ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS

ENVIRONMENT
Kuldeep Vyas
Asst. Prof. Community Health Nursing 1

Introduction
• There are a number of factor which are
responsible for causing Environment Pollution,
such as Industrialization deforestation, Open
Defecation, Fire, Smoke, Disposal of Waste etc.
• Within the Environment or atmosphere mixture
of gases, Water and Dust are present the
percentage of gases in the air like N2 78.1%, O2
21.73%, CO2 0.03% and other like Neon, Cr, etc
are 0.5%
2Kuldeep Vyas M.Sc. CHN

Causes of Air Pollution
PHYSICAL CHANGES
Due to increase of Temp., se
of Water contain, Unpleasant
odour, Microorganism etc.
CHEMICAL CHANGES
Due to increase of Air CO2 contain
release by person etc.
Air Pollution:
Air. P. is excessive concentration of foreign matter in the air
which adversely affect wellbeing of an individual or cause
damage to property.

Causes of air Pollution
1. Natural:
- Volcanic Irruption
- Forest fire
- Electric Storms.
- Dust Storms.
- Breakdown of Methane.
- Pollens.
- Fungal Spot.
- Bacteria. Etc.

Causes of air Pollution
2. Man Made:
- Industrialization
- Automobile
- deforestation
- Over Population
- Nuclear Energy etc.

Classification of Air Pollution
1. According to Origin:
- Primary
- Secondary
2. According to State of Matter:
- Gaseous Air Pollution
- Particle Air Pollution.

1. According to Origin
• Primary P. : The Pollutions which are directly
imitate from the source and second are atmosphere
are primary polymers Eg: Smoke, Dust, Ash, N2,
Oxide Sprays.
• Secondary: These are those which are formed by
the chemical interaction between primary pollutants
and considered in the atmosphere a result from
Photochemical reaction, Hydrolysis or Oxidation.

2. According to State of Matter
• Gaseous air Pollution: These Pollutants are
present in Gaseous state and normal temperature
and pressure such as Sulfur Dioxide, CO2 etc.
• Particulate Air Pollution: These Pollutants are
suspended droplets, solid particles or mixture of
tools. The particulate matter differ in term of density

Health effect of air Pollution
• Short term: Irritation of eyes, Nose, Throat,
Upper and Lower RTI Such as Bronchitis,
Pneumonia etc. Headache, Nausea, Allergic
Reaction, Asthma etc.
• Long Term: Chronic Respiratory disease, Lung
Cancer, Heart Disease, Problem related to
Kidney or Brain etc.

VENTILATION

WATER
SOURCES OF WATER:
The Sources of Water Classified in 3 categories:
1. Rain Water
2. Surface Water (High Level Surface - Lake, Low level Surface – Pond)
3. Ground Water (Spring wells, Tube well etc.)

Safe & Wholesome water
• Water is the basic necessity of life it is
impossible to live without water but portable
water should be Pure, Clean and Healthful.
• Quality of safe water:
- Free from Pathogenic agents.
- Free from harmful chemical
- Pleasant to test.
- It should be useful for domestic purpose.

Cont…
• Importance of water:
- Industrial & Physiological Importance
- Domestic Importance.
- Public Importance.
- Occupational Importance.
- Agricultural Importance.
- Cultural Importance.

Hardness of Water
• Hardness of Water related to its capacity to
produce foam with soap
• “Water that does not produce foam easily or
more soap is required to produce foam is
termed as Hard Water”.

Type of Hardness
1. Temporary Hardness:
• Presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+ Bicarbonate is the
reason behind the temporary type of
hardness. This hardness is known as
Carbonate Hardness.
• This Hardness can be removed either by
mixing lime in water or boiling it. Therefore it
is also called Temporary Hardness.

Type of Hardness
2. Permanent Hardness:
• This type of hardness is of Calcium Sulphate
and Magnesium and their chloride and
Nitrates. This is also known as non-carbonate
hardness.
• Since boiling are any other simple method
cannot remove this kind of hardness therefore
it is also called Permanent hardness.

Hardness
• Hardness of water is estimated in Milliliter
Equivalent/ litter (Meq/Litter).
• 1 Meq/lt. = 50 Mg/Lt. If this quantity is more
than 300 Mg./Lt. the water is regarded as
hard.

