WATER POLLUTION

AND ITS CONTROL

case study
Contents:

• Introduction

• Definition of water pollution

• Causes of water pollution

• Effects of water pollution

• Measures of control
 INTRODUCTION

• Water is a precious resource and without it life is not possible

on earth.

• Water is getting polluted day by day due to excessive and

careless use so the percent of available drinking water is
reducing.

• There are many ways which causes water pollution and the
effects of it are very harmful for all living and non-living objects
Water Pollution
The water they say is life, and indeed they were right. With about 70% of the
earth’s cover being water, it undeniably becomes one of our greatest
resources. As young students, we learned about the various ways to conserve
water; coming to think of it, water is used in almost every important human
chore and process. It is an important element in both domestic as well as
industrial purposes. However, a closer inspection of our water resources
today, gives us a rude shock.
Infested with waste ranging from floating plastic bags to chemical waste, our
water bodies have turned into a pool of poison. In simple words, the
contamination of water bodies means water pollution. Thereby the abuse of
lakes, ponds, oceans, rivers, reservoirs, etc is water pollution. Pollution of
water occurs when substances that will modify the water in a negative fashion
are discharged in it. This discharge of pollutants can be direct as well as
indirect.

Water pollution is an appalling problem, powerful enough to lead the world

on a path of destruction. Water is an easy solvent, enabling most pollutants
to dissolve in it easily and contaminate it. The most basic effect of water
pollution is directly suffered by the organisms and vegetation that survive in
water, including amphibians. On a human level, several people die each day
due to consumption of polluted and infected water.
Various Causes of Water Pollution
1. Industrial waste
Industries produce a huge amount of waste which contains toxic chemicals
and pollutants which can cause air pollution and damage to us and our
environment. They contain pollutants such as lead, mercury, sulphur,
asbestos, nitrates, and many other harmful chemicals. Many industries do not
have a proper waste management system and drain the waste in the fresh
water which goes into rivers, canals and later into the sea. The toxic chemicals
have the capability to change the colour of water, increase the number of
minerals, also known as eutrophication, change the temperature of water
and pose a serious hazard to water organisms.
2. Sewage and wastewater
The sewage and wastewater that is produced by each household is chemically
treated and released into the sea with fresh water. The sewage water carries
harmful bacteria and chemicals that can cause serious health problems.
Pathogens are known as a common water pollutant; The sewers of cities
house several pathogens and thereby diseases.
Microorganisms in water are known to be causes of some very deadly
diseases and become the breeding grounds for other creatures that act as
carriers. These carriers inflict these diseases via various forms of contact onto
an individual. A very common example of this process would be Malaria.
3. Mining activities
Mining is the process of crushing the rock and extracting coal and other
minerals from underground. These elements when extracted in the raw form
contains harmful chemicals and can increase the number of toxic elements
when mixed up with water which may result in health problems. Mining
activities emit a large amount of metal waste and sulphides from the rocks
which is harmful to the water.
4. Marine dumping
The garbage produced by each household in the form of paper, aluminium,
rubber, glass, plastic, food is collected and deposited into the sea in some
countries. These items take from 2 weeks to 200 years to decompose. When
such items enter the sea, they not only cause water pollution but also harm
animals in the sea.
5. Accidental oil leakage
Oil spill poses a huge concern as a large amount of oil enters into the sea
and does not dissolve with water; thereby opens problem for local marine
wildlife such as fish, birds and sea otters. For e.g.: a ship carrying a large
quantity of oil may spill oil if met with an accident and can cause varying
damage to species in the ocean depending on the quantity of oil spill, size of
the ocean, the toxicity of pollutant.
6. The burning of fossil fuels
Fossil fuels like coal and oil when burnt produce a substantial amount of ash
in the atmosphere. The particles which contain toxic chemicals when mixed
with water vapor result in acid rain. Also, carbon dioxide is released from the
burning of fossil fuels which result in global warming.
7. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides
Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used by farmers to protect crops from
insects and bacteria. They are useful for the plant’s growth. However, when
these chemicals are mixed up with water produce harmful for plants and
animals. Also, when it rains, the chemicals mix up with rainwater and flow
down into rivers and canals which pose serious damages for aquatic animals.
8. Leakage from sewer lines
A small leakage from the sewer lines can contaminate the underground water
and make it unfit for the people to drink. Also, when not repaired on time,
the leaking water can come on to the surface and become a breeding ground
for insects and mosquitoes.
9. Global warming
An increase in earth’s temperature due to the greenhouse effect results in
global warming. It increases the water temperature and results in the death
of aquatic animals and marine species which later results in water pollution.
10. Radioactive waste
Nuclear energy is produced using nuclear fission or fusion. The element that
is used in the production of nuclear energy is Uranium which is a highly toxic
chemical. The nuclear waste that is produced by radioactive material needs
to be disposed of to prevent any nuclear accident. Nuclear waste can have
serious environmental hazards if not disposed of properly. Few major
accidents have already taken place in Russia and Japan.
11. Urban development
As the population has grown, so has the demand for housing, food, and
cloth. As more cities and towns are developed, they have resulted in
increasing use of fertilizers to produce more food, soil erosion due to
deforestation, increase in construction activities, inadequate sewer
collection, and treatment, landfills as more garbage is produced, increase in
chemicals from industries to produce more materials.
12. Leakage from the landfills
Landfills are nothing but a huge pile of garbage that produces the awful smell
and can be seen across the city. When it rains, the landfills may leak and the
leaking landfills can pollute the underground water with a large variety of
contaminants.
13. Animal waste
The waste produced by animals is washed away into the rivers when it rains.
It gets mixed up with other harmful chemicals and causes various water-
borne diseases like cholera, diarrhoea, jaundice, dysentery and typhoid.
14. Underground storage leakage
Transportation of coal and other petroleum products through underground
pipes is well known. Accidentals leakage may happen anytime and may cause
damage to the environment and result in soil erosion.

