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A STUDY ON
WATER POLLUTION

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-:CONTENTS: -
1 INTRODUCTION
2 SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION
3 CAUSE OF WATER POLLUTION
4 TYPES OF WATER POLLUTION
5 WATER POLLUTANTS
6 EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION
7 BIOLOGICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
8 CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND(COD)
9 THINGS TO REDUCE WATER POLLUTION
10 WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROCESSES

11 CONCLUSION

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WATER POLLUTION

INTRODUCTION: -
Water is one of the basic needs of household, agriculture and
industry. For most of the purposes, e.g. drinking, washing etc. we need
pure and clean water. However, the natural water (coming from rain,
snow, hail etc. which is the purest form) gets contaminated or polluted
in the following two ways.
I. BY NATURAL PROCEES: - e.g. washing away of the decomposed
vegetable and animal wastes into the main stream of water.
II. BY HUMAN ACTIVITY: - (anthropogenic processes) e.g. discharge of
industrial effluents, domestic wastes, use of pesticides and fertilizers
etc.
So, water pollution is defined as the contamination of water by foreign
substances which make it harmful for health of animals or plants or
aquatic life and make it unfit for domestic, industrial and agricultural
use.
Polluted water has any one
or more of the following
signs:
1. It has a bed taste to drink.
2. It has offensive odour.
3. It has unpleasant colour.
4. It has unchecked growth
of weeds.
5. It may have oil or grease
floating on the surface.
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MAJOR SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION:

1. POINT SOURCES:
 Industrial facilities
 Mines
 Oil fields
 Untreated sewage
 Construction sites
 Sewage treatment plants etc.
2. NON-POINT SOURCES:
 Agriculture/Irrigation
 Pasture & range
 Abandoned mines
 Acid deposition
 Run-off of chemicals into surface water etc.

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CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION:

 Industrial activity causes huge water pollution. Wastes from factories

are let off into freshwater to carry waste from plants into rivers. This
contaminates water with pollutants like lead, mercury, asbestos and
petrochemicals.

 Sewage let off from domestic households, factories, commercial

buildings are untreated in water treatment plants yet are disposed into
the sea. Sewage containing flush chemicals and pharmaceuticals causes
greater problems.

 Solid waste dumping and littering of cardboard, plastics, glass,

styrofoam, aluminium tins, etc., in water bodies.

 Oil spills from tankers and ship travel causes oil pollution. Oil does not
dissolve in water and forms a thick layer on the water surface.

 Burning of fossil fuels and emissions from industries and motor vehicles
causes formation of acidic particles in the atmosphere. These particles
fuse with water vapor resulting in acid rain. Acid rain harms aquatic life.

 Increase in water temperature is a result of global warming and

thermal plants use water as cooling agents for mechanical equipments.

INDUSTRIAL FACITILIES:
 Many industrial facilities use freshwater to carry away waste from the
plant and into rivers, lakes and oceans.

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 Pollutants from industrial sources include:

– Asbestos – This pollutant is a serious health hazard and carcinogenic.

Asbestos fibres can be inhaled and cause illnesses such as asbestosis,
mesothelioma, lung cancer, intestinal cancer and liver cancer.

– Lead – This is a metallic element and can cause health and

environmental problems. It is a nonbiodegradable substance so is hard
to clean up once the environment is contaminated. Lead is harmful to
the health of many animals, including humans, as it can inhibit the
action of bodily enzymes.

– Mercury – This is a metallic element and can cause health and

environmental problems. It is a nonbiodegradable
substance so is hard to clean up once the environment is contaminated.
Mercury is also harmful to animal health as it can cause illness through
mercury poisoning.

– Nitrates – The increased use of fertilizers means that nitrates are

more often being washed from the soil and into rivers and lakes. This
can cause eutrophication, which can be very problematic to marine
environments.

– Phosphates – The increased use of fertilizers means that phosphates

are more often being washed from the soil and into rivers and lakes.
This can cause eutrophication, which can be very problematic to marine
environments.

– Sulphur – This is a non-metallic substance that is harmful for marine

life.

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– Oils – Oil does not dissolve in water, instead it forms a thick layer on
the water surface. This can stop marine plants receiving enough light
for photosynthesis. It is also harmful for fish and marine birds.

– Petrochemicals – This is formed from gas or petrol and can be toxic to

marine life.

TYPES OF WATER POLLUTION:

Based on the source and storage of water, water pollution may be

classified into five main categories as follows:
a. GROUND WATYER POLLUTION: -
Water below the surface of the earth is called ground water. Most
of the water (>90%) is present as ground water.
The remaining is present in lakes, river, streams etc. Only about 2% is
present as soil moisture above the water table which is needed for the
growth of plants. Ground water collects below the surface of the earth
after passing through the pores of the earthly materials which act as a
filter for it and is pure. It is for this reason that well water or spring
water is used for domestic purpose in rural areas. However due to
disposal of domestic wastes and industrial effluents and use of
fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture, a number of harmful soluble
substance dissolve into the rain water and passes through the soil and
enter into ground water and results in pollution, especially where the
water table is high.
b. SURFACE WATER POLLUTION: -

Surface water includes rivers, lakes, oceans, streams, lagoons.