Disadvantages of Hard water
• Wastage of soap.
• Salt precipitation caused by boiling of water
leads to scaling of boil.
• Clothes are not washed well the life is also
reduced.
• Wastage of energy.
• Useless for cooking purpose.
• Bathing is not satisfied.

Water purification

Water Purification
1. Natural purification : Nature play an
important role is purification of water.
Natural Process like:
Evaporation.
Sun light.
Sedimentation.
Aeration.

Cont…
2. Purification at Small Scale: Purification of
water at small scale is classified as:
 Purification of Domestic Water.
 Disinfection of Wells.
Domestic Water: Filtration is used like- domestic
filter, Boiling, Chemicals Eg: Bleaching Powder,
Alum, Iodine etc.
Disinfection: Simple Chlorination or Double pot
Method.

Methods of Small scale
1. Domestic filter.
2. Boiling
3. Purification of water using Chemical.

1. Domestic Filter
1. Domestic Use:
• Physical impurity of water can be removed to
a certain limit by keeping a fine cloth or a
plastic sieve on the pitcher to filter the water
through it.
• It is necessary to change or clean the cloth
from time to time.

Cont…
2. Ceramic Filter: this is a domestic filter is also
type of filter at small scale. In this filter a
long pipe like structure is fixed in it…..

Cont…
Which has a innumerable holes this pipe is called
filter candle. Holes of filter candle not only filter
out the impurity but Bacteria as well.
A possibility of clogging of the candle is always there,
therefore it should be cleaned every week by
keeping it under running water and by scrubbing.
Through this filter, can remove bacteria and impurity
but it can not stop viral infection.

Cont…
3. Ultra Violet Filter:

Cont…
• Ultra Violet Filter: This filter Purifies water at 4
stages:
a) Purifying: it removes dust, dart and turbidity of
water.
b) Activated Carbon: it removes color, odor, and
biological impurity
c) U.V. Candle: here water is made free from
pathogen, bacteria and virus.
d) Electronic Monitoring System: This control the
Process of water purification.

Cont…
• This filter (UV) purifies 1 litter of water in a
minute. Presently this is the best available
technique of purification of water at home.
• But due to its high price it is not very popular
in community people.

2. Boiling Method
• For domestic purpose boiling can purify water
• Boiling 5-10 minute can destroy all pathogenic
Bacteria.
• Water also losses its hardness.
• Water should be stored in a clean pot, it may
contaminated once again.

Chemical disinfection:
A. Bleaching powder: Ca(OCl)Cl, if freshly
made=33% available Cl, unstable(on
exposure to air/light/moister losses Cl
content. Stored in dark, cool, dry place in
closed container)
3. Purification of water using Chemicals

B.Chlorine solution : prepared from bleaching
powder. 4 kg of bleaching powder with 25 %
available chlorine mixed with 20 lit of water
gives 5% solution of chlorine.
C.High test hypochlorite: perchloron. More
stable.
D.Chlorine Tablets: (Halazone Tablet).
Good but costly. Single tablet of 0.5 g
is suficient to disinfect 20 lit of water.
Cont…

E. Iodine:- emergency disinfection of water.
- 2 drops of 2% ethanol solution is suffice
for 1 lit of water.
- contact time needed 20-30 min.
- High cost
- Physiologically active (thyroid activity)
F.Potassium permanganate: No longer used.
Changes color/smell/taste of water.
Cont…

Water purification
at
large scale

Purification on a large scale
1. Storage
2. Filtration
3. Disinfection

Storage
• Natural/artificial reservoirs
• Purification in terms of-
1.Physical: 90% suspended impurities settle
down by gravity in 24 hrs
2.Chemical: aerobic bacteria oxidize organic
matter. From free ammonia to nitrates.
3.Biological : drop in bacterial count
90% bacteria die out in 5-6 days.

