WATER POLLUTION

Cleaner water, cleaner tomorrow.

Presented By:

Aditya Dev Chopra

00314807420
Anish Saxena 01014807420
Anuj 01114807420
Arun Bansal 01214807420
 INDEX
 Introduction
 Sources of Water Pollution
 Causes of Water Pollution
 Effects of Water Pollution
 Preventions
 What Is Water
Pollution?
The water they say is life, and indeed they were right. About 70%
of the earth is water, which has undeniably become one of our
greatest resources. When we were young, we learned about
the various ways to conserve water because water is used in
almost every important human chores and processes. Water is an
essential element in both domestic as well as industrial purposes.
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.

Not only does this spell disaster for aquatic ecosystems, but the
pollutants also seep through and reach the groundwater, which
might end up in our households as contaminated water we use in
our daily activities, including drinking.
  Groundwater Pollution
Groundwater is one of our least visible but most critical natural resources. With rainfall, it
becomes groundwater as it seeps deep into the earth, filling up cracks, crevices, and porous spaces
of an aquifer, which is an underground storehouse of water. Groundwater is then pumped to the
earth’s surface for drinking water. 
Groundwater gets polluted when contaminants such as fertilizers, pesticides, and waste leaching
from landfills and septic systems, making their way into an aquifer.
Once polluted, an aquifer becomes unsafe for humans and remains unusable for decades, or even
thousands of years. Besides, groundwater can also spread contamination far from the original

What are the polluting source when it seeps into streams, lakes, and oceans.
Making groundwater free of contaminants can be difficult to impossible, as well as costly.

Sources of  Surface Water

Surface water covers about 70 percent of the earth, filling our oceans, lakes, rivers, and including all

Water
blue bits on the world map. Surface water from freshwater sources other than the sea accounts
for more than 60 percent of the water delivered to our homes. 
As per the Environmental Protection Agency of the U.S., nearly 50% of our rivers and

Pollution? streams and over one-third of our lakes are polluted and unfit for swimming, fishing, and drinking.
 Nutrient pollution that includes nitrates and phosphates, which plants and animals need to grow,
causes major pollution in the freshwater sources due to farm waste and fertilizer runoff. Municipal
and industrial waste discharges and also individuals’ dumping directly into waterways contribute
their fair share of toxins.
 Ocean Water
Eighty percent of ocean pollution or marine pollution originates on land along the coast or far
inland. Streams and rivers carry contaminants such as chemicals, nutrients, and heavy metals that are
carried from farms, factories, and cities into our bays and estuaries, and from there, they reach the
ocean. 
Marine debris, particularly plastic, is blown away by the wind or washed away in storm via drains
and sewers. Our seas sometimes get polluted by big and small oil spills and leaks and are also
soaking up carbon pollution from the air. The ocean absorbs a quarter of human-made carbon
emissions.
 Point Source
When contamination occurs from a single source, it’s called point source pollution.
Though this pollution originates from a specific place, it can affect miles of waterways
and ocean.
Point sources include wastewater, which is known as effluent, legally or illegally
discharged from a manufacturing unit, oil refinery, or wastewater treatment facility.
It can be from leaking septic systems, chemical and oil spills, and also illegal dumping.
The EPA has set limits on what can be discharged by a facility directly into a body of
water to regulate point source pollution.

 Nonpoint Source
Nonpoint source pollution is contamination derived from multiple or diffused sources.
These may include contaminated water traveled after rains, agricultural or stormwater
runoff, or debris blown into waterways from the land.
Nonpoint source pollution is considered as the leading cause of water pollution, but it’s
challenging to regulate since there’s no identifiable source to blame.

 Transboundary
A boundary line cannot contain water pollution on a map. Transboundary pollution
happened when contaminated water from one country spilled into other countries’
waters. It can result from a disaster like an oil spill or the slow, downriver creep of
industrial, agricultural, or municipal discharge.
 What are the Various Causes of Water Pollution?
Water is one of the most important elements on Earth when it comes to sustaining life. Unfortunately, it is also extremely susceptible to
pollution. This is largely because water is a universal solvent that can dissolve many substances. While this is a wonderful quality that we take
advantage of for everyday tasks such as cooking, cleaning and taking medication, it is also the exact quality that causes water to become polluted
so easily. 

