ENERGY

VARIOUS TYPES OF ENERGY RESOURCES

 INTRODUCTION
► Energy is an important aspect of human activity. In early days the energy
demands were met primarily by muscular effort, wind and water currents,
fuel wood, direct solar warming and such other resources.

► With the progress of industrial civilization, these sources became less

important and fossil fuels such as coal, lignite, petroleum and natural gas
began to play a vital role as source of energy.

► There has been a ten fold growth in energy consumption over past three
decades and a projected thirty-time increase by 2050 and this is a challenging
postposition to be tackled.
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF ENERGY
► Basically classified as renewable resources and non renewable resources.
► Biomass, hydro, solar, wind, tidal and geothermal energy are the examples of
renewable energy resources.
► Coal, oil, gas and uranium are the examples of nonrenewable source of
energy.
► Traditional bio-fuels, fuel wood, crop residue and animal waste contribute to
30%-40% of the total energy consumption, in the form of non-conventional
energy.
► Biomass, hydro, solar, wind, tidal and geothermal energy are the renewable
sources
 FOSSIL FUELS
► Fossil fuels-coal,oil,gas,peat,lignite etc.

► They are formed from decomposed plant and animal matter found in various strata below
eath’s surface as coal, oil, natural gas etc.

► Fossil fuels contain high percentages of carbon and include coal, petroleum and natural
gas. Other more commonly used derivatives of fossil fuels include kerosene and propane.
They range from volatile materials with low carbon:hydrogen ratios like methane, to
liquid petroleum to nonvolatile materials composed of almost pure carbon, like anthracite
coal.

► Petroleum and natural gas are formed by the anaerobic decomposition of remains of
organisms including phytoplankton and zooplankton that settled to the sea (or lake)
bottom in large quantities under anoxic conditions, millions of years ago. Over geological
time, this organic matter, mixed with mud, got buried under heavy layers of sediment.
The resulting high levels of heat and pressure caused the organic matter to chemically
alter, first into a waxy material known as kerogen which is found in oil shales, and then
with more heat into liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons in a process known as catagenesis.
► Fossil fuels are of great importance because they can be burned (oxidized to
carbon dioxide and water), producing significant amounts of energy per unit
weight. The use of coal as a fuel predates recorded history. Coal was used to run
furnaces for the melting of metal ore. Semi-solid hydrocarbons from seeps were
also burned in ancient times.

► Commercial exploitation of petroleum, largely as a replacement for oils from

animal sources (notably whale oil), for use in oil lamps began in the 19th century.

► Natural gas, once flared-off as an unneeded byproduct of petroleum production, is

now considered a very valuable resource. Natural gas deposits are also the main
source of the element helium.

► Heavy crude oil, which is much more viscous than conventional crude oil, and tar
sands, where bitumen is found mixed with sand and clay, are becoming more
important as sources of fossil fuel. Oil shale and similar materials are sedimentary
rocks containing kerogen, a complex mixture of high-molecular weight organic
compounds, which yield synthetic crude oil when heated (pyrolyzed). These
materials have yet to be exploited commercially.These fuels can be employed in
internal combustion engines, fossil fuel power stations and other uses.
 RESERVES OF FOSSIL FUEL
► Levels of primary energy sources are the reserves in the ground. Flows are production of
fossil fuels from these reserves. The most important part of primary energy sources are
the carbon based fossil energy sources. Coal, oil, and natural gas provided 79.6% of
primary energy production during 2002 (in million tonnes of oil equivalent (mtoe))
(34.9+23.5+21.2).