Surface run-off substances that are hazardous dissolve and mix with

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water polluting the surface water. These run-off substances can be from
any source like factories, domestic, sewage, agriculture etc.

c. LAKE WATER POLLUTIOB: -

Lake cover a large part of the water area the water in them gets
contaminated in a number of ways as follows:

I. Organic wastes from the heals and toxic effluents from the urban areas
flow into them.
II. Industrial effluents thrown into them.
III. Sewage treatments plants discharge toxic organic matter into them.
IV. Dumping huge amounts of sediments i.e. siltation of lakes.
V. Inorganic nutrients from agricultural land due to surface run off.

d. RIVER WATER POLLUTION: -

There are 13 major rivers in India flowing through different states.
There was a time when the water in these rivers are pure and clean.
Ganga jal was considered to be so pure that it could be put in the
mouth of relative who was on death bed. But now the water is so
polluted that if taken may speed up the death of the person. Similarly,
the water in the river Yamuna river is so polluted that not to talk of
drinking, it is unfit even for swimming or taking bath. The main reasons
for the pollution of water in these rivers are industrial discharge
including those from paper, textile, rayon, fertilizers, pesticides,
detergents, drug industries and refineries, domestic sewage etc.
e. SEA WATER POLLUTION: -
Ocean cover about 70% of the earth`s surface. They are not only a
major source of water but within them lie huge stocks of food,
minerals, coal, oil and gas. It is unfit for human consumption and for
industrial use because it is very salty. Further, sea water is being mainly

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polluted by oil which poses a serious threat to the marines and

fisheries.
The pollution of sea water due to discharge of wastes from different
source into it there by making it harmful for human health and
aquatic life like fish etc. is called marine water pollution.
SOURCES OF OIL POLLUTION IN SEA WATER:
1. Wreckage of oil tankers in open sea or accidents of ships carrying oil
in the sea.
2. Discharge of oily wastes from tank washings.
3. Oil leakage from pipelines.
4. Shipping operations at the coastal belt.
5. Oily wastes from oil fields or refineries located near the coast.

OTHER SOURCE OF POLLUTION OF SEA WATER: -

 Discharge of urban sewage, silt, plastics.
 Flow of pesticides and other dumped toxic chemicals from land.
 Discharge of radioactive wastes into sea.
 From beach tourism discharging sanitary and kitchen wastes into sea.

f. GROUND WATER POLLUTION: -

Chemicals from fertilizers and pesticides applied to the soil are washed
off and seep in the ground contaminating the composition of the
ground water causing pollution.

WATER POLLUTANTS: -

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 Sewage- Sewage pollutants include domestic and hospital wastes,

animal and human excreta etc. The sewage let off cause`s oxygen
depletion, spread of diseases/epidemics.

 Metals- Metals like mercury are let off into water bodies from
industries. Heavy metals like mercury cause poisoning and affect health
causing numbness of tongue, lips, limbs, deafness, blurred vision and
mental disorders.

 Lead- Industrial wastes also lead to Lead pollution. If lead enters the
human body system in higher quantities it affects RBCs, bone, brain,
liver, kidney and the nervous system. Severe lead poisoning can also
lead to coma and death.

 Cadmium - Source for cadmium pollution is industries, fertilizers.

Cadmium gets deposited in invisceral, organs, liver, pancreas, kidney,
intestinal mucosa etc. Cadmium poisoning causes vomiting, headache,
bronchial pneumonia, kidney necrosis, etc.

 Arsenic - Fertilizers are source for arsenic pollution. Arsenic

poisoning causes renal failure and death. It also causes liver and
kidney disorders, nervous disorders and muscular atrophy, etc.

 Agrochemicals like DDT - It is a pesticide. Accumulation of these

pesticides in bodies of fishes, birds, mammals and man affects
nervous system, fertility and causes thinning of egg shells in birds.

 Bacteria, Viruses and Parasites - These are sourced from human

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and animal excreta, they are infectious agents.

• Plastics, Detergents, Oil and Gasoline - They are a waste from

industries, household and farms. They trigger organic pollution and is
harmful to health.

• Inorganic Chemicals - Inorganic chemicals like acids, salts, metals are

a result of industrial effluents, household cleansers, and surface run-off
and are injurious to health.

• Radioactive Materials - Mining and ores processing, power plants,

weapons production and natural give rise to radioactive pollution like
that of uranium, thorium, cesium, iodine and radon. Radioactive
pollution causes serious health diseases to all organisms.

