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Environmental Studies

Topic : Water Pollution

By : Taher K D

2Index

What is Water Pollution?

Signs of Water Pollution

Sources of Water Pollution

Types of Water Pollution

Effects of Water Pollution

Managing Water Pollution

3 What is Water Pollution?

When something is added to the environment that makes it

unclean or unsafe it is called pollution; Water

Pollution occurs when the water becomes overloaded

with too much of one thing and the aquatic organisms

cannot keep up with their cleaning responsibilities;

Some organisms may die and others may grow too

fast; Water pollution occurs when harmful substances are released

into the water in large quantities which cause damage to people,

wildlife, or habitat or indirectly into water bodies without proper

treatment to remove harmful compounds;

Around 70% of the industrial waste is dumped into the water bodies where they pollute the usable water supply;

4 Signs of polluted water

Bad taste of drinking water.

Offensive odours from river, lakes & oceans.

Decrease in no. Of fish in fresh water and sea water.

Oil & grease floating on the surface.

Unchecked growth of aquatic weeds.

5 Sources of Water Pollution

The pressure of increasing population, growth of industries,

urbanization, energy intensive life style, loss of forest cover, lack

of environmental awareness, lack of implementation of

environmental rules and regulations and environment

improvement plans, untreated effluent discharge from industries

and municipalities, use of non-biodegradable

pesticides/fungicides/herbicides/insecticides, use of chemical

fertilizers instead of organic manures, etc.; are causing water

pollution; The pollutants from industrial discharge and sewage

besides finding their way to surface water reservoirs and rivers

are also percolating into ground to pollute ground water sources;

6 Sources of Water Pollution

Effluents and solid wastes from various industries and

municipalities, indiscriminate use of toxic chemicals,

indiscriminate use of pesticides, insecticides and fungicides,

leaching of soils, wastes and rocks are the principal causes of

water pollution; Objectionable level of pollution of water due to

oils and oily substances may be found mainly in surface waters

near the industries using heavy quantities of lubricating oils,

greases, and liquid fuels, or refineries, big oil storages, etc.;

Ground water may also be polluted due to soaking of oil in the

ground or by indiscriminate disposal of oil sludge; The heaviest

polluting source for surface water is sewage from cities.

8 Types of Water Pollution

Nonpoint Source Pollution (NPS) Nonpoint source pollution (NPS)

can be defined as pollution that comes from many miscellaneous or diffuse

sources rather than from an identifiable, specific point; Nonpoint source

pollution can originate from urban environments such as yards in

neighborhoods or from agricultural production areas such as crop fields;

Chemicals, waste products and soil that are carried by rain into streams or

rivers become a part of NPS; Common examples are fertilizers, herbicides,

pesticides, spilled motor oil and wastes from pets, wildlife and livestock;

15 million children under the age of five die each year because of diseases caused by drinking water;

9 Other significant sources of NPS include:

Disposal of wastes in catch basins

Hazardous waste improperly stored or discarded

Improperly operating septic systems

Erosion from construction sites, farms or homesites

Acid deposition including acid rain and fog

Pollution from roadways and road salting activities

Discharge of sewage and garbage from ships and boats

Improper use of fertilizers and pesticides

Cleansers and other compounds used on ships in the urban or agriculture

environment and boats to prevent barnacles and algae from accumulating

10 Types of Water Pollution

Point source pollution (PS) Point source pollution (PS) comes directly

from a known source like an industrial or sewage outfall pipe; Point sources

are typically associated with manufacturing processes; However, point

sources also include

discharges from water treatment plants and large animal feeding operations;

11 Other significant sources of PS include:

Residential sewage ditch

Runoff from a mining site

Uncontrolled erosion site

Offshore oil rig

Boat harbor

Marine terminal;

On an average 250 million people worldwide subjected to diseases related to water pollution.

14Effects of Water Pollution

Effects on Agriculture - use of wastewater and polluted surface and groundwater which contaminate crops and transmit disease to consumers and farm workers; Depositions of deleterious chemicals in soil leading to loss of soil fertility.