► Levels (proved reserves) during 2005–2006

Coal: 997,748 million short tonnes (905 billion metric tonnes), 4,416 billion barrels (702.1
km3) of oil equivalent.
Oil: 1,119 billion barrels (177.9 km3) to 1,317 billion barrels (209.4 km3)
Natural gas: 6,183–6,381 trillion cubic feet (175–181 trillion cubic metres),1,161 billion
barrels (184.6×109 m3) of oil equivalent.
Flows (daily production) during 2006

Coal: 18,476,127 short tonnes (16,761,260 metric tonnes), 52,000,000 barrels (8,300,000
m3) of oil equivalent per day
Oil: 84,000,000 barrels per day (13,400,000 m3/d)
Natural gas: 104,435 billion cubic feet (2,963 billion cubic metres), 19,000,000 barrels
(3,000,000 m3) of oil equivalent per day
 DISADVANTAGES OF FOSSIL FUEL
► Environmental Hazards: Environmental pollution is one of the major disadvantage
of fossil fuels. It is a known fact that carbon dioxide, gas released when fossil
fuels are burnt, is one of the primary gas responsible for global warming.
► Rising Prices: Middle-east countries have huge reserves of oil and natural gas and
many other countries are dependent on them for constant supply of these fuels.
► Acid Rain: Sulphur dioxide is one of the pollutant that is released when fossil fuels
are burnt and is a main cause of acid rain. Acid rain can lead to destruction of
monuments made up of brickwork or marbles. Even crops can affected due to
acidification of loams.
► Effect on Human Health: Pollution from vehicles and coal powered power plants
can cause serious environmental hazards. Pollution related diseases range from
mild to severe and can significantly affect one’s quality of life.
► Impact on Aquatic Life by Oil Spill: Fossil fuels are needed in huge reserves
wherever their plants are set up. This requires them to be transported to the
desired location via truck, train, ship or airplane. Often we hear of some leaks in
oil tankers or ship getting drowned deep under the sea that were carrying crude
oil to get refined. The impact of this is that crude oil contains some toxic
substances which when mixed up with water poses serious impact on aquatic life.
 COAL
► On a world wide basis, coal is substantially more abundant than oil or gas, the
total coal reserve being estimated to be around 7.4х10^12 MT, which is
equivalent to 4.7х10^22 calories.

► This may be compared with the total world energy consumption from all fuels
equal to 6 х10^19 calories. Coal denotes a large range of solid fossil fuels
derived, from partial degradation of plants.

► Chemically, coal is a complex material having a typical approximate

composition C100H85S21N21O9.5.

► Anthracite, a hard, clean burning, low Sulphur coal is the most desirable of all
coals.
 HAZARDS
► One major problem is coal is a dirty fuel to burn and it emits SO2 which is a
serious health hazard is urban areas.

► Also, being a solid, coal is much less convenient to use than petroleum or
natural gas.

► Combustion of fuels to produce energy leads to

1)air pollution(ccarbon, nitrogen and Sulphur di oxides)
2)the production of solid waste in the form of ash

Therefore the extent to which coal can be used depends upon the solution to
various environmental problems including a)minimizing environmental impact of
coal mining b) removing ash and SO2 from stack gas after combustion c)
conversion of coal to liquid and gaseous fuels free of ash and Sulphur d)removing
ash and Sulphur from coal prior to combustion
WORLD’S COAL RESERVES
 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
► The availability of petroleum and natural gas governs the energy growth and
status of a country. The industrial revolution was initially fueled by coal, but
subsequently the emphasis was shifted to oil and gas which are cleaner fuels
and transported more easily.
OIL REFINERIES IN INDIA
► NATURAL GAS:- it is an important primary gaseous fuel which is obtained from
underground strata either as such or associated with crude oil.

► It is also found in places quite remote from oil bearing strata, from where the gas
might have migrated through porous rocks. If the petroleum consists of lower
molecular weight or lighter hydrocarbons then it is termed as natural gas.
► Natural gas consists essentially of a mixture of methane(70% to 90%), ethane, propane
and butane(20%) and other gasses like CO2, H2S,N2 and other trace gasses.
► A natural gas containing mainly methane but not higher hydrocarbons is said to be
lean or dry gas where as that containing appreciable amounts of propane, butane and
other liquid hydrocarbons like pentanes, hexanes etc., is called as rich gas or wet gas.

► CNG/LNG also has a promising technology as an alternate fuel when fuel natural gas is
processed and liquefied.

► LPG is a mixture of butane and propane liquefied and stored under pressure in steel
containers.

► Tetrahydrothiophene is added to detect the leakage in gas

 PETROLEUM
► It consists of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other organic
compounds. The name petroleum covers both naturally occurring unprocessed
crude oil and petroleum products that are made up of refined crude oil.

