Energy and Environmental Engineering

UNIT-5
Water Pollution

 Water pollution: Any physical, biological or chemical change in the water

quality that adversely affects living organism or makes water unsuitable for
certain uses is called as water pollution.

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans
and groundwater). Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in
these bodies of water.

Point and non-point sources of water pollution:

Point sources These are pollutants that are discharged at specific locations
through pipes, ditches or sewers into bodies of surface waters.

Ex: Factories, sewage treatment plants, abandoned underground mines and

oil tankers.

Non point sources These pollutants cannot be traced to a single point of

discharge. They are large land areas or air-sheds that pollute water by runoff,
subsurface flow or deposition from the atmosphere.

Ex: Acid deposition, runoff of chemicals into surface water from croplands,
livestock feedlots, logged forests, urban streets, lawns, golf courses and
parking lots.

 Causes /Sources of Water Pollution

Water pollution is caused due to several reasons. Here are the few major
causes of water pollution:

Sewage And Waste Water: Sewage, garbage and liquid waste of households,
agricultural lands and factories are discharged into lakes and rivers. These
wastes contain harmful chemicals and toxins which make the water poisonous
for aquatic animals and plants.

Dumping: Dumping of solid wastes and litters in water bodies causes huge
problems. Litters include glass, plastic, aluminum, styrofoam etc. Different
things take different amount of time to degrade in water. They affect aquatic
plants and animals.
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Industrial Waste: Industrial waste contains pollutants like asbestos, lead,

mercury and petrochemicals which are extremely harmful to both people and
environment. Industrial waste is discharged into lakes and rivers by using
fresh water making the water contaminated.

Oil Pollution: Sea water gets polluted due to oil spilled from ships and
tankers while traveling. The spilled oil does not dissolve in water and forms a
thick sludge polluting the water.

Acid Rain: Acid rain is pollution of water caused by air pollution. When the
acidic particles caused by air pollution in the atmosphere mix with water
vapor, it results in acid rain.

Global Warming: Due to global warming, there is an increase in water

temperature. This increase in temperature results in death of aquatic plants
and animals. This also results in bleaching of coral reefs in water.

Eutrophication: Eutrophication is an increased level of nutrients in water

bodies. This results in bloom of algae in water. It also depletes the oxygen in
water, which negatively affects fish and other aquatic animal population.

 Effects of Water Pollution

1. Diseases: In humans, drinking or consuming polluted water in any way has

many disastrous effects on our health. It causes typhoid, cholera, hepatitis
and various other diseases.
2. Destruction of Ecosystems: Ecosystems are extremely dynamic and
respond to even small changes in the environment. Water pollution can
cause an entire ecosystem to collapse if left unchecked.
3. Eutrophication: Chemicals in a water body, encourage the growth of algae.
These algae form a layer on top of the pond or lake. Bacteria feed on this
algae and this decreases the amount of oxygen in the water body,
severely affecting the aquatic life there.
4. Effects the food chain: Disruption in food chains happens when toxins and
pollutants in the water are consumed by aquatic animals (fish, shellfish
etc) which are then consumed by humans.

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 Control Measures of Water Pollution

The best way to prevent large-scale water pollution is to try and reduce its
harmful effects. There are various small changes we can make to protect
ourselves from a scary future where water is scarce.

1. Save Water: Conserving water is our first aim. Water wastage is a major
problem globally and we are only now waking up to the issue. Simply small
changes you can make domestically will make a huge difference.
2. Better treatment of sewage: So treating waste products before disposing of
it in a water body helps reduce water pollution on a large scale. Agriculture
or other industries can reuse this wastewater by reducing its toxic
contents.
3. Use environmentally friendly products: By using soluble products that do
not go on to become pollutants, we can reduce the amount of water
pollution caused by a household.

4. Separate drainage of sewage and rain water should be provided to prevent

overflow of sewage with rain water.
5. Planting trees would reduce pollution by sediments and will also prevent
soil erosion.
6. Industrial plants should be based on recycling operations as it helps
prevent disposal of wastes into natural waters but also extraction of
products from waste.
7. Public awareness must be initiated regarding adverse effects of water
pollution using the media.