• Sediments - Sedimentation of soil, silt due to land erosion and

deposition causes disruption in ecosystem.

• Plant Nutrients - Nutrients like nitrates, phosphates, and ammonium

are let off from agricultural and urban fertilizers, sewage and manure.
Excess of nutrients cause Eutrophication and affect the ecosystem.

• Animal Manure and Plant Residues - These substances in water

causes increased algal blooms and microorganism population. This
increases oxygen demand of water, affecting aquatic ecosystem. This is
introduced into water due to sewage, agricultural run-off, paper mills,
food processing etc.
EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION

• Water pollution extensively affects health in humans and aquatic

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ecosystems.

• Groundwater contamination causes reproductive and fertility

disorders in wildlife ecosystems.

• Sewage, fertilizer and agricultural run-off has nutrients, organic

substances which lead to increase of algal bloom causing oxygen
depletion. The lower oxygen levels affect the natural ecological balance
of rivers and lake ecosystem.

• Consumption and swimming in contaminated water causes skin

diseases, cancer, reproductive problems, stomach ailments in humans.

• Industrial effluents and agricultural pesticides accumulate in aquatic

environments causing harm to aquatic animals and biomagnifications.
Heavy metals like mercury, lead are poisonous to small children and
women. These chemicals interfere in the development of nervous
system in fetuses and young children.

• Rising water temperatures destroy aquatic ecosystem.

• Littering by humans like plastic bags, clog and suffocate aquatic

animals.

• Water pollution causes soil erosion in streams, rivers and flooding

due to accumulation.

BIO-CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)

 A chemical procedure for determining how fast biological

organisms use up oxygen in a body of water.

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 BOD can be used as a gauge of the effectiveness of wastewater

Treatment plant.

 BOD value in polluted water is normally higher than the fresh water.

 Increased BOD can be resulted due to domestic sewage, petroleum

residues, and organic wastes etc.

CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (COD)

 The requirements of oxygen needs to chemically oxidize the organic

matters in a water body.
 The most common application of COD is quantifying the amount of
oxidizable pollutants found in surface water or wastewater
 In general with industrial waste that typically has high inorganic loads
can remove more pollution via COD
 COD level in waste streams is always high

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THINGS TO REDUCE WATER POLLUTION

 Use of low phosphate-level detergents

 Dispose of wastes (like tissue paper or odd trash) by putting them in
trash bins rather than flushing them down into drain.
 Use of native plants instead of hybrid ones. Because they require less
amount pesticides.
 Use organic fertilizers & pesticides.
 Conserve as much water as possible.
 Less use of plastics.
 Prevent oil erosion from occurring.
 Sewage treatment
 Industrial waste water treatment
 Agricultural waste water treatment
 Sediment & Erosion control from construction sites
 Control of urban runoff

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WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROCESSES

 Preliminary treatment :
The objective of preliminary treatment is the removal of coarse solids
and other large materials often found in raw wastewater.

 Primary treatment :
The objective of primary treatment is the removal of settleable organic
and inorganic solids by sedimentation, and the removal of materials
that will float (scum) by skimming

 Secondary treatment:
The objective of secondary treatment is the further treatment of the
effluent from primary treatment to remove the residual organics and
suspended solids.

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 Tertiary and/or advanced treatment:

Necessary to remove nitrogen, phosphorus, additional suspended
solids, refractory organics, heavy metals and dissolved solids

 Disinfection:
By Chlorination, Ozone and ultra violet (uv) irradiation3.2.7 Reliability
of conventional and advanced wastewater treatment.

 0-discharge
The principle of “zero discharge” is recycling of all industrial
wastewater. This means that wastewater will be treated and used again
in the process. Because of the water reuse wastewater will not be
released on the sewer system or surface water.

CONCLUSIONS: -

Water pollution has very many devastating effects to the

environment. We all contribute to water pollution whether knowingly
or unknowingly. It is important to have days where everyone can take
part in cleaning the water bodies. This is to not only protect the
marine life but to reduce the chances of getting water borne diseases.
Water pollution has turned into a consistent expanding issue
on the earth which is influencing human and creature lives in
all viewpoints. Water contamination is tainting the drinking
water by the harmful toxins produced by the human exercises.
The
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entire water is getting dirtied through numerous sources, for

example, urban spill over, rural, mechanical, sedimentary,
syphoning from landfills, creature squanders, and other
human exercises. Each one of the toxins is exceptionally
destructive to nature. Human populace is expanding step by
step and in this way their requirements and rivalry driving
contamination to the best dimension. We have to pursue some
extreme changes in our propensities to spare the water on
earth and also proceed with the likelihood of life here. Or else,
the day is not far off when life would not be able to survive on
earth to the enormous levels of water pollution.

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