CL142

ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCE

UNIT: 8
WATER POLLUTION
Detail Syllabus
1 Introduction 07 Hours 24%
1.1 Basic definitions
1.2 Objectives and guiding principles of environmental studies
1.3 Components of environment
1.4 Structures of atmosphere
1.5 Man-Environment relationship
1.6 Impact of technology on the environment

2 Environmental Pollution 10 Hours 33%

2.1 Environmental degradation
2.2 Pollution, sources of pollution, types of environmental pollution
2.3 Air pollution: Definition, sources of air pollution, pollutants, classifications of air pollutants (common like SOX & NOX),
sources & effects of common air pollutants

2.4 Water pollution: Definition, sources water pollution, pollutants & classification of water pollutants, effects
of water pollution, eutrophication

2.5 Noise pollution: Sources of noise pollution, effects of noisepollution

2.6 Current environmental global issues, global warming & green houses effects, acid rain, depletion of Ozone
layer
 Introduction
8.1 water pollution
8.2 water quality standards
8.3 sources of water pollution
8.4 classification of water pollutants
8.5 effects of water pollution
8.6 Eutrophication
8.7 control of water pollution
8.8 marine pollution
8.8.1 causes or sources of marine pollution
8.8.2 effects of marine pollution
8.8.3 control of marine pollution
Water pollution
• Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies
(e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater).

• Definition :- the presence of impurities and foreign substance in

water in such a quantity that lowers it quality and makes it unfit for
consumption and become a health hazard.

.
 SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION Jun ‘13

• Point Sources:

Point source water pollution refers to contaminants that

enter a waterway from a single, identifiable source.

Examples: pipes, ditches, discharges from a sewage treatment plant, a

factory, city storm drain, municipal storm sewer systems, industrial
waste water such as from construction sites
 SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION
• Non-Point Sources (NPS):

NPS pollution is often the cumulative effect of small amounts

of contaminants gathered from a large area.
A common example is the leaching out of nitrogen compounds from
fertilized agricultural lands.
Nutrient runoff in storm water from "sheet flow" over
an agricultural field or a forest are also cited as examples of NPS
pollution.
Contaminated storm water washed off of parking lots, roads and
highways, called urban runoff, is sometimes included under the
category of NPS pollution. However, because this runoff is typically
channeled into storm drain systems and discharged through pipes to local
surface waters, it becomes a point source.
 INDICATORS OF WATER POLLUTION
• Bad taste

• Offensive odour

• Visible turbidity

• Reduction in the number of aquatic lives

• Oil or grease floating on the surface of water

• Unrestricted growth of aquatic weeds in water

bodies

• Outbreak of an epidemic
CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION / POLLUTANTS
1. Industrial Waste

2. Agricultural Chemicals

3. Domestic Sewage

4. Thermal and Radioactive Waste

5. Biodegradable and Non-Biodegradable Waste:

 CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION / POLLUTANT Jun ‘13

1. Industrial Waste:
• All the industries discharge the waste by-products from the
manufacturing processes into rivers or other water bodies.
• Most of the rivers and fresh water streams are badly polluted
with industrial effluents from industries such as paper and
pulp, refineries, textiles, distilleries and steel industries.
 CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION / POLLUTANT
1. Industrial Waste:
• Industrial waste can be categorized as:
i) Organic substances such as phenol and alcohol that increase the
BOD by decreasing the oxygen content..
ii) Acids and alkalis which change the pH of water thereby posing a
threat to aquatic life.
iii) Toxic substances such as heavy metals like mercury, lead and arsenic
that cause extensive, irreversible damage to plant and animal life.
iv) Oil and other floating impurities that interfere with self-purification of
water bodies.
v) Colour producing dyes that change the colour of the water with
depleting oxygen content thereby affecting aquatic life.
 CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION / POLLUTANT
2. Agricultural Chemicals:

 Fertilizers: Excessive use of chemical fertilizers results in

accumulation of nitrogen, phosphorous and water on land.
These are washed off the land with water through rainfall and
irrigation into water bodies thereby polluting the water.
 Pesticides: They not only kill targeted pests but also affect
the untargeted helpful organisms.Their effects are long lasting.
 CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION / POLLUTANT
3. Domestic sewage:
• It consists of water borne wastes of the human community.
• It contains 99% water and 1% solid. Out of which 70% are
organic (proteins, carbohydrates, fats) and 30% are inorganic
(salt, minerals).
• Mostly it is disposed off as such in treated, partly or untreated
form in nearby lakes, rivers or sea, where it causes pollution.
 CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION / POLLUTANT
4. Thermal and Radioactive Waste:
• Different industries and nuclear power plants use water and
discharge the heated water into nearby water bodies.
• Nuclear reactors, nuclear explosions, nuclear war, medicinal
use and research laboratories are the main sources of
radioactive waste.
• These are most toxic as their effect persists for a number of
generations..
 CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION / POLLUTANT
5. Biodegradable and Non-Biodegradable Waste:
• Biodegradable pollutants consist mainly of organic matter
from domestic sewage. They are decomposed by micro-
organisms naturally or can be artificially decomposed in
chemical treatment plants. Excessive biodegradable waste in
the environment leads to problem in dispersal or recycling
posing a threat to the environment.
• Non-biodegradable wastes includes plastic bags, long chain
detergents, aluminium cans, glass and phenolic chemicals
which can neither be decomposed nor recycled. These are used
only for filling lands.
 MEASUREMENT OF WATER POLLUTION