Filtration
• 98-99% bacteria + impurities removed
• 2 types are there:
1. Slow sand/ Biological filter
2. Rapid sand /mechanical filter

1. Slow sand /Biological filter
• Elements are: 1. Supernatant water
2. Bed of graded sand
3. Under drainage system
4. System of filter control valves

Supernatant water
• Above the sand bed
• 1-1.5 meter deep
• Constant head of water to overcome
resistance
• 3-12 hrs waiting period for partial purification

Sand bed
• Most important part
• Thickness 1 mt
• Sand grain rounded with effective diameter B/T
0.2-0.3 mm
• Clean, free from clay/organic matter
• Supported by gravel layer ( 30-40 cm)
• Water percolates very slowly ( 0.1-0.4 m3/hr/sq
mt)
• Purification process: mechanical straining
sedimentation, adsorption, oxidation,
bacterial action

Vital layer
• Surface of sand bed get covered
• Slimy growth/ gelatinous: consist of algae, plankton,
diatoms, bacteria
• Known as SCHMUTZDECKE /vital/zoogleal/biological
layer
• Formation of vital layer: Ripening of filter
• 2-3 cm
• Heart of the filter
• Removes organic matter, hold back
bacteria, oxidize ammoniacal nitrogen into
nitrates

Under drainage system
• Bottom of filter bed
• Consists of perforated pipes
•Outlet for filtered water & supports medium
FILTER BOX: open box, 2.5-4 mt deep, walls made
up of bricks/cement
Supernatant water:1-1.5 mt
Sand bed: 1.2 mt
Gravel: 0.30 mt
Filter bottom: 0.16 mt

Filter control
• Valves/ devices in outlet system
• Maintain constant rate of filtration
• Venturi meter: measures resistance or Loss of
head
• Resistance built up= opening of valves
• Loss of head > 1.3 mts = uneconomical to run
filter

Slow sand Filter

Cleaning
• Normally run weeks/ months without cleaning
• Bed resistance increases= fully opening of valve=
time to clean
• Supernatant water is drained off
• Sand layer cleaned by SCRAPING off top layer (1-2
cm)
• Done by unskilled laborers
• After 20-30 scraping sand bed reduced
0.5-0.8 mts= time to close the plant

Advantages
• Simple to construct
• Cheaper
• Quality of water is very high ( Total Bacterial
count reduced by 99.9 to 99.99% with E.coli)

2. Rapid / Mechanical Filter
• 2 types:
1. Gravity type (Paterson’s filter)
2. Pressure type (Candy’s filter)
Steps involved:
1. Coagulation
2. Rapid Mixing
3. Flocculation
4. Sedimentation

Flow diagram of rapid sand filter plant
River
Alum
Consumption
Chlorine
Mixing
Chamb
er
Floccul
ation
Chamb
er
Sedime
ntation
Tank
Filters
Clear
water
storage

• Coagulation: raw water treated with alum. Dose 5-40
mg/lit.( depending upon turbidity/colour/ pH/ temp)
• Rapid mixing: subjected to violent agitation in
mixing chamber
• Flocculation: slow stirring in a flocculation chamber
for 30 mins. Formation of thick Aluminium hydroxide
• Sedimentation: detained in sedimentation
chamber for 2-6 hrs. flocculent precipitate with
impurities.
• Filtration: partly clarified water is now
subjected to rapid sand filtration

Filter beds
• Sand is filter medium
• Effective size 0.4-0.7 mm
• Depth is 1 mt
• Below sand bed layer of graded gravel
• Depth of water is 1-1.5 mt
• Rate of filtration: 5-15 m3/m2/hr

Filtration
• Alum floc, not removed by sedimentation :
held back on sand bed. form slimy layer
comparable to zoogleal layer.
• Adsorb bacteria, oxidation of ammonia
• Loss of head up to 7-8 feet: filter subjected to
wash named BACKWASHING need
daily/weekly washing, by reversing
the flow of water ( dislodges the
impurities). Takes 15 mins

Advantage
• Can deal with raw water directly
• Occupies less space
• Filtration is rapid
• Washing is easy

Disinfection
Chemical having the criteria:
• Capable of destroying pathogenic organism within the
contact time
• Not unduly influenced by range of physical /chemical
properties of water
• Not leave products of reaction which make water toxic
• Available and reasonable cost
• Leaving residual concentration to deal with
possible contamination
• Amenable to detection by rapid/simple tests