 Explain Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Eutrophication in connection

with water pollution.
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD, also called Biological Oxygen Demand)
is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed (i.e. demanded) by aerobic
biological organisms to break down organic material present in a given water
sample at certain temperature over a specific time period. The BOD value is
most commonly expressed in milligrams of oxygen consumed per litre of
sample during 5 days.
Significance of BOD: Biochemical Oxygen Demand is an important water
quality parameter because it provides an index to assess the effect discharged
wastewater will have on the receiving environment. The higher the BOD
value, the greater the amount of organic matter or “food” available for oxygen
consuming bacteria.

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Eutrophication: Eutrophication, or hypertrophication, is when a body of

water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients that induce
excessive growth of plants and algae. This process may result in oxygen
depletion of the water body.
The sources are phosphates in detergent, industrial/domestic run-offs, and
fertilizers.

 Noise Pollution: Noise pollution or sound pollution refers to the presence

of excessive and disturbing noise (from machines, transportation systems,
aircrafts, trains, etc) in the environment that is very harmful to the physical
and mental health of the living beings on earth.

 Sources of Noise Pollution: Major causes / sources of noise pollution are:

(i) Industrial Sources: Progress in technology (industrialization) has
resulted in creating noise pollution. Textile mills, printing presses,
engineering establishments and metal works etc. contribute heavily towards
noise pollution.
(ii) Transport Vehicles: Automobile revolution in urban centers has proved
to be a big source of noise pollution. Increasing traffic has given rise to traffic
jams in congested areas where the repeated hooting of horns by impatient
drivers pierces the ears of all road users.
Noise from airplanes constitutes an increasing serious problem in big cities.
iii) Household: The household is an industry in itself and is a source of many
indoor noises such as the banging of doors, noise of playing children, crying of
infants, moving of furniture, loud conversation of the inhabitants etc. Besides
these are the entertainment equipment in the house, namely the radio, record-
players and television sets. Domestic gadgets like the mixer-grinders,
pressure cookers, desert coolers, air- conditioners, exhaust fans, vacuum
cleaners, sewing and washing machines are all indoor sources of noise
pollution.

(iv) Public Address System: The loud speakers used for a religious function,
birth, death, marriage, elections, demonstration, or just commercial
advertising contributes in its own way towards noise pollution.

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(vii) Miscellaneous Sources: The automobile repair shops, construction-

works, blasting, bulldozing, stone crushing etc. are other sources of noise
pollution.

 Effects of Noise Pollution

Noise is generally harmful and a serious health hazard. It has far-reaching
consequences and has many physical, physiological as well as psychological
effects on human beings.

(i) Physical Effects: It is the effect on hearing ability. Repeated exposure to

noise may result in temporary or permanent deafness.
Human ears have sensory cells for hearing. If these cells are subjected to re-
peated sounds of high intensity they can become permanently damaged
leading to impairment of hearing.

(ii) Physiological Effects:

(a) Headache by dilating blood vessels of the brain.
(b) Increase in the rate of heart-beat.
(c) Narrowing of arteries.
(d) Fluctuations in the arterial blood pressure by increasing the level of
cholesterol in the blood.
(e) Decrease in heart output.
(f) Pain in the heart.
(g) Impairment of night vision.
(h) Decrease in the rate of colour perception.
(i) Lowering of concentration and affect on memory,
(j) Muscular strain and nervous breakdown.

(iii) Psychological Effect

(a) Depression and fatigue which considerably reduces the efficiency of a
person.
(b) Insomnia as a result of lack of undisturbed and refreshing sleep
(c) Straining of senses as a result of noise from motorcycles, alarm clocks, call
bells, telephone rings etc.
(d) Emotional disturbance .

 Control Measure of Noise Pollution

Noise can be controlled by using the following controls.

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Elimination: Elimination is a process that completely destroys the noise

source – it is the most effective way to prevent risks to workers and should
always be considered when introducing a new work process, selecting new
work equipment and designing the layout of the workstations.
Substitution: Substitution is a process of replacing noisy machinery or equipment
with quieter alternatives. When elimination is not possible, substitution of the noisy
machinery or equipment for quieter ones may be the next-best alternative to
protect workers from exposure to noise.

Engineering controls: Engineering controls are all about making changes to

processes, machinery or equipment so that the workers are exposed to less noise.
For example, using screens, barriers, enclosures and absorbent materials help to
reduce workers’ noise exposure.

Administrative controls: Administrative controls are the way work is organised to

reduce either the number of workers who are exposed or the length of time they are
exposed to noise. Administrative controls should be used when it is not possible to
reduce noise exposure through elimination, substitution or engineering noise
control measures.