Effects on Environment/ecosystems - pungent smell, decolourisation; increased temps; contamination; change the pH; decreased oxygen; detergents that create a mass of white foam in the river waters; Enrichment of groundwater with salts, nutrients from irrigated lands; eutrophication/algal blooms-what is the effect on recreational activities, water treatment plants/water providers; Loss of aesthetic value; Algae clogs our waterways.

Domestic effects - toxic substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and chromium or cyanide, which may affect the use of the receiving water for domestic use or for aquatic life.

Effects on industry - boiler scales, Heavy metals cause unpleasant taste and odour to drinking water; Suspended particles cause unpleasant taste & discoloration to drinking water.

Aquatic animal have faced an estimated extinction rate five times more than that of terrestrial animals

15Effects of Water Pollution

Effects on human health - Increased incidence of tumours, ulcers due to nitrate

pollution; Increased incidence of skin disorders due to contact with pollutants;

Increased incidence of constipation, diarrhoea, and infections to intestine; Dangerous

effects on growing foetus in pregnant women; Concentration of pollutants due to bio

accumulative pesticides through secondary and tertiary food chains in case of non-

vegetarians; Still births, abortions, and birth of deformed children; Blue baby disease

caused by methaneglobinema-which results in asphyxia (reduced oxygen

supply);Reduced activity of immune system; Loss of memory power and reduced

mental sharpness; Water borne diseases like jaundice, hepatitis, gastroenteritis, will

be more prevalent due to water pollution; Reduced bone development and muscular

development; Reduced male fertility; Shifts in physiological cycles of human body.

Each year 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, storm water, and industrial waste are dumped into U.S. waters.

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Major water related diseasesType Diseases Cause Effects Prevention

1 Water borne(Disease causing vector carried in water)

CholeraTyphoidDiarrhoeaDysentery

Drinking contaminated water

Eating contaminated food

Dehydration Use clean water for drinking

Keep flies away from food

Avoid unprotected water sources

2 Water washed(Resulting from lack of water or improper use of water)

ScabiesEye infectionsDiarrhoea

Not washing Lack of enough

water for washing

Itchy lashesSore eyesBlindnessFever from lice diseases

Increase water availability for washing

Improve personal hygiene

3 Water Based(Vector lives in water)

Bilharzias Worms from the snails enter through the skin in infected water

Blood in stoolPain in stomach

Reduce contact with infected snails

Control snails

4 Insect vector related

MalariaRiver blindness

Mosquitoes bites Semolina worm

FeverAchesBlindness

Removal potential larvae breeding sites

Use mosquito netting

17 Effects of Water Pollution

Effects on animal health - Large scale death of aquatic and terrestrial

animals; Reduced reproduction rate; Increased disease incidences;

Imbalances created in secondary food chains; Accumulation of bio

accumulative and nonbiodegraddable pollutants in animal bodies;

Bioaccumulation eg. of organochlorine pesticides; Biomagnification; Cause

health hazards like impotence, cancerous tumours etc.

18Effects of Water Pollution

Effects on Economy - Unsightly colour, reduced clarity, and obnoxious

oudor of the receiving waters also make it unfit for recreation and other

productive uses. Adverse effects of water pollution lead to economic losses

in terms of reduced health, reduced agricultural productivity, and low-quality

tourism. There is also economic losses to family income due to the desire for

safe bottled water which is more expensive than unbottled water. Erosion

from degraded uplands and pollution from silt and sedimentation, as well as

untreated sewerage, cause productivity losses in fisheries. Silt and

sedimentation are major causes for losses in fishery production. High levels

of turbidity leads to economic losses.

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Managing Water Pollution

Prevent pollution rather than treating symptoms of pollution.

Use the precautionary principle.

Apply the polluter-pays-principle.

Apply realistic standards and regulations.

Apply water pollution control at the lowest appropriate level.

Encourage participatory approach with involvement of all relevant stakeholders.

Give open access to information on water pollution.

Promote international co-operation on water pollution control.

