Water Pollution

Contents………………………………….
1. Introduction & Definition.
2. Sources & Causes Of Water Pollution.
3. Types of Water Pollution.
4. Solutions Of Water Pollution.
  Introduction:

Water Pollution is a major global problem. It has been suggested that it 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 700
million Indians have no
access to a proper toilet, and
1,000 Indian children die of
diarrheal sickness every
day.Some 90% of China's
cities suffer from some
degree of water pollution, and
nearly 500 million people lack
access to safe drinking
water. In addition to the
acute problems of water
pollution in developing
countries, industrialized countries continue to struggle with pollution problems as well. In the most
recent national report on water quality in the United States, 45 percent of assessed stream miles,
47 percent of assessed lake acres, and 32 percent of assessed bay and estuarine square
miles were classified as polluted.

What is water pollution?

Water pollution is any chemical, physical or biological change in the quality of water that has a
harmful effect on any living thing that drinks or uses or lives (in) it . Water pollution occurs
when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to
remove harmful compounds.

Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of water; and, in almost all cases
the effect is damaging not only to individual species and populations, but also to the
natural biological communities.Water Pollution is the second most important environmental
issue next to Air Pollution.

 Sources of water pollution

The sources of water pollution are categorized as being a point source or a non-source point of
pollution. Point sources of pollution occur when the polluting substance is emitted directly into
the waterway. A pipe spewing toxic chemicals directly into a river is an example. A non-point
source occurs when there is runoff of pollutants into a waterway, for instance when fertilizer from
a field is carried into a stream by surface runoff.

1. Point sources

Point source water

pollution refers to
contaminants that enter a
waterway from a single,
identifiable source, such as
a pipe or ditch. Examples of
sources in this category include
discharges from
a sewage treatment plant,
a factory, or a city storm drain.

Point source pollution

2. Non–point sources

Non–point source (NPS) pollution refers to diffuse contamination that does not originate
from a single discrete source. 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.

 Causes of water pollution

1. Sewage and Waste Water : It Consists of Domestic Sewage, Industrial
sewage and agricultural sewage.

A. Domestic Sewage:

Domestic sewage is wastewater generated

from the household activities. It contains
organic and inorganic materials such as
phosphates and nitrates. Organic materials are
food and vegetable waste, whereas
inorganic materials come from soaps and
detergents. Usually people dump the
household wastes in the nearby water
source, which leads to water pollution. The
amount of organic wastes that can be
degraded by the water bodies is measured in
terms of Biological Oxygen Demand
(BOD). BOD is the amount of oxygen
needed by microorganisms to decompose the
organic waste present in the sewage. The
higher the amount of BOD, the more water is polluted with organic waste. Many people are
not aware of the fact that soaps and detergents enrich the water bodies with phosphates.
These phosphates often lead to algal bloom and eutrophication, which is is most common in
stagnant water bodies such as ponds and lakes. Algal bloom and eutrophication lead to the
suffocation of fish and other organism in a water body.

B. Industrial sewage :

Wastewater from the manufacturing and processing industries causes water pollution. The
industrial effluents contain organic
pollutants and other toxic chemicals. Some of
the pollutants from industrial source
include lead, mercury, asbestos, nitrates,
phosphates, oils, etc. Wastewater from
food and chemical processing industries
contribute more to water pollution than the
other industries such as distilleries, leather
processing industries and thermal power
plants. Also dye industries generate
wastewater which changes the water
quality especially water color. Since the
water color is changed, there is alteration in
the light penetration and hence it disturbs the
aquatic plants and animals. Many of the big industries have come up with wastewater
treatment plants. However, it is not the case with small-scale industries. It is very difficult to
treat wastewater from the industries.

c. Agricultural Sewage :

Agricultural waste include manure, slurries and runoffs. Most of the agricultural farms
use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The runoffs from these agricultural fields cause
water pollution to the nearby water sources such as rivers, streams and lakes. The
seepage of fertilizers and pesticides causes groundwater pollution, which is commonly
 known as leaching. Although the quantity of agricultural waste is low, the effects are
highly significant. It causes nutrient and organic pollution to both water and soil.
Nutrient pollution causes an increase in the nitrates and phosphates in the water
bodies, which leads to Eutrophication.

2.Radioactive waste:

People view radioactive waste with great alarm—and for good reason. At
high enough concentrations it can kill; in lower concentrations it can cause
cancers and other illnesses. The biggest sources of radioactive pollution in Europe
are two factories that reprocess waste fuel from nuclear power plants: Sellafield on
the north-west coast of Britain and Cap La Hague on the north coast of France.
Both discharge radioactive waste water into the sea, which ocean currents then
carry around the world. Countries such as Norway, which lie downstream from
Britain, receive significant doses of radioactive pollution from Sellafield. The
Norwegian government has repeatedly complained that Sellafield has increased
radiation levels along its coast by 6-10 times. Both the Irish and Norwegian
governments continue to press for the plant's closure.