 Disposal of Solid waste

Solid Waste means any garbage, refuse, sludge from a wastewater treatment
plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility and other
discarded materials including solid, liquid, semi-solid, or contained gaseous
material, resulting from industrial, commercial, mining and agricultural
operations.

Types of Solid Waste:

a. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
b. Hazardous Wastes
c. Industrial Wastes
d. Agricultural Wastes
e. Bio-Medical Wastes
f. Waste Minimization

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Disposal of Solid Waste: Methods of solid waste disposal and management

are as below:

 Open burning: Not an ideal method in the present day

 Dumping into the sea: It is Possible only in coastal cities. It is Very costly
and not environment friendly

 Sanitary Landfills: A deep trench (3 to 5 m) is excavated and refuse is

laid in layers. Layers are compacted with some mechanical equipment
and covered with earth, leveled, and compacted. Microorganisms act on
the organic matter and degrade them. Decomposition is similar to that
in composting

 Incineration: This method involves the combustion of waste material in

presence of oxygen and converts it into ash, flue gas, water vapors and
carbon dioxide.
 Composting: It is most frequently used method which is controlled
aerobic decomposition of organic waste material by the action of
microorganism.
 Ploughing in fields
 Grinding and discharging into sewers
 Salvaging
 Fermentation and biological digestion.

 The functional elements of waste management system

The various stages involved in Waste management are:

[1] GENERATION: This is the stage when materials becomes waste and is
discarded. The generation rate is often defined as the weight of material
discarded as solid waste by one person in one day
[2] STORAGE: House storage, keeping solid waste in place or containers which
is the responsibility of the individual members of the household while,
Command storage, is the responsibility of the refuse collection agency.
[3] COLLECTION: This has to do with transportation of the solid waste from
the point of storage to the point of disposal, two stages are involved in the
collection stages; The direct collection, which makes uses only one means of
transportation i.e. the Solid waste is picked up from the point of storage in a
truck that takes it to the disposal site, The second stage collection Carries the
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solid waste from the storage facility to the Transfer station, at the transfer
station, the waste is loaded into the secondary stage, to transport the refuse to
the Disposal site.
[4] DISPOSAL: The final destination of solid waste, usually it is dumped on
land at a tip, this may be done in an engineered and hygienic Way: - sanitary
landfill or controlled tipping, or in a careless Way: - open tipping or crude
dumping.

 Bio medical Waste: Any waste which is generated during the diagnosis,
treatment or immunization of human beings or animals or in research
activities or in the production or testing of biological. Generally, there are
four major types of medical waste.
 General Medical Waste.
 Infectious Medical Waste.
 Hazardous Medical Waste.
 Radioactive Medical Waste.

Bio medical Waste Management:

1. Segregation of Waste: Segregation is the essence of waste management

and should be done at source of generation of biomedical waste e. g. all
patient care activity area, diagnostic services area, operation theatre,
labour room, etc.. Biomedical waste should be segregated.
2. Collection of biomedical waste: Collection should be done as per the
rules. At ordinary room temperature the collected waste should not be
stored for more than 24 hours.
3. Transportation: Within hospital waste route must be designated to
avoid the passage of waste through patient care area. Separate time
should be marked for the transportation of biomedical waste to reduce
chances of mixing with general waste.
Trolleys should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected in the event of
any spillage
Hazardous biomedical waste needing transport to long distance should
be kept in container and should have proper label.
The driver compartment should be separated from the load
compartment.
4. Treatment of hospital waste: Treatment is required
i) To disinfect so that it is no longer source of infection.
ii) To reduce the volume of waste
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5. Safety Measures: It should be ensured that,

i) Driver, collectors and other handlers are aware of the nature and risk
of waste
ii) Written instruction provided regarding the procedures to be adapted
in the event of accidents.
iii)Workers are protected by Vaccination.
6. Measures of waste minimization: Purchase of reusable items made of
glass and metal should be encouraged

 Thermal Pollution: An increase in the optimum water/air temperature by

industrial process (steel factories, electric power houses and atomic power
plants) is called as “Thermal Pollution”
 Causes/ Sources of Thermal Pollution:

1. Water as Cooling Agent in Power, Manufacturing and Industrial plants:

Production and Manufacturing plants are biggest source of thermal pollution.
These plants draw water from nearby source to keep machines cool and then
release back to the source with higher temperature. When heated water
returns to the river or ocean, the water temperature rises sharply.

