water-related disorders, resulting in 200-
million-person days.

6.3 Laws For Controlling Water Pollution In India

The Water Act (1974), the Water Cess Act (1977 and 1988), and the
Environment (Protection) Act (EPA) are the three legislation in India that directly
address water pollution (1986). While the first two are basic legislations in the context of
water pollution in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was
created to fill the gaps in the legal framework for the regulation of industrial pollution
that still exist. The water cess act is more of a revenue-generating measure than a tool
to limit industrial water use. Pollution control boards at the federal and state levels are
tasked with preventing, controlling, and abating water pollution, as well as advising
governments on such issues. The CPCB's job is to bring the state boards' operations
together. The CPCB's job is to bring the state boards' operations together. It's worth
noting that these rules have largely been limited to preventing industrial water
contamination. The CPCB has also compiled a list of India's polluting industries. The
statutes also provide that industrial units must give all information on their effluent and
treatment techniques upon request. These rules, on the other hand, do not address
water contamination from the residential and agricultural sectors.

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7.0 Conclusion

Water is essential to human and other living creatures' survival hence its preservation
and long-term supply cannot be overstated. The availability of safe drinking water is
jeopardised by a variety of human activities, the most notable of which is pollution,
which has an impact on the environment and causes climate changes. While many
wastewater treatment procedures are being investigated by industry and treatment
plants, some companies continue to discharge untreated wastewater into water bodies.
As a result, enforcing effective environmental protection measures will be extremely
beneficial to the ecosystem and, by extension, to humans. These environmental
protection strategies will operate better if they are aligned with the interests and
objectives of diverse parties involved in environmental degradation. This will be a step
in the right way in terms of reducing water contamination.

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REFERENCE

1) Adejumoke Inyinbor, Babatunde Olufemi Adebesin, Abimbola Oluyori, & Oreofe

Toyin A. (2018, March 21). Water Pollution: Effects, Prevention, and Climatic Impact.
ResearchGate; unknown.

2) Gupta, A. (2016). WATER POLLUTION-SOURCES,EFFECTS AND CONTROL.

ResearchGate; unknown.

3) Prevention of Water Pollution. (2020, January 9). Water Pollution

4) Solar Impulse. (2019). Solutions to water pollution: how to improve water

quality? @Solarimpulse.

5) Water Pollution: Everything You Need to Know. (2021, November 9). Water
Pollution: Everything You Need to Know. NRDC.