Sample collection + Testing

 Sample Collection:

i) Manual collection

ii) Auto-sample collection

 Water quality standards
Water Quality Parameters Criteria

Chemical Physical Microbiological

parameters parameters parameters
1.Solids 1. Turbidity
2.Hardness 2. Colours 1. Bacteria
3.Chlorides 3. Odour 2. Virus
4.pH 4. Taste 3. Protozoa
5.Dissolved gases 5. Temperature 4. Worms
6.Nitrogen compounds
7.Metals and other
organic substance
 Water quality standards
Some agencies playing an important role
against water pollution
1. Indian Standard Institution (ISI)
2. World Health Organization(WHO)
3. United States Public Health Service(USPHS)
4. Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR)
Effects of water pollutants
 CASE STUDY: MINAMATA DISEASE
Minamata disease: sometimes referred to
as Chisso-Minamata disease is a neurological
syndrome caused by severe mercury
poisoning.

Symptoms include:
• ataxia,
• numbness in the hands and feet,
• general muscle weakness,
• narrowing of the field of vision and
• damage to hearing and speech.

In extreme cases, insanity, paralysis, coma, and death follow

within weeks of the onset of symptoms. A congenital form of
the disease can also affect foetuses in the womb.
 Eutrophication
The word eutrophication is originated from greek words eu=‘well’ and
trophes=food’.

Defition:- excessive nutrient load in a water body or enrichment of water

body by nutrients is called eutrophication.

The water bodies is classified as following:-

1. oligotrophic:- poor nutrient status & very low productivity of aquatic
plants
2. Masotrophic:- moderate nutrient status and moderate productivity
of aquatic plants.
3. Eutrophic:- rich nutrient status and high productivity of aquatic plants.

Euthrophication is a natural process and may take thousands of years.

Eutrophication
 Eutrophication
Controlling eutrophication:-
1. The suplies of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus should be
restricted.
2. Recycling of nutrients through harvest, removal of algae
blooms by dredging, applying algaecides like copper sulphates
chlorine etc on water bodies
3. Entry of phosphorus can be controlled by collecting the septic
tank efflients in sewers.
4. The uses of fertilizers in drainage area should also be
controlled.
5. By applying the methods to reduce soil erosion.
6. Lime can be use for removal of phosphorus by precipitation.
 Control of water pollution
Water pollution can be reduced by following:-
1. By proper sewage treatment
2. The industrial effluents should be properly treated befour
releasing them into water.
3. By enforcing stringent standards for disposal of sewage and
industrial waste into water bodies.
4. Washing of cloths and bathing in river and lake should be
prohibited.
5. Less stable pesticides should be used
6. Encouraging reuse of water
7. To avoid thermal pollution
8. Advance treatment plants for removal of nitrates and
phosphates.
 Marine pollution
Marine pollution:-
the introduction of substance to the marine environment directly or
indirectly by humans, resulting in the adverse effect such as hazard to
human health, obstruction of marine activities and lowering of the
quality of sea water is called marine pollution.

It is classified as following;-
1. Organic waste
2. Oil
3. Heavy metals
4. Heat
5. Pesticides and herbicides
6. Radioactive substances
 Marine pollution
Causes of marine pollution:-
1. Domestic or industrial waste directly deposited in sea.
2. Off shore oil exploration and extraction.
3. Tankers transporting oil contribute to marine pollution significantly
4. Ships accidents and accidental spillages of oil
5. Pesticides and fertilizers from agriculture
6. Petroleum and oils washed off from road
 Marine pollution
Effects of marine pollution:-
1. Phytoplankton blooms or red tides causing discolourisation of
whole area of water.
2. Oil spill have damaging impacts on marine and birds species and
salt marches.
3. Causes clogging of grill of marine species
4. Drill cutting dumped on the sea bed, eliminating the benthic fauna.
5. Polluted sea water gives unpleasent flavour to the fish and sea food.
 Marine pollution
Control of marine pollution:-
1. Sewage should be given complete treatment
2. Toxic pollutants should not be discharged to the sea
3. Dumping of toxic , hazardous waste and sewage should be banned
4. Oil ballast should not be dumped in to sea water.
5. Development activities should be minimized on coastal areas
6. Runoff from non-point sources should be prevented to reach
coastal areas
7. Ecologically sensitive coastal areas should be protected by not
allowing drilling.
 CASE STUDY: POLLUTION OF THE GANGES

The Ganga is the largest river in India with an extraordinary religious

importance for Hindus.
Situated along its banks are some of the world's oldest inhabited
cities like Varanasi and Patna.
It provides water to about 40% of India's population across 11
states, serving an estimated population of 500 million people or
more, which is larger than any other river in the world.
CASE STUDY: POLLUTION OF THE GANGES
 CASE STUDY: POLLUTION OF THE GANGES
Cleaning Efforts

1. The Ganga Action Plan was launched by Shri Rajeev Gandhi,

the then Prime Minister of India on 14 Jan, 1986 with the main
objective of pollution abatement, to improve the water quality by
interception, diversion and treatment of domestic sewage and
present toxic and industrial chemical wastes from identified
grossly polluting units entering in to the river.

2. India's current Prime minister Narendra Modi affirmed to work

for cleaning the river and controlling Pollution.
Subsequently, Namami Ganga project was announced by the
Government in July 2014 budget. An estimated Rs 2,958 crores
have been spent till July 2016 in various efforts for clean up of
the river.