2. Soil Erosion: Soil erosion is another major factor that causes thermal
pollution. Consistent soil erosion causes water bodies to rise, making them
more exposed to sunlight..

3. Deforestation: Trees and plants prevent sunlight from falling directly on

lakes, ponds or rivers. When deforestation takes place, these water bodies are
directly exposed to sunlight, thus absorbing more heat and raising its
temperature.

4. Runoff from Paved Surfaces: Urban runoff discharged to surface waters

from paved surfaces like roads and parking lots can make water warmer.
During summer seasons, the pavement gets quite hot, which creates warm
runoff that gets into the sewer systems and water bodies.

5. Natural Causes: Natural causes like volcanoes and geothermal activity

under the oceans and seas can trigger warm lava to raise the temperature of
water bodies.

6. Lightening can also introduce massive amount of heat into the oceans.

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7. Release of cold water: Many industries liberate very cool water into
reservoirs. This water when mix with warm water in the lake creates
unbalance.

8. Human waste, household and personal care products: These products go

into sewage water which pollutes the water.

 Soil Pollution: Soil pollution refers to anything that causes contamination of

soil and degrades the soil quality. It occurs when the pollutants causing the
pollution reduce the quality of the soil
 Causes of Soil Pollution
1. Industrial Activity: Industrial activity has been the biggest contributor to
the problem in the last century, especially since the amount of mining and
manufacturing has increased. As a result, the industrial waste lingers in the
soil surface for a long time and makes it unsuitable for use.
2. Agricultural Activities:  Modern pesticides and fertilizers are full of
chemicals that are not produced in nature and cannot be broken down by it.
As a result, they seep into the ground after they mix with water and slowly
reduce the fertility of the soil.
3. Waste Disposal: Finally, a growing cause for concern is how we dispose of
our waste. While industrial waste is sure to cause contamination, there is
another way in which we are adding to the pollution. Every human produces a
certain amount of personal waste products by way or urine and feces.
4. Accidental Oil Spills: Oil leaks can happen during storage and transport of
chemicals. This can be seen at most of the fuel stations. The chemicals present
in the fuel deteriorates the quality of soil and make them unsuitable for
cultivation.
5. Acid Rain: Acid rain is caused when pollutants present in the air mixes up
with the rain and fall back on the ground. The polluted water could dissolve
away some of the important nutrients found in soil and change the structure
of the soil.
Effects of Soil Pollution
1. Effect on Health of Humans:. Crops and plants grown on polluted soil
absorb much of the pollution and then pass these on to us. Long term
exposure to such soil can affect the genetic make-up of the body, causing
congenital illnesses and chronic health problems that cannot be cured easily.
2. Effect on Growth of Plants: The ecological balance of any system gets
affected due to the widespread contamination of the soil. Most plants are
unable to adapt when the chemistry of the soil changes so radically in a short

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period of time. The fertility slowly diminishes, making land unsuitable for
agriculture and any local vegetation to survive. The soil pollution causes large
tracts of land to become hazardous to health.
3. Decreased Soil Fertility: The toxic chemicals present in the soil can
decrease soil fertility and therefore decrease in the soil yield. The
contaminated soil is then used to produce fruits and vegetables which lacks
quality nutrients and may contain some poisonous substance to cause serious
health problems in people consuming them.
4. Toxic Dust: The emission of toxic and foul gases from landfills pollutes the
environment and causes serious effects on health of some people. The
unpleasant smell causes inconvenience to other people.
5. Changes in Soil Structure: The death of many soil organisms (e.g.
earthworms) in the soil can lead to alteration in soil structure.
 Control of Soil Pollution:
1. Reducing chemical fertilizer and pesticide use:
Applying bio-fertilizers and manures can reduce chemical fertilizer and
pesticide use. Biological methods of pest control can also reduce the use of
pesticides and thereby minimize soil pollution.
2. Reusing of materials:
Materials such as glass containers, plastic bags, paper, cloth etc. can be reused
at domestic levels rather than being disposed, reducing solid waste pollution.
3. Recycling and recovery of materials:
This is a reasonable solution for reducing soil pollution. Materials such as
paper, some kinds of plastics and glass can and are being recycled. This
decreases the volume of refuse and helps in the conservation of natural
resources. For example, recovery of one tonne of paper can save 17 trees.
4. Reforesting:
Control of land loss and soil erosion can be attempted through restoring forest
and grass cover to check wastelands, soil erosion and floods. Crop rotation or
mixed cropping can improve the fertility of the land.

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