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The incorporation of wastewater use planning into national water resource and

agricultural planning is important, especially where water shortages exist. This is not

only to protect sources of high quality waters but also to minimize wastewater

treatment costs, safeguard public health and to obtain the maximum agricultural

and aquacultural benefit from the nutrients that wastewater contains. Wastewater

use may well help reduce costs, especially if it is envisaged before new treatment

works are built, because the standards of effluents required for various types of use

may result in costs lower than those for normal environmental protection.

The use of wastewater has been practiced in many parts of the world for centuries.

Whenever water of good quality is not available or is difficult to obtain, low quality

waters such as brackish waters, wastewater or drainage waters are spontaneously

used, particularly for agricultural or aquacultural purposes. Unfortunately, this form

of unplanned and, in many instances unconscious, reuse is performed without any

consideration of adequate health safeguards, environmentally sound practices or

basic agronomic and on-farm principles.

21Authorities, particularly the Ministries of Health and Agriculture, should

investigate

current wastewater reuse practices and take gradual steps for upgrading health

and agronomic practices. This preliminary survey provides the basis for the

clear definition of reuse priorities and the establishment of national strategies

for reuse.

The implementation of an inter-sectorial institutional framework is the next

step that

should be taken. This entity should be able to deal with technological, health

and

environmental, economic and financial, and socio-cultural issues. In countries

with little or no experience on planned reuse, it is advisable to implement and

to operate a pilot project. This experimental unit should include treatment,

distribution and irrigation systems and provides the basis for the establishment

of national standards and codes of practice which can then be fully adapted to

local conditions and skills. Once the experimental phase has been completed,

the system can be transformed into a demonstration and training project which

could be able to disseminate the local experience to neighboring countries.

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Agenda 21United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro in

1992, from which came "Agenda 21".

The principles for water resources management that have formed the basis for the guidelines presented here are derived from the conclusions reached in Dublin and Rio de Janeiro and are:

Freshwater is a finite and vulnerable resource, essential to sustain life, development and the environment.

Land and water resources should be managed at the lowest appropriate levels.

The government has an essential role as enabler in a participatory, demand-driven approach to development.

Water should be considered a social and economic good, with a value reflecting its most valuable potential use.

Water and land-use management should be integrated.

Women play a central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water.

The private sector has an important role in water management.

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Facts and Figures Related to Water Pollution Lack of safe drinking water and sanitation in cities leads to cholera, malaria and diarrhea;

4 billion cases of diarrheal disease annually, causing more than 1;5 million deaths, mostly

among children under 5 years of age (WHO 2005);

According to WHO and UNICEF, approximately 894 million people globally don’t have

access to improved water sources;

Over 30 billion tons of urban sewage discharged into lakes, rivers and oceans each year;

Cruise ships are also a major source of water pollution; They produce over 200,000

gallons of sewage which is mostly released in the ocean; Apart form that, they are also

causing at least 35,000 gallons of water contamination due to oil spill;

About 1.2 billion people or 1 in 3 people in rural areas defecate in the open; Open

defecation poses an human health risk and compromises quality in nearby water bodies;

According to the World Health Organization, 3.2 million children under the age of five in

developing nations die each year as a result of unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation.

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ConclusionWater is a renewable natural resource; Due to ever increasing

industrialization, urbanization, this precious resource is continuously under

stress; There are multiple dimensions to water quality and its deterioration;

Water pollution is

rendering much of the available water unsafe for consumption; The

pressure of increasing population, loss of forest cover, untreated effluent

discharge from industries and municipalities, use of chemical fertilizers

instead of organic manures, etc.; are causing water pollution; Moreover,

there are numerous water borne diseases like cholera, diarrhea, dysentery

etc.; which are transmitted by drinking contaminated water; There are

various new water purification techniques which have come up to purify

water; Research is being conducted all over the world to develop more and

more techniques which can generate pure water at low cost; All these

techniques are being developed to ensure that in near future everyone will

have access to clean and pure water and that too at an affordable cost.

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Thank You

Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans.

Make every drop of water count.

Conserve water before it’s too late