3.Oil pollution:

When we think of ocean pollution, huge black oil slicks often spring to mind,
yet these spectacular accidents represent only a tiny fraction of all the pollution entering
our oceans. Even considering oil by itself, tanker spills are not as significant as they might
seem: only 12% of the oil that enters the oceans comes from tanker accidents; over 70%
of oil pollution at sea comes from routine shipping and from the oil people pour down
drains on land. However, what makes tanker spills so destructive is the sheer quantity of
oil they release at once — in other words, the concentration of oil they produce in one very
localized part of the marine environment. The biggest oil spill in recent years (and the
biggest ever spill in US waters) occurred when the tanker Exxon Valdez broke up in Prince
William Sound in Alaska in 1989. Around 12 million gallons (44 million litres) of oil were
released into the pristine wilderness—enough to fill your living room 800 times over!
Estimates of the marine animals killed in the spill vary from approximately 1000 sea otters
and 34,000 birds to as many as 2800 sea otters and 250,000 sea birds. Several billion
salmon and herring eggs are also believed to have been destroyed.

4.Marine Dumping :

Dumping of litter in the sea

can cause huge problems. Litter items such
as 6-pack ring packaging can get caught in
 marine animals and may result in death. Different items take different lengths of time to
degrade in water:

 Cardboard – Takes 2 weeks to degrade.

 Newspaper – Takes 6 weeks to degrade.
 Photodegradable packaging – Takes 6 weeks to degrade.
 Foam – Takes 50 years to degrade.
 Styrofoam – Takes 80 years to degrade.
 Aluminium – Takes 200 years to degrade.
 Plastic packaging – Takes 400 years to degrade.
 Glass – It takes so long to degrade that we don’t know the exact time.

5.Underground storage leakage :

A tank or piping network that has at least 10

percent of its volume underground is known
as an underground storage tank (UST).
They often store substances such as
petroleum, that are harmful to the
surrounding environment should it become
contaminated.

6.Global Warming:

An increase in water temperature can

result in the death of many aquatic
organisms and disrupt many marine
habitats. For example, a rise in water
temperatures causes coral bleaching of reefs around the world. This is when the coral  expels
the microorganisms of which it is dependent on. This can result in great damage to coral
reefs and subsequently, all the marine life that depends on it.

 Types of Water Pollution

1. Surface Water Pollution

These are the natural water resources of the Earth. These are found on the exterior of the
Earth's crust, oceans, rivers and lakes.
2. Groundwater Pollution
Considerable amount of Earth's water is found in soil or under rock structures called aquifers.
People use aquifers to obtain drinking water and build wells to access it. In case this water
becomes polluted, it is called groundwater pollution. This is caused by pesticide
contamination from the soil and this can infect the drinking water and lead to huge problems.

3. Microbiological Pollution
This is a natural form of water pollution caused by microorganisms. Most of these
microorganims thrive in water and fish, land animals and humans to become ill.
Microorganims like bacteria, viruses and protozoa cause serious diseases like cholera. In
poor countries, there are no facilities to treat polluted water and hence the health of people
are affected.

4. Oxygen depletion Pollution

Microorganisms that thrive in water feed on biodegradable substances. When a lot of
biodegradable material is mixed with water, the number of microorganims increase and
utilize the available oxygen. The is called oxygen depletion. As oxygen levels in water are
depleted, harmless aerobic microorganisms die and anaerobic microorganims prosper. Some
anaerobic microorganisms are harmful to people, environment and animals and they produce
toxins like ammonia and sulfides.

5. Nutrients
These are necessary for plant growth and development. Most of these are found in
wastewater and fertilizers. These can cause excess weed and algae growth if there are large
concentrations in water. Drinking water and clog filters can be contaminated. The algae use
up the oxygen in the water and leave none for the surrounding marine life and this can
damage other aquatic organisms.

6. Suspended Matter
As the molecules are very large to mix between the water molecules, some pollutants do not
dissolve in water. This material is termed as particulate matter and can lead to water
pollution. The suspended particles finally settle and form a thick silt at the bottom. The
marine life on the floor of rivers and lakes are harmed. Biodegradable substances are
suspended in water and raise the quantity of anaerobic microorganisms present. The toxic
chemicals that are suspended in water are harmful to the development and survival of
aquatic life.

7. Chemical
Agricultural and Industrial work has the use of many chemicals that can run-off into water and
pollute it. Metals and solvents from industrial work pollute rivers and lakes. Aquatic life is
endangered by these and made infertile. Pesticides are used to control weeds, insects and
fungi. Run-off's of these pesticides poisons aquatic life. If birds, humans and other animals
eat infected fish they may be poisoned. Petroleum is a different type of chemical pollutant
that pollutes water by oil spills in case a ship ruptures. Oil spills have a localised affect on
wildlife, but can spread for miles. This oil can effect the death of many fish and stick to the
feathers of seabirds. This loses their ability to fly.