 There are many causes of water pollution , here are few

ways how water gets polluted:
1. Industrial Waste
2. Sewage and Wastewater
3. Mining Activities
4. Marine Dumping
5. Oil Leakage
6. Burning of Fossil Fuels
7. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides
8. Leakage from Sewage lines
9. Global Warming
10. Animal waste
11. Radioactive Material
12. Acid Rain
1.Industrial Waste
Industries produce a tremendous amount of waste, which contains toxic chemicals and pollutants,
causing air pollution and damage to our environment and us. They contain harmful chemicals, including
lead, mercury, sulfur, nitrates, asbestos, and many others.
Many industries, not having a proper waste management system, drain the waste in the freshwater, which
goes into canals, rivers, and later into the sea.

2.Sewage and wastewater

The sewage and wastewater that is produced in each household are treated chemically and released into
the sea along with fresh water. Microorganisms in water are known to cause some of the very deadly
diseases and become the breeding grounds for creatures that act as carriers. These carriers inflict these
diseases onto an individual via various forms of contact. A typical example would be Malaria.

3. Mining Activities
Mining is the process of crushing the rock and extracting coal and other minerals from the underground.
These elements, when extracted in the raw form, contain harmful chemicals and can increase the number
of toxic elements when mixed up with water, which may result in health problems. Mining activities emit
a large amount of metal waste and sulfides from the rocks, which is harmful to the water.

4. Marine Dumping
The garbage produced by households in the form of paper, plastic, food, aluminum, rubber, glass, is
collected and dumped into the sea in some countries. These items take 2 weeks to 200 years to
decompose.
When such things enter the sea, they not only cause water pollution but also harm animals in the sea.

5. Accidental Oil Leakage

Oil spill poses a huge threat to marine life when a large amount of oil spills into the sea and does not
dissolve in water. It causes problems for local marine wildlife, including fish, birds, and sea otters.
6. The burning of fossil fuels
Fossil fuels like coal and oil, when burnt, produce a substantial amount of ash in the atmosphere. The
particles which contain toxic chemicals when mixed with water vapor result in acid rain. Also, carbon
dioxide is released from the burning of fossil fuels, which results in global warming.
7. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides
Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used by farmers to protect crops from insects and bacteria. They are
useful for the plant’s growth. Also, when it rains, the chemicals mix up with rainwater and flow down into
rivers and canals, which pose serious damages for aquatic animals.
8. Leakage From Sewer Lines
A small leakage from the sewer lines can contaminate the underground water and make it unfit for the
people to drink. Also, when not repaired on time, the leaking water can come on to the surface and become
a breeding ground for insects and mosquitoes.
9. Global Warming
An increase in the earth’s temperature results in global warming due to the greenhouse effect. It increases
the water temperature and results in the death of aquatic animals and marine species, which later results in
water pollution.
10. Radioactive Waste
The nuclear waste that is produced by radioactive material needs to be disposed of to prevent any nuclear
accident. Nuclear waste can have serious environmental hazards if not disposed of properly. Few major
accidents have already taken place in Russia and Japan.
11. Animal Waste
The waste produced by animals washed away into the rivers when it rains. It then gets mixed up with other
harmful chemicals and causes various water-borne diseases like cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, jaundice, and
typhoid.
12. Acid Rain
Acid rain is essentially water pollution caused by air pollution. When the acidic particles released in the
atmosphere by air pollution mix with water vapor, it results in acid rain.
 Effects Of Water Pollution
EFFECTS ON OUR HEALTH
Virtually all types of water pollution are harmful to the health of humans and animals. Water
pollution may not damage our health immediately but can be harmful after long term
exposure. Different forms of pollutants affect the health of animals in different ways:
• Heavy metals from industrial processes can accumulate in nearby lakes and rivers. These are
toxic to marine life such as fish and shellfish, and subsequently to the humans who eat them.
Heavy metals can slow development; result in birth defects and some are carcinogenic.
• Industrial waste often contains many toxic compounds that damage the health of aquatic
animals and those who eat them. Some of the toxins in industrial waste may only have a mild  EFFECTS ON ECONOMY
effect whereas other can be fatal. They can cause immune suppression, reproductive failure
or acute poisoning. Water pollution can be damaging to the economy as it can be expensive to treat and
• Microbial pollutants from sewage often result in infectious diseases that infect aquatic life prevent contamination. Waste that does not break down quickly accumulates in the Earth’s
and terrestrial life through drinking water. Microbial water pollution is a major problem in waters and eventually makes its way to the oceans.
the developing world, with diseases such as cholera and typhoid fever being the primary Water pollution can be prevented by stopping pollutants from contaminating nearby
cause of infant mortality. waters. There are a number of water treatments to prevent pollution such as:
• Biological filters
• Organic matter and nutrients causes an increase in aerobic algae and depletes oxygen from
• Chemical additives
the water column. This causes the suffocation of fish and other aquatic organisms.
• Sand filters
• Sulfate particles from acid rain can cause harm the health of marine life in the rivers and
lakes it contaminates, and can result in mortality. • These simple techniques cost money to maintain, but prevention is much cheaper than
• Suspended particles in freshwater reduces the quality of drinking water for humans and the cleaning up water pollution that has already occurred. The cost of a pollution clean-up
aquatic environment for marine life. Suspended particles can often reduce the amount of depends on many factors:
sunlight penetrating the water, disrupting the growth of photosynthetic plants and micro-
organisms. • The location of the pollution is important in determining how much the clean-up will
cost. If the contamination is in an area that is easy to get to, then the clean up cost will
be cheaper.
• The contamination size also needs to be considered, the larger the area of
contamination, the more expensive the cost of the clean-up.
• The type of pollutant may also have an effect on the clean-up cost, some pollutants are
more difficult to clean up than others, and therefore more expensive.
 EFFECTS ON ENVIRONMENT
There are many different types of water pollution, and all have a different adverse effect on the environment.
• Heavy metals from industrial processes can accumulate in nearby lakes and rivers. These are toxic to marine life
such as fish and shellfish and can affect the rest of the food chain. This means that entire animal communities
can be badly affected by this type of pollutant.
• Industrial waste often contains many toxic compounds that damage the health of aquatic animals and those who
eat them. Some toxins affect the reproductive success of marine life and can therefore disrupt the community
structure of an aquatic environment.
• Microbial pollutants from sewage often result in infectious diseases that infect aquatic life and terrestrial life
through drinking water. This often increases the number of mortalities seen within an environment.
• Organic matter and nutrients causes an increase in aerobic algae and depletes oxygen from the water column.
This is called eutrophication and causes the suffocation of fish and other aquatic organisms.
• Sulfate particles from acid rain change the pH of water making it more acidic, this damages the health of marine
life in the rivers and lakes it contaminates, and often increases the number of mortalities within an environment.
• Suspended particles can often reduce the amount of sunlight penetrating the water, disrupting the growth of
photosynthetic plants and micro-organisms. This has subsequent effects on the rest of the aquatic community
that depend on these organisms to survive.