► Petroleum has mostly been recovered by oil drilling, (natural petroleum

springs are rare). This comes after the studies of structural geology (at the
reservoir scale), sedimentary basin analysis, reservoir characterization (mainly
in terms of the porosity and permeability of geologic reservoir structures).

► Petroleum is a mixture of a very large number of different hydrocarbons; the

most commonly found molecules are alkanes (paraffins), cycloalkanes
(naphthenes), aromatic hydrocarbons, or more complicated chemicals like
asphaltenes.

► Petroleum is a fossil fuel derived from ancient fossilized organic materials,

such as zooplankton and algae.
PETROLEUM CONSUMPTION
 HAZARDS
► Crude oil is a mixture of many different kinds of organic compounds, many of which
are highly toxic and cancer causing (carcinogenic). Oil is "acutely lethal" to fish -
that is, it kills fish quickly, at a concentration of 4000 parts per million (ppm).

► Benzene is present in both crude oil and gasoline and is known to cause leukaemia in
humans. The compound is also known to lower the white blood cell count in humans,
which would leave people exposed to it more susceptible to infections.

► An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment,
especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term
is usually applied to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal
waters, but spills may also occur on land. Oil spills may be due to releases of crude
oil from tankers, pipelines, railcars, offshore platforms, drilling rigs and wells.

► Waste oil is used oil containing not only breakdown products but also impurities from
use. Some examples of waste oil are used oils such as hydraulic oil, transmission oil,
brake fluids, motor oil, crankcase oil, gear box oil and synthetic oil.
 NUCLEAR ENERGY
► In 2011 nuclear power provided 10% of the world's electricity In 2007, the IAEA reported
there were 439 nuclear power reactors in operation in the world, operating in 31 countries.
► In Japan many reactors ceased operation in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster while
they are assessed for safety.

► In 2011 worldwide nuclear output fell by 4.3%, the largest decline on record, on the back of
sharp declines in Japan (-44.3%) and Germany (-23.2%).

► There is a social debate about nuclear power. Proponents, such as the World Nuclear
Association and Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy, contend that nuclear power is a safe,
sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions.
► Opponents, such as Greenpeace International and NIRS, contend that nuclear power poses
many threats to people and the environment.

► The pursuit of nuclear energy for electricity generation began soon after the discovery in the
early 20th century that radioactive elements, such as radium.
 NUCLEAR FISSION
► Nuclear fission is either a nuclear reaction or a radioactive decay process in
which the nucleus of an atom splits into smaller parts (lighter nuclei). The fission
process often produces free neutrons and gamma photons, and releases a very
large amount of energy even by the energetic standards of radioactive decay.

► Nuclear fission of heavy elements was discovered on December 17, 1938 by

German Otto Hahn and his assistant Fritz Strassmann, and explained theoretically
in January 1939 by Lise Meitner and her nephew Otto Robert Frisch.
 HAZARDS
► The radio active waste produced in nuclear power plants remains highly toxic
for centuries. There are currently no safe ways to either store this waste or
dispose it permanently.

► Accidents arising from nuclear plants can have widespread effects, e.g. the
Chernobyl disster in 1986 caused huge radioactive fallout on life across
Europe.

► Fission bomb. (an atom bomb is a nuclear explosive baaed on energy released
during fission chain reaction of uranium or plutonium by fast neutrons).
 NUCLEAR FUSION
► In nuclear physics, nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction in which two or more
atomic nuclei come very close and then collide at a very high speed and join
to form a new nucleus. During this process, matter is not conserved because
some of the matter of the fusing nuclei is converted to photons (energy).

► Fusion is the process that powers active or "main sequence" stars, or other
high magnitude stars.

► Following the discovery of quantum tunneling by physicist Friedrich Hund, in

1929 Robert Atkinson and Fritz Houtermans used the measured masses of light
elements to predict that large amounts of energy could be released by fusing
small nuclei.
For fusion to take place
► A very high temperature must be achieved.
► Sufficient plasma density is required.
► The plasma must be confined for an adequate time to allow fusion to occur.

