Be an Water friend

1. Project work:
"Water Pollution"
Submitted by:
Sidhartha Borah
Roll no. 10
PPT 3RD Semester
Year: 2016

2. INTRODUCTION
Water
Water (chemical formula: H2O)
is a transparent fluid which
forms the world's streams,
lakes, oceans and rain, and is
the major constituent of the
fluids of organisms.

3. Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface. It is vital for all
known forms of life. On Earth,
96.5% of the planet's crust water is found in seas and
oceans,
1.7% in groundwater,
1.7% in glaciers and the ice caps of Antarctica and
Greenland,
A small fraction in other large water bodies, and
0.001% in the air as vapor, clouds (formed of ice and
liquid water suspended in air), and precipitation.
Only 2.5% of this water is freshwater, and 98.8% of
that water is in ice (excepting ice in clouds) and
groundwater. Less than 0.3% of all freshwater is in rivers.

4. Why Is Water So Important to Life on
Earth?
Directly or indirectly, water affects all
facets of life. Without it, there would be no
vegetation on land, no oxygen for animals
to breathe and the planet would look
entirely different than it does today. Water
is necessary keep animal, plant, human's
bodies and the environment healthy and
should be valued and protected as the
precious resource it is.

5. Water Pollution
Water pollution is any chemical,
biological, or physical change in water
quality that has a harmful effect on
living organism or makes water
unsuitable for desired uses.
• It has been suggested that Water Pollution is
the leading worldwide cause of deaths and
diseases,and that it accounts for the deaths
of more than 14,000 people daily

6. MAJOR SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION
• Industrial Facilities
• Mines
• Oil fields
• Untreated sewage
• Waste-water effluent
• Construction sites
• Sewage Treatment Plants etc.
Point
Sources
• Agriculture/irrigation
• Pasture & range
• Unsewered areas
• Abandoned Mines
• Acid Deposition
• Runoff of Chemicals into Surface Water
etc.
Non-
point
Sources

8. Runoff agricultural waste water trash dumped in the ocean
Wastewater discharge pipe
Source – Department of Agriculture
Boat Explosion

9. Discharge of Pulp Mill effluent

10. Causes of Water Pollution
 Industrial activity causes huge water pollution. Wastes from factories are
let off into freshwater to carry waste from plants into rivers. This
contaminates water with pollutants like lead, mercury, asbestos and
petrochemicals.
 Sewage let off from domestic households, factories, commercial buildings
are untreated in water treatment plants yet are disposed into the sea.
Sewage containing flush chemicals and pharmaceuticals causes greater
problems.
 Solid waste dumping and littering of cardboard, plastics, glass, styrofoam,
aluminium tins, etc., in water bodies.
 Oil spills from tankers and ship travel causes oil pollution. Oil does not
dissolve in water and forms a thick layer on the water surface.
 Burning of fossil fuels and emissions from industries and motor vehicles
causes formation of acidic particles in the atmosphere. These particles
fuse with water vapor resulting in acid rain. Acid rain harms aquatic life.
 Increase in water temperature is a result of global warming and thermal
plants use water as cooling agents for mechanical equipments.

11. Industrial Facitilies
• Many industrial facilities use freshwater to carry away waste from the plant and into rivers, lakes and
oceans.
• Pollutants from industrial sources include:
– Asbestos – This pollutant is a serious health hazard and carcinogenic. Asbestos fibres can be
inhaled and cause illnesses such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer, intestinal cancer and liver
cancer.
– Lead – This is a metallic element and can cause health and environmental problems. It is a non-
biodegradable substance so is hard to clean up once the environment is contaminated. Lead is
harmful to the health of many animals, including humans, as it can inhibit the action of bodily
enzymes.
– Mercury – This is a metallic element and can cause health and environmental problems. It is a non-
biodegradable substance so is hard to clean up once the environment is contaminated. Mercury is
also harmful to animal health as it can cause illness through mercury poisoning.
– Nitrates – The increased use of fertilisers means that nitrates are more often being washed from the
soil and into rivers and lakes. This can cause eutrophication, which can be very problematic to
marine environments.
– Phosphates – The increased use of fertilisers means that phosphates are more often being washed
from the soil and into rivers and lakes. This can cause eutrophication, which can be very problematic
to marine environments.
– Sulphur – This is a non-metallic substance that is harmful for marine life.
– Oils – Oil does not dissolve in water, instead it forms a thick layer on the water surface. This can stop
marine plants receiving enough light for photosynthesis. It is also harmful for fish and marine birds.
– Petrochemicals – This is formed from gas or petrol and can be toxic to marine life.