 
 Things You Can Do To Reduce Water Pollution
“Just because it disappears, doesn’t mean it goes away”
1.USE LESS PLASTIC
It is very difficult to break down plastic after it is produced. Much of the plastic we consume
ends up in the world’s water supply, where it is even harder to fish out and safely throw
away.
2. REUSE ITEMS
This habit limits your consumption and means less of those products will end up in the
world’s rivers, lakes, and oceans.
3. DO NOT DISPOSE OF OILS IN THE SINK
4. CLEANING CHEMICALS
If you are emptying containers of household cleaning supplies, do it in the trash can, not in
the sink.
5. HANDLE TOXIC CHEMICALS PROPERLY
6. SHOP TO STOP WATER POLLUTION
Try to avoid buying products that contain persistent and dangerous chemicals in the first
place. Nowadays, companies are selling non-toxic cleaners and biodegradable cleaners and
pesticides.
7. DO NOT THROW AWAY MEDICINES
8. AVOID TOILETS FOR THROWING HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
9. GARBAGE DISPOSAL
Even though most homes have a garbage disposal system in the sink, it is better to use it as
rarely as possible. This system can break down solid objects, but those items are harmful to
the water supply. It is better to throw them in the trash can when possible.
10. LIMIT THE USE OF DETERGENTS AND BLEACHES
10. LIMIT THE USE OF DETERGENTS AND BLEACHES
Do not put two cups of bleach in your washing machine when the instructions only call for
half a cup.
11. USE PHOSPHATE-FREE DETERGENT
Phosphates present in cleaners are harmful chemicals. Phosphates lead to algae blooms and
reduce the oxygen in the water that kills fish and other aquatic animals.
12. AVOID PESTICIDES
13. DO REGULAR CAR MAINTENANCE
Oil and other fluids that leak from motor vehicles end up in the local water system or
running off into creeks and streams.
14. OIL SPILL
 Oil and transmission fluid are two examples of substances you do not want in your drains
or sewers.
15. JUST DO NOT LITTER!
16. EAT ORGANIC FOOD MORE
17. STOP IMMERSION OF ASHES IN THE RIVER
While it is a common practice, especially in the Hindu religion, to immerse the ashes of a
deceased person into the holy water of sacred river Ganga, it pollutes the river water
and adversely affects the water quality. Dead bodies are cremated on the riverbanks.
Partially burnt bodies are also flung into the river to keep up with religious faiths.
THANK YOU