Nuclear fusion holds the promise of being an important future source of energy,
if fusion can be fully developed because.
The fuel for fusion (hydrogen) is almost infinitely available. The nuclear
processes in ffusion are inherently safer than those of fission and fusion promises
to have minimal environmental pollution. Reaction by products will be far less
than with fission.
SOLAR POWER
SOLAR POWER-RENEWABLE ENERGY
SOURCE
► This about the use of sun’s energy. Three types of technologies can currently
harness sunlight energy:
► Photo voltaic cell using photoreceptive cell to generate electricity from
sunlight

► Solar-thermal- uses solar panels to recover the heat from the solar radiation.

► Solar -air heating- mainly used to heat incoming fresh air for ventilating a
house.
 ABOUT
► Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity, either directly using
photovoltaics (PV), or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP).

► Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a
large area of sunlight into a small beam. Photovoltaics convert light into an electric
current using the photovoltaic effect.

► The International Energy Agency projected in 2014 that under its "high renewables"
scenario, by 2050, solar photovoltaics and concentrated solar power would contribute
about 16 and 11 percent, respectively, of the worldwide electricity consumption, and
solar would be the world's largest source of electricity.

► Photovoltaics were initially solely used as a source of electricity for small and medium-
sized applications, from the calculator powered by a single solar cell to remote homes
powered by an off-grid rooftop PV system.
► Commercial concentrated solar power plants were first developed in the 1980s. The 392
MW Ivanpah installation is the largest concentrating solar power plant in the world,
located in the Mojave Desert of California.
► The 579 MW Solar Star, near Rosamond, California, is the world's largest PV power
station.
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEM
 PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM
► A photovoltaic system, also solar PV power system, or PV system, is a power system designed
to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics.

► It consists of an arrangement of several components, including solar panels to absorb and

convert sunlight into electricity, a solar inverter to change the electric current from DC to
AC, as well as mounting,

► Moreover, PV systems convert light directly into electricity and shouldn't be confused with
other technologies, such as concentrated solar power or solar thermal, used for heating and
cooling.

► Due to the exponential growth of photovoltaics, prices for PV systems have rapidly declined
in recent years. However, they vary by market and the size of the system. In 2014, prices for
residential 5-kilowatt systems in the United States were around $3.29 per watt, while in the
highly penetrated German market, prices for rooftop systems of up to 100 kW declined to
€1.24 per watt
WIND ENERGY
 WIND POWER
► Wind power is the use of air flow through wind turbines to mechanically power
generators for electricity. Wind power, as an alternative to burning fossil fuels, is
plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, produces no greenhouse gas emissions
during operation, and uses little land. The net effects on the environment are far less
problematic than those of nonrenewable power sources.

► Wind farms consist of many individual wind turbines which are connected to the
electric power transmission network. Onshore wind is an inexpensive source of
electricity, competitive with or in many places cheaper than coal or gas plants.

► offshore farms have less visual impact, but construction and maintenance costs are
considerably higher. Small onshore wind farms can feed some energy into the grid or
provide electricity to isolated off-grid locations.

► The first windmill used for the production of electricity was built in Scotland in July
1887 by Prof James Blyth of Anderson's College, Glasgow
WIND TURBINES
 WIND TURBINE
► A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into electrical
power. The term appears to have migrated from parallel hydroelectric technology
(rotary propeller).

► The technical description for this type of machine is an aerofoil-powered generator.

► The result of over a millennium of windmill development and modern engineering,

today's wind turbines are manufactured in a wide range of vertical and horizontal axis
types. The smallest turbines are used for applications such as battery charging for
auxiliary power for boats or caravans or to power traffic warning signs. Slightly larger
turbines can be used for making contributions to a domestic power supply while selling
unused power back to the utility supplier via the electrical grid.