12. Types of Water Pollution
• Nutrient Pollution: (Eutrophication)
Sewage water, waste water that contain high level of nutrients
enter into water bodies. Nutrients in water encourage the growth
of algae and weed in the water. This is known as EUTROPHICATION.
This makes the water unfit for consumption and clog filters. Algal
blooms in the water consume all the oxygen in the water, leading to
suffocation for other water organisms.
• Surface Water Pollution:
Surface water includes rivers, lakes, oceans, streams, lagoons.
Surface run-off substances that are hazardous dissolve and mix with
water polluting the surface water. These run-off substances can be
from any source like factories, domestic, sewage, agriculture etc.
• Oxygen Depletion:
Increase in the content of biodegradable matter in the water
encourages the growth of microorganisms which end up using most
of the oxygen. This results in oxygen depletion, killing aerobic
organisms producing more of toxins like ammonia and sulphides.

13. Types of Water Pollution
• Ground Water Pollution:
Chemicals from fertilizers and pesticides applied to the soil are washed off
and seep in the ground contaminating the composition of the ground
water causing pollution.
• Natural Pollution:
Sometimes pollution is caused by microorganisms like bacteria and
protozoa, this natural pollution can be lethal for fishes and other water life.
Consumption of this water can lead to serious illness to humans.
• Suspended Matter:
Particulate matter of chemicals and other substances do not dissolve in
water easily. These suspended particulate matters settle at the bottom of
the water body harming the aquatic life at the floor of the water bodies.
• Chemical Water Pollution:
Most of the industrial let-off and chemical fertilizers used in farming end
up in the water bodies. These materials are poisonous to most of the
aquatic life, can make them infertile and eventually cause death. Water
from these sources is obviously unfit for consumption.

14. Types of Water Pollution
• Oil Spillage:
Oil tankers and offshore petroleum refineries cause oil leakage polluting
water. Oil spills can cause death of many aquatic organisms and also stick
to the bodies and feather so seabirds which makes them unable to fly.
• Domestic Sewage:
Domestic sewage is the waste water from households. It is also includes
sanitary sewage, and it contains a variety of dissolved and suspended.
Domestic sewage contains disease causing microbes and
chemicals contained in washing powders affect the health of all life forms
in water.
• Agricultural Run-off:
The practices followed in agriculture affect the groundwater quality.
Intensive cultivation causes fertilizers and pesticides to seep into the
groundwater; this process is known as leaching. Irrigation run-off from
agricultural fields causes high nitrate content in ground water.
• Industrial Effluents:
Untreated waste water from manufacturing industries contributes to
water pollution.

15. Types of Water Pollution
• Thermal Water Pollution:
 Thermal water pollution is the rise or fall in water
temperatures. This changes in the temperature of water
can be caused due to industries.
 Some industries use water as cooling agent, the heated
water is let-off directly into the natural environment at a
higher temperature.
 Cold water pollution happens when cold water is released
into the water bodies.
 Aquatic organisms like fish are vulnerable to slight changes
in the temperature.
 Heated water decreases oxygen in the water killing fish and
other aquatic organisms.
 Cold water affects eggs and larvae, some invertebrates of
the aquatic ecosystem.

16. Water Pollutants
• Sewage - Sewage pollutants include domestic
and hospital wastes, animal and human excreta etc. The
sewage let off causes oxygen depletion, spread of
diseases/epidemics.
• Metals -Metals like mercury are let off into water bodies
from industries. Heavy metals like mercury cause
poisoning and affect health causing numbness of tongue,
lips, limbs,deafness, blurred vision and mental disorders.
• Lead - Industrial wastes also lead to Lead pollution. If
lead enters the human body system in higher quantities
it affects RBCs, bone, brain, liver, kidney and the nervous
system. Severe lead poisoning can also lead to coma and
death.

17. Water Pollutants
• Cadmium - Source for cadmium pollution is industries, fertilizers.
Cadmium gets deposited in visceral organs like liver, pancreas,
kidney, intestinal mucosa etc. Cadmium poisoning causes vomiting,
headache, bronchial pneumonia, kidney necrosis, etc.
• Arsenic - Fertilizers are source for arsenic pollution. Arsenic
poisoning causes renal failure and death. It also causes liver and
kidney disorders, nervous disorders and muscular atrophy, etc.
• Agrochemicals like DDT - It is a pesticide. Accumulation of these
pesticides in bodies of fishes, birds, mammals and man affects
nervous system, fertility and causes thinning of egg shells in birds.
• Bacteria, Viruses and Parasites - These are sourced from human
and animal excreta, they are infectious agents.

