Thermal pollution is defined as the addition of excess heat to water that makes it harmful to aquatic life. Thermal pollution is caused by the discharge of heated water or hot waste material into water bodies from various sources like nuclear power plants, industrial effluents, domestic sewage, hydroelectric power plants, and coal fired power plants. The document discusses the impacts of thermal pollution from these sources and some control measures that can be implemented like cooling towers, cooling ponds, spray ponds, and artificial lakes.

1. THERMAL POLLUTION

2. DEFINITION
ADDITION OF EXCESS OF
UNDESIRABLE HEAT TO WATER
THAT MAKES IT HARMFUL TO MAN,
ANIMAL OR AQUATIC LIFE

5. Waste Heat from Power Plants

6. Nuclear Power Plants
 Nuclear power plants
use water as a cooling
agent.
 After the water is used,
it is put back into a
water supply at 9-20oC
warmer
This 1988 thermal image of the Hudson River
highlights temperature changes caused by
discharge of 2.5 billion gallons of water each
day from the Indian Point power plant. The
plant sits in the upper right of the photo — hot
water in the discharge canal is visible in yellow
and red, spreading and cooling across the
entire width of the river. Two additional outflows

7. Red – reservoirs Yellow – Fossil Plants Purple – Nuclear Plants

8. CAUSES
DISCHARGE OF HEATED WATER OR HOT
WASTE MATERIAL INTO WATER BODIES
FROM
 NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
 INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS
 DOMESTIC SEWAGE
 HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER
 COAL FIRED POWER PLANTS

9. NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
 Nuclear power plants use water as a cooling agent.
 After the water is used, it is put back into a water
supply at 9-20oC
 Emissions from nuclear reactor increase the
temperature of water bodies.

10. Coal-fired power plants
 Coal is utilized as a fuel
 Condenser coils are cooled with
water from nearby lake or river
 The heated effluents decrease
the DO of water
 Damages the marine organisms

11. Industrial Effluents
Discharged water from steam-electric power industry
using turbo generators will have a higher temperature
ranging from 6 to 9˚C than the receiving water
In modern stations, producing 100 MW, nearly one
million gallons are discharged in an hour with increase
in temperature of the cooling water passing by 8 to 10 ˚C

12. Domestic sewage
Sewage is commonly discharged into lakes,
canals or streams
Municipal sewage normally has a higher
temperature than the receiving water
Increase in temperature of the receiving
water decreases the DO of water.
The foul smelling gases increased in water
resulting in death of marine organisms

13. Hydro electric power
generation
Generation of hydroelectric power sometimes results in
negative thermal loading in water systems
Creates less heat on water sources less than nuclear
power plant

14. Dissolved Oxygen vs Temp

15. Fish Oxygen Use vs.
Temperature

17. Fish: Response to Temperature
Solid dot:
Upper lethal
Limit for a
Given species
Open dot:
Best T for
spawning
Solid blocks:
Preferred
Temperature
Range

18. The
Future
is
Now

19. Wanted Water Quality Board Actions
1. The Water Quality Board requests TDEC
conduct a study of the cumulative water quality
impacts of the thermal pollution caused by
existing and proposed power generating plants
on the Tennessee River, including the climatic
scenarios of prolonged drought and warmer
temperatures.
2. The Water Quality Board requests that TDEC
participate in the environmental scoping of the
impacts upon the waters of the State of TN of
the proposed TVA Bellefonte, AL nuclear power
plants and report periodically to the Board.

20. CONTROL MEASURES
 Cooling towers
 Cooling ponds
 Spray ponds
 Artificial lakes