► Windmills were used in Persia about 500-900 A.D. The windwheel of Hero of Alexandria
marks one of the first known instances of wind powering a machine in history.
 ADVANTAGES OF WIND POWER
► Wind energy is a green energy source and does not cause pollution.
► The potential of wind power is enormous – 20 times more than what the
entire human population needs.
► Wind power is renewable and there is no way we can run out of it (since wind
energy originates from the sun).
► Wind turbines are incredible space-efficient. The largest of them generate
enough electricity to power 600 U.S. homes.
► Wind power only accounts for about 2.5% of total worldwide electricity
production, but is growing at a promising rate of 25% per year (2010).
► Prices have decreased over 80% since 1980 and are expected to keep
decreasing.
► The operational costs associated with wind power are low.
► Good domestic potential: Residential wind turbines yields energy savings and
protects homeowners from power outages.
 DISADVANTAGES OF WIND ENERGY
► Wind is a fluctuating (intermittent) source of energy and is not suited to meet
the base load energy demand unless some form of energy storage is utilized
(e.g. batteries, pumped hydro).
► The manufacturing and installation of wind turbines requires heavy upfront
investments – both in commercial and residential applications.
► Wind turbines can be a threat to wildlife (e.g. birds, bats).
► Noise is regularly reported as a problem by neighboring homes.
► How wind turbines look (aesthetics) is a legitimate concern for some people.
HYDRO ELECTRIC ENERGY
 HYDRO ELECTRIC ENERGY
► Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower;
the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force
of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable
energy, accounting for 16 percent of global electricity generation – 3,427
terawatt-hours of electricity production in 2010.

► is expected to increase about 3.1% each year for the next 25 years.

► Hydropower is produced in 150 countries, with the Asia-Pacific region

generating 32 percent of global hydropower in 2010. China is the largest
hydroelectricity producer, with 721 terawatt-hours of production in 2010,
representing around 17 percent of domestic electricity use.
THREE GORGES DAM
IN CHINA
 IN INDIA
► India was the 6th largest producer of hydroelectric power after Norway. It
produced 114 TWh and 3.5% the world total in 2008. The potential for
hydroelectric power in India is one of the greatest in the world.
► The first hydro-electric power station in India was established in Karnataka at
"shivana samudra".
► India is endowed with economically exploitable and viable hydro potential
assessed to be about 84,000 MW at 60% load factor. In addition, 6,780 MW in
terms of installed capacity from Small, Mini, and Micro Hydel schemes have
been assessed. Also, 56 sites for pumped storage schemes with an aggregate
installed capacity of 94,000 MW have been identified. It is the most widely
used form of renewable energy.
► The present installed capacity as on February, 2016 is 42,663 MW which is
15.22% of total electricity generation in India.
► The public sector has a predominant share of 93% in this sector. National
Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), Northeast Electric Power Company
(NEEPCO), Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVNL).
IN KARNATAKA
 ADVANTAGES
► Once a dam is constructed, electricity can be produced at a constant rate.

► If electricity is not needed, the sluice gates can be shut, stopping electricity generation.
The water can be saved for use another time when electricity demand is high.
► Dams are designed to last many decades and so can contribute to the generation of
electricity for many years / decades.
► The lake that forms behind the dam can be used for water sports and leisure / pleasure
activities. Often large dams become tourist attractions in their own right.
► The lake's water can be used for irrigation purposes.
► The build up of water in the lake means that energy can be stored until needed, when the
water is released to produce electricity.
► When in use, electricity produced by dam systems do not produce green house gases. They
do not pollute the atmosphere.
 DISADVANTAGES
► Dams are extremely expensive to build and must be built to a very high standard.
► The high cost of dam construction means that they must operate for many decades to
become profitable.
► The flooding of large areas of land means that the natural environment is destroyed.
► People living in villages and towns that are in the valley to be flooded, must move out. This
means that they lose their farms and businesses. In some countries, people are forcibly
removed so that hydro-power schemes can go ahead.
► The building of large dams can cause serious geological damage. For example, the building
of the Hoover Dam in the USA triggered a number of earth quakes and has depressed the
earth’s surface at its location.
► Although modern planning and design of dams is good, in the past old dams have been known
to be breached (the dam gives under the weight of water in the lake). This has led to deaths
and flooding.
► Dams built blocking the progress of a river in one country usually means that the water
supply from the same river in the following country is out of their control. This can lead to
serious problems between neighboring countries.
► Building a large dam alters the natural water table level. For example, the building of the
Aswan Dam in Egypt has altered the level of the water table. This is slowly leading to
damage of many of its ancient monuments as salts and destructive minerals are deposited in
the stone work from ‘rising damp’ caused by the changing water table level.
 OTHER HYDRO SOURCES
► OCEAN ENERGY- Three distinct types of ocean resource are commonly
mentioned as possible energy sources: tides, waves and ocean temperature
differentials (ocean thermal energy conversion or OTEC).