Pollution happens when silt and other suspended solids like soil, construction, washoff
plowed fields enters river banks. Eutrophication occurs under natural conditions, lakes, rivers
and other water bodies. This is an aging process that fills in the water body with sediment
and organic matter. In case these sediments enter various water bodies, fish respiration is
affected, plant productivity and water depth is decreased.

Water Pollution solutions

Water pollution has become a big problem in America and other countries around the
world. Even though there are strong laws that have been set up as water pollution
solutions to help prevent further pollution from taking place, there is still a lot of work to
be done. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approximately 40% of
lakes, rivers and streams are not safe to fish in or swim in due to water pollution. There
are many laws in place that offer water pollution solutions but they are not always
effectively enforced. One very simple way to have more effective water pollution solutions
would be to enforce the rules that are already in place.
Additional water pollution solutions involve
reducing nutrient and pesticide pollution by
encouraging smarter agricultural
practices and using biodynamic farming, no-
till planting and settling ponds to reduce the
amount of runoff that enters into the ground
water and flows into the streams. Another
one of the water pollution solutions that may
be very effective along these same lines
would be to reduce household runoff of
pesticides and fertilizers by using less of
these chemicals or stopping their use Green Agriculture as a Solution
altogether.

There are many other water pollution solutions that may be put into effect including:

 Reestablishing wetlands to act as a buffer zone to runoff and to assist in filtering

pollutants
 Drive less to reduce the amount of air pollution being emitted into the
environment and minimize the amount of nitrogen deposition.
 Improve the sewage treatment system to stop the leaks in the pipes.
 Conserve water
 Improve storm water management.
 Monitor watershed
 Stop deforestation to soak up the rain water and prevent runoff from
occurring.
 Individuals can do a lot to help with the water pollution problems and to aid in
the water pollution solutions. Buy organic food and green household cleaners and
personal care items to prevent the run off of chemical into the ground water. Eliminate as
many pharmaceuticals as possible and stay away from meats that are raised using
hormones and drugs. It is also important to properly dispose of any old paints and
varnishes. Another way to implement water pollution solutions is to use less plastics and
plastic products and not to litter. Water pollution solutions are very affordable to put into
effect. The United States research Council has estimated that to do an initial clean-up of
all the contaminated groundwater in over 300,000 sites across the United States it would
cost $1 trillion dollars over the course of thirty years. That would average out to around 33
cents per person per day.

Other Solutions That considered

Industrial effort
Industry is responsible for a large amount of pollutants including ones that
pollute water. Legislation has been passed forcing industry to make efforts to clean up
their waste. Through reducing the waste that they produce, it has been possible to
reduce the amount of pollutants that enter the water cycle. Proper disposal of industrial
waste has also had a large impact on the amount of pollution that plants and other
industrial facilities introduce into the environment and specifically into the water cycle.
Changing the products that they produce has had some impact. By making products
that will be disposed of, degradable industries have been able to reduce the lifetime of
possible pollutants, including plastics. Continuing to make process cleaner to reduce
waste, better disposal of any waste created and the creation of products that, after use,
result in less pollution are all ways that industry can continue to reduce their contribution
to water pollution. Legislation continues to require these efforts and has prompted
action to clean up the pollution already in existence.

Transportation
By choosing hybrid and electric cars, individuals can reduce the amount of
pollution their individual transportation creates. While exhaust is a pollutant and can
enter the water cycle, traditional cars offer a large number of other pollutants the
opportunity to enter the water cycle. Antifreeze, motor oil, greases and other chemicals
that are involved in the operation of many automobiles are potential water pollutants.
Proper maintenance of your existing vehicle and proper disposal of any waste can help
your automobile have less of a negative impact also. Another step is to consider public
transit at least once a week and bicycle or walk for your health and the environment.
"Green" antifreeze is available and can help reduce the pollution from these chemicals.
Recycling your oil after an oil change can also keep less oil from reaching water
sources. Although hybrid and electric cars do still require the use of some of these
chemicals, you can at least reduce your contribution to water pollution by choosing
these vehicles over traditional ones.
 Farming solutions

Choosing organic options can help to reduce the amount of water pollution.

These items are grown without the use of chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, and so on).
Those chemicals, when used, enter the water cycle. Organic products don't introduce
those chemicals to the water cycle.

Caring about waste

By properly disposing of all waste, you can help to reduce the amount of
water pollution that is created. Also the proper management of mass waste disposal can
help to control the introduction of pollutants into the water cycle. Simple steps like not
storing waste by running water and controlling runoff in areas where waste is stored can
help to reduce the amount of pollution introduced into the water cycle by the stored
waste.

Stopping the cycle

There are ways to interrupt the natural water cycle and prevent pollution. In
some places simply filtering water before allowing it to continue its natural flow may be
sufficient. A natural and beautiful method of doing this is being used in many places.
They are called rain gardens. They are specifically designed with plants that will absorb
water that otherwise would have runoff into waterways. This measure also stops
contaminants that may have been washed into those waterways.
Presented to Dr.Mervat

Prepared By :

Name: Mohamed Sabry Al-Sayed Ali Ahmed

Sec : 9
No. : 422