18. Water Pollutants
• Plastics, Detergents, Oil and Gasoline - They are a waste from industries, household
and farms. They trigger organic pollution and is harmful to health.
• Inorganic Chemicals - Inorganic chemicals like acids, salts, metals are a result of
industrial effluents, household cleansers, and surface run-off and are injurious to
health.
• Radioactive Materials - Mining and ores processing, power plants, weapons
production and natural give rise to radioactive pollution like that of uranium, thorium,
cesium, iodine and radon. Radioactive pollution causes serious health diseases to all
organisms.
• Sediments - Sedimentation of soil, silt due to land erosion and deposition causes
disruption in ecosystem.
• Plant Nutrients - Nutrients like nitrates, phosphates, and ammonium are let off from
agricultural and urban fertilizers, sewage and manure. Excess of nutrients cause
Eutrophication and affect the ecosystem.
• Animal Manure and Plant Residues - These substances in water causes increased
algal blooms and microorganism population. This increases oxygen demand of water,
affecting aquatic ecosystem. This is introduced into water due to sewage, agricultural
run-off, paper mills, food processing etc.

19. Effects of Water Pollution
• Water pollution extensively affects health in humans and aquatic
ecosystems.
• Groundwater contamination causes reproductive and fertility disorders in
wildlife ecosystems.
• Sewage, fertilizer and agricultural run-off has nutrients, organic
substances which lead to increase of algal bloom causing oxygen
depletion. The lower oxygen levels affect the natural ecological balance of
rivers and lake ecosystem.
• Consumption and swimming in contaminated water causes skin diseases,
cancer, reproductive problems, stomach ailments in humans.
• Industrial effluents and agricultural pesticides accumulate in aquatic
environments causing harm to aquatic animals and lead to
biomagnifications. Heavy metals like mercury, lead are poisonous to small
children and women. These chemicals interfere in the development of
nervous system in fetuses and young children.

20. Effects of Water Pollution
• Rising water temperatures destroy aquatic
ecosystem.
• Littering by humans like plastic bags, clog and
suffocate aquatic animals.
• Water pollution causes soil erosion in streams,
rivers and flooding due to accumulation.

21. Bio-Chemical Oxygen Demand(BOD)
A chemical procedure for determining how fast
biological organisms use up oxygen in a body of
water.
BOD can be used as a gauge of the effectiveness
of wastewater treatment plants.
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
The requirements of oxygen needs to chemically oxidize
the organic matters in a water body.

22. BOD Level (in ppm) Water Quality
1-2 Very Good: There will not be much
organic waste present in the water supply
3-5 Fair: Moderately clean
6-9 Poor: indicates organic matter is present
& bacteria are decomposing this waste.
100 or Greater Very poor: too much polluted
Contains organic waste.

23. Things to reduce Water Pollution
 Use of low phosphate-level detergents
 Dispose of wastes(like tissue paper or odd trash) by putting them in
trash bins rather than flushing them down into drain.
 Use of native plants instead of hybrid ones. Because they require
less amount pesticides.
 Use organic fertilizers & pesticides.
 Conserve as much water as possible.
 Less use of plastics.
 Prevent oil erosion from occuring.
 Sewage treatment
 Industrial waste water treatment
 Agricultural waste water treatment
 Sediment & Erosion control from construction sites
 Control of urban runoff

24. Wastewater treatment processes
 Preliminary treatment :
The objective of preliminary treatment is the removal of coarse solids and other
large materials often found in raw wastewater.
 Primary treatment :
The objective of primary treatment is the removal of settleable organic and
inorganic solids by sedimentation, and the removal of materials that will float
(scum) by skimming
 Secondary treatment:
The objective of secondary treatment is the further treatment of the effluent
from primary treatment to remove the residual organics and suspended solids.
 Tertiary and/or advanced treatment:
Necessary to remove nitrogen, phosphorus, additional suspended solids,
refractory organics, heavy metals and dissolved solids
 Disinfection:
By Chlorination, Ozone and ultra violet (uv) irradiation3.2.7 Reliability of
conventional and advanced wastewater treatment
 0-discharge:
The principle of “zero discharge” is recycling of all industrial wastewater. This
means that wastewater will be treated and used again in the process. Because of
the water reuse wastewater will not be released on the sewer system or surface
water.