► Ocean thermal energy conversion uses the difference in temperature between

warm surface water and cold deep ocean water to make electricity.

► Tidal energy schemes are upcoming in India because of it’s vast access to
oceans. It is being experimented in Kerala.

► Saline water and brackish water- several technologies are available to derive
the advantage of this.
 BIO ENERGY
► Bioenergy is renewable energy made available from materials derived from
biological sources. Biomass is any organic material which has stored sunlight
in the form of chemical energy.

► As a fuel it may include wood, wood waste, straw, manure, sugarcane, and
many other byproducts from a variety of agricultural processes. By 2010,
there was 35 GW (47,000,000 hp) of globally installed bioenergy capacity for
electricity generation, of which 7 GW (9,400,000 hp) was in the United
States.

► This is a common misconception, as bioenergy is the energy extracted from

the biomass, as the biomass is the fuel and the bioenergy is the energy
contained in the fuel.
► The biomass used for electricity production ranges by region. Forest
byproducts, such as wood residues, are popular in the United States.
Agricultural waste is common in Mauritius (sugar cane residue) and Southeast
Asia (rice husks). Animal husbandry residues, such as poultry litter, is popular
in the UK.

► Some forms of forest bioenergy have recently come under fire from a number
of environmental organizations, including Greenpeace and the Natural
Resources Defense Council, for the harmful impacts they can have on forests
and the climate. Greenpeace recently released a report entitled Fueling a Bio
Mass which outlines their concerns around forest bioenergy. Because any part
of the tree can be burned, the harvesting of trees for energy production
encourages Whole-Tree Harvesting, which removes more nutrients and soil
cover than regular harvesting, and can be harmful to the long-term health of
the forest.
 HYDROGEN AS AN ALTERNATIVE
FUEL SOURCE
► Hydrogen fuel is a zero-emission fuel when burned with oxygen (if one
considers water not as an emission) or used in a contained cell also capable of
'reversing' the reaction if needed. It often uses electrochemical cells, or
combustion in internal engines, to power vehicles and electric devices
► Hydrogen lies in the first group and first period in the periodic table, i.e. it is
the first element on the periodic table, making it the lightest element. Since
hydrogen gas is so light, it rises in the atmosphere and is therefore rarely
found in its pure form, H2. In a flame of pure hydrogen gas, burning in air, the
hydrogen (H2) reacts with oxygen (O2) to form water(H2O) and releases
energy.
► 2H2(g) + O2(g) → 2H2O(g)
 PRODUCTION
► Because pure hydrogen does not occur naturally on Earth in large quantities,
it takes a substantial amount of energy in its industrial production. There are
different ways to produce it, such as electrolysis and steam-methane
reforming process.

► In electrolysis, electricity is run through water to separate the hydrogen and

oxygen atoms. This method can use wind, solar, geothermal, hydro, fossil
fuels, biomass, nuclear, and many other energy sources.
FUEL CELL
 ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

► Can be classified into two ways:-

► On the basis of the type of spheres of environment, i.e
► Air pollution, water pollution and land pollution
► On the basis of pollutant causing pollution, i.e for eg:- radio active pollution,
sewage pollution, smog pollution, oil pollution, chemical pollution etc.
WATER POLLUTION
► Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers,
oceans, aquifers and groundwater). This form of environmental degradation
occurs when pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged into water bodies
without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds.

► Water pollution affects the entire biosphere – plants and organisms living in
these bodies of water. In almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to
individual species and population, but also to the natural biological
communities.