Comparison of Rapid and Slow sand filter
Features Rapid sand filter Slow sand filter
Space Occupies less space Occupies large space
Rate of filtration 200 m.g.a.d 2-3 m.g.a.d
Effective size of sand 0.4-0.7 mm 0.2-0.3 mm
Preliminary treatment Chemical coagulation and
sedimentation
Plain sedimentation
Washing Back washing Scraping the sand bed
Operation Highly skilled Less skilled
Loss of head allowed 6-8 feet (2-2.5 m) 4 feet (1.5 m)
Removal of turbidity Good Good
Removal of colour Good Fair
Removal of bacteria 98-99 % 99.9-99.99 %

Chlorination
• Supplement and not substitute of sand filtration
• Kills pathogenic bacteria but no effect on spores and
viruses (except high dose)
• Oxidizes iron/manganese /hydrogen sulphide
• Controls algae
• H2O + Cl2  HCl + HOCl
• HOCl H + OCl
• HCl is neutralized by alkalinity of water
• Disinfection action due to HOCl and OCl
• Most effective formHOCl
• Acts best at pH 7 as more HOCl

Principles of Chlorination
1. water should be clear/ free of turbidity
2.Chlorine demand should be estimated.
• Amount of Cl added- residual Cl at end of
contact period (60 Min) at a given temp/pH
• At which point the Cl demand of water is met
called Break point
• If further Cl added after this it will
appear as free Cl

3. Presence of free residual Cl for a contact
period of 1 hr is essential to kill bact/viruses.
4. Min recommended free Cl is 0.5 mg/L for 1 hr.
Gives margin of safety for subsequent
contamination.
5. correct dose of Cl = Cl demand+ 0.5 mg/L
residual Cl

Calculation of Chlorine demand
• By Horrock’s apparatus
• Tofind out dose of Bleaching powder required for
disinfection
• Contents: 1. 6 white cups (200 ml each)
2. one black cup with a circular mark inside
3. 2 metal spoons (2 g when level filled)
4. 7 glass stirring rods
5. One special pipette
6. Two droppers
7. starch-iodide indicator solution
8. Instruction folder

Procedure
1. one level spoonful (2g) bleaching powder in black cup 
make a thin paste with little water  add water up to
circular mark & stirring  allow to settle  Stock solution
2. Fill 6 white cups with water to be tested
3. With special pipette add stock solution 1 drop to 1st cup, 2
drops to 2nd, 3 to 3rd…
4. Stir the water with different rods
5. Wait 30 mins for action of Cl
6. Add 3 drops of starch iodide indication to each cups.
Development of Blue colour  free Cl
7. Note the 1st cup which show distinct blue colour.
Suppose 3rd cup show blue colour 1st 3 level
spoonfuls/6 g of bleaching powder would be
required to disinfect 455 lit of water.

Method of Chlorination
• Cl added as :
1. Chlorine gas (Cheap/easy/Chlorinating
equipment: Paterson’s chloronome)
2. Chloramine (less chlorinous taste/slower action)
3. Perchloron ( Ca compound with 70 %
available Cl.)

Break point Chlorination
• Point at which free residual Cl appears after
entire combined Cl residual has been
completely destroyed  Break point
• The point when Cl demand of water is met 
Break point Chlorination
• If Cl is added further it will only increases the
free Cl

Super Chlorination
• Super-chlorination followed by de-chlorination
• Addition of large dose of chlorine and removal
of excess of it after disinfection
• Applicable for heavily polluted water

Orthotolidine (OT) Test
• Both free n combined Cl can be determined
• reagent= Orthotolidine (desolved in 10% sol. Of
HCl)
• Water containing Cl+ reagent= yellow
colour(intensity varies with conc. )
• Reaction with free Cl is fast
• 0.1 ml reagent+ 1 ml water=yellow color matched
with color disc.
• Reading: within 10 sec=free Cl
after 15-20 min=both free and
combined Cl

Orthotolodine-arsenite (OTA) Test
• Modification of OT test to identify free and
combined Cl separately
• Error caused by iron/nitrites/ manganese by
producing yellow color can be overcome

Ozonation
• Powerful oxidizing agent
• Removes undesirable colour/ odour/ taste/
organic matter
• Can destroy viruses
• Dosage 0.2-1.5 mg/L
• No residual effect. So used in combination of
Chlorination ( minimal dose)
• High cost
• Onsite generation due to instability

THANK YOU . .

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS

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