WATER

POLLUTION
RINSHA NARAYANAN
(19213224)
WATER POLLUTION:
TYPES, EFFECTS, AND
SOURCES
 What is water pollution?

 Major types of pollutants, sources and effects

 Ways to stop water pollution

 MAJOR CATEGORIES OF WATER
POLLUTANTS
 Infectious Agents
 Bacteria, Viruses, Protozoa, Parasitic  Plant Nutrients
Worms
 Nitrates, Phosphates,
 Source: Human and animal waste
 Source: Sewage, manure, agricultural and
 Oxygen-Demanding Waste landscaping runoff
 Organic debris & waste + aerobic  Organic Chemicals
bacteria
 Oil, Gasoline, Plastics, Pesticides, Solvents,
 Source: Sewage, feedlots, paper-mills,
detergents
food processing
 Sources: Industrial effluent, Household
 Inorganic Chemicals cleansers, runoff from farms and yards
 Acids, Metals, Salts  Eroded Sediment
 Sources: Surface runoff, Industrial  Soil, Silt
effluent, household cleansers
 Heat/Thermal Pollution
 Radioactive Materials
 Source: Power plants, Industrial
 Iodine, radon, uranium, cesium, thorium
 Source: Coal & Nuclear Power plants, mining,
weapons production, natural
POLLUTION IN STREAMS

Normal clean water organisms

Trash fish (trout, perch, bass,
Fish absent, mayfly, stonefly)
Trash fish fungi, (carp, gar,
Normal clean water organisms (carp, gar, sludge leeches) 8 ppm
Types of (trout, perch, bass, leeches) worms,
organisms mayfly, stonefly) bacteria
(anaerobic)
8 ppm
Dissolved
oxygen
(ppm)

Biological Clean Zone

oxygen
demand Recovery
Septic Zone Zone
Decomposition
Clean Zone Zone
 GROUNDWATER
POLLUTION: CAUSES AND
PERSISTENCE
 Sources of groundwater pollution

 Slow flowing: slow dilution and dispersion

 Consequences of lower dissolved oxygen

 Fewer bacteria to decompose wastes

 Cooler temperatures: slow down chemical reactions

 “Degradable” and nondegradable wastes in groundwater

 Solutions
Water Pollution
• Prevent groundwater contamination
• Greatly reduce nonpoint runoff
• Reuse treated wastewater for
irrigation
• Find substitutes for toxic pollutants
• Work with nature to treat sewage
• Practice four R's of resource use
(refuse, reduce, recycle, reuse)
• Reduce resource waste
• Reduce air pollution
• Reduce poverty
• Reduce birth rates
What Can You Do?
Water Pollution
• Fertilize your garden and yard plants
with manure or compost instead of
commercial inorganic fertilizer.
• Minimize your use of pesticides.
• Never apply fertilizer or pesticides near
a body of water.
• Grow or buy organic foods.
• Compost your food wastes.
• Do not use water fresheners in toilets.
• Do not flush unwanted medicines down
the toilet.
• Do not pour pesticides, paints,
solvents, oil, antifreeze, or other
products containing harmful chemicals
down the drain or onto the ground.