► Water pollution is a major global problem which requires ongoing evaluation

and revision of water resource policy at all levels (international down to
individual aquifers and wells). It has been suggested that water pollution is
the leading worldwide cause of deaths and diseases, and that it accounts for
the deaths of more than 14,000 people daily. An estimated 580 people in
India die of water pollution related illness every day.
 TYPES OF WATER POLLUTION
On the basis of sources and storage it may be divided into 5 categories
► Ground water pollution
► Surface water pollution
► Lake water pollution
► River water pollution
► sea water pollution
On the basis of changes in properties of water
⮚ Physical pollution of water
⮚ Chemical pollution of water
⮚ Biological pollution of water
⮚ Physiological pollution of water
 CLASSIFICATION OF WATER POLLUTANTS

► OXYGEN DEMANDING WASTES

► PATHOGENS
► NUTRIENTS
► SUSPENDED SOLIDS AND SEDIMENTS
► INORGANIC POLLUTANTS
► RADIOACTIVE POLLUTANTS
► THERMAL POLLUTION
► OXYGEN DEMANDING WASTES:- The wastewaters such as, domestic and municipal
sewage, wastewater from food processing industries, canning industries, slaughter
houses, paper and pulp mills, tanneries, breweries, distilleries, etc. have considerable
concentration of biodegradable organic compounds either in suspended, colloidal or
dissolved form.

► PATHOGENS:- The pathogenic microorganisms enter in to water body through sewage

discharge as a major source or through the wastewater from industries like
slaughterhouses. Viruses and bacteria can cause water borne diseases, such as
cholera, typhoid, dysentery, polio and infectious hepatitis in human.

► NUTRIENTS:- The agriculture run-off, wastewater from fertilizer industry and sewage
contains substantial concentration of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous. These
waters supply nutrients to the plants and may stimulate the growth of algae and other
aquatic weeds in receiving waters.

► SUSPENDED SOLIDS AND SEDIMENTS :-These comprise of silt, sand and minerals eroded
from land. These appear in the water through the surface runoff during rainy season
and through municipal sewers. This can lead to the siltation, reduces storage
capacities of reservoirs.¾ Presence of suspended solids can block the sunlight
penetration in the water, which is required for the photosynthesis by bottom
vegetation
► INORGANIC POLLUTANTS:- Apart from the organic matter discharged in the water body
through sewage and industrial wastes, high concentration of heavy metals and other
inorganic pollutants contaminate the water. These compounds are non-biodegradable and
persist in the environment. These pollutants include mineral acids, inorganic salts, trace
elements, metals,metals compounds, complexes of metals with organic compounds,
cyanides, sulphates, etc.

► THERMAL POLLUTION Considerable thermal pollution results due to discharge of hot water
from thermal power plants, nuclear power plants, and industries where water is used as
coolant. As a result of hot water discharge, the temperature of water body increases, which
reduces the DO content of the water adversely, affecting the aquatic life.

► RADIOACTIVE POLLUTANTS
► Radioactive materials originate from the following:
Mining and processing of ores,
► Use in research, agriculture, medical and industrial activities, such as I131, P32, Co60, Ca45,
► S35, C14, etc.
► Radioactive discharge from nuclear power plants and nuclear reactors, e.g., Sr90, Cesium
► Cs137, Plutonium Pu248, Uranium-238, Uranium-235,
Uses and testing of nuclear weapons.
 SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION
► Sewage (Waste Water)
► Agricultural Pollution
► Oil Pollution
► Radioactive Substances
► River dumping and marine dumping
 EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION
► The pollutants impart colour, taster and odor to receiving water, thus making
it unaesthetic and unfit for use
► The organic matter in waste decreases the oxygen content in water
► The nutrients in water enhances the algal bloom and leads to eutrophication
► Pathogens in water leads to water borne diseases
► The change in oxygen, temperature and ph affects the chemistry of water
often triggering chemical reactions resulting in formations of unwanted
products.
► Most of the fresh water algae are highly sensitive to pollutants and their
elimination modifies prey predator relationship by breaking down the food
chains
► The presence of heavy metals, biocides and cyanide beyond the permissible
limits is detrimental to the aquatic life.
► The diversity of the organisms decreases due to the presence of only few
tolerant forms in polluted conditions
CONTROL OF WATER POLLUTION