Water pollutionImpact of industrialization on the quality of environment

Where can water pollution be found?

• In the lower course of rivers and coastal cities where industries are more developed.

• The chemical and biological characteristics of polluted streams and bays are frequently changed.

Chemicals

• Chemicals from tanneries, dyeing/bleaching factories

Sea water becomes turbid

• Coloured with dyes• Unclean water obscures

sunlight penetration lowers the rate of photosynthesis by aquatic plants

Toxic / heavy metal

• Cadium, mercury and lead

• poisonous to marine organisms and indirectly to man.

• Affect the food chain in an increasing rate of concentration.

• People become ill and even killed

Oil Sludge• The leakage of oil from tankers, oil tan

ks or pipelines • It causes death to marine organisms /

creatures• impairs the coastal ecology.

Organic sewage

• It provides nutrient for fungi and bacteria. • which require a large amount of dissolved oxy

gen to carry out metabolism. • More discharge of such sewage enhances the p

rocess of eutrophication• leading to red tides. • Insufficient dissolved oxygen suffocates fish an

d other creatures.

Acidic water• Chemical industries, especially the petrol-chemicals re

lease acid substances into the water. • Low pH value / high acidicity kills micro-organisms.

Hot water

• discharged from water-demanding industries, • or those industries using water as cooling purpose. thermal pollution. • Hot water holds less amount of dissolved oxygen th

an cold water and warm water speeds up decomposition of dead marine organisms, which requires more oxygen.

• encourages solubility of mineral salt. • anaerobic condition and high salinity level of coast

al water render unfavourable conditions for marine life to exist.

How serious is the water pollution problem?

• Industries tend to be located in coastal areas where flat and extensive land is found.

• Some are located in lower course of the river.

• Port areas are attractive to industries too as they are break-of-bulk points.

• Some industries require water for cooling purpose.

• HOWEVER, all these may cause serious water pollution…

Songhua River Pollution

• Polluted Songhua River is seen as the State Environment Protection Administration confirmed Wednesday that pollutants containing benzene and nitrobenzene contaminated the river after a chemical-plant blast at the upper reaches in Northeast China.

• Dead fish can be seen in the Songhua River as the State Environment Protection Administration confirmed Wednesday that pollutants containing benzene and nitrobenzene contaminated the river after a chemical-plant blast at the upper reaches in Northeast China. An 80-kilometre swathe of polluted water was expected to reach the water-sourcing area of Harbin which was forced to cut off water supply for four days.

• Workers stack bottled water on a roadside in Harbin, in northeast China's Heilongjiang province Thursday, Nov. 24, 2005. Authorities have shut down the city's water supply due to contamination of the Songhua river, from which Harbin gets its water, after an explosion in a chemical plant in a city up river.

Minamata Mercury Pollution

• By 1956 in the Japanese town of Minamata people started showing serious signs of central nervous system damage. Some formerly healthy people were unable to walk and/speak. The culprit would later be discovered: mercury pollution from the towns main employer, the Chisso Corp. factory. The company would deny any involvement in the incident for a very long time. In an attempt to conceal their involvement, Chisso changed the location of their dumping, which ultimately spread the poison over a wider area and further complicated the problem