Effects of Water Pollution

Pollution of water affects both humans and aquatic life. Most water sources
close to cities and urban centres are polluted by garbage and dumping of
chemicals, legally or illegally. Below are some of the common as well as
adverse effects of polluting water bodies.
1. Effects on Human Beings
Life is a cycle, and humanity’s irresponsible behaviour often comes back to
haunt it. Adding contaminants to water bodies has affected the human family
in several ways. According to a 2017 WHO report, 2.1 billion people do not
have access to safe water. In 2019, it stated that 785 million people lack access
to essential drinking water. One of the main effects of this is diseases. World
Health Organisation notes that there are about 120,000 cholera-related
deaths annually. Also, the Fukushima tragedy, for example, increased the
prevalence of thyroid cancer in exposed infants by 70%
2. Death of Aquatic Life
Animals and plants that depend on water for life are the most affected by
polluted water. Statistics from the Centre for Biological Diversity on the
effects of the Deep Horizon spill provides a useful glimpse of the impact of
pollution on aquatic life.
3. Food Chain Disruption
Pollution disrupts the food chain by moving the toxins from one level in the
chain to higher levels. In some cases, pollution can wipe out an entire part of
the food chain. Such affect the other organisms by either causing excessive
growth, in case the predator dies or death.
4. Destruction of Ecosystems
The introduction or elimination of certain microorganisms distorts the
ecosystem. Nutrient pollution, for example, leads to an increase in algae,
which depletes the water of oxygen, thereby leading to the death of fish and
other aquatic life.

Control Of Water Pollution

1. Municipal wastewater treatment
In urban areas of developed countries, municipal wastewater (or sewage) is
typically treated by centralized sewage treatment plants. Well-designed and
operated systems (i.e., with secondary treatment steps or more advanced
treatment) can remove 90 percent or more of the pollutant load in sewage.
Some plants have additional systems to remove nutrients and pathogens, but
these more advanced treatment steps get progressively more expensive.
Nature-based solutions are also being used instead of (or in combination
with) centralized treatment plants.
Cities with sanitary sewer overflows or combined sewer overflows employ
one or more engineering approaches to reduce discharges of untreated
sewage, including:

• utilizing a green infrastructure approach to improve storm water

management capacity throughout the system, and reduce the hydraulic
overloading of the treatment plant
• repair and replacement of leaking and malfunctioning equipment
• Increasing overall hydraulic capacity of the sewage collection system
(often a very expensive option).
2. On-site sanitation and safely managed sanitation
Households or businesses not served by a municipal treatment plant may
have an individual septic tank, which pre-treats the wastewater on site and
infiltrates it into the soil. This can lead to groundwater pollution if not
properly done.
Lack of access to sanitation often leads to water pollution, e.g. via the
practice of open defecation: during rain events or floods, the human faces are
moved from the ground where they were deposited into surface waters.
Simple pit latrines may also get flooded during rain events. The use of safely
managed sanitation services would prevent this type of water pollution.
3. Industrial wastewater treatment
Some industrial facilities generate wastewater that is similar to domestic
sewage and can be treated by sewage treatment plants. Industries that
generate wastewater with high concentrations of organic matter (e.g. oil and
grease), toxic pollutants (e.g. heavy metals, volatile organic compounds) or
nutrients such as ammonia, need specialized treatment systems.
Some industries install a pre-treatment system to remove some pollutants
(e.g., toxic compounds), and then discharge the partially treated wastewater
to the municipal sewer system. Industries generating large volumes of
wastewater typically operate their own treatment systems. Some industries
have been successful at redesigning their manufacturing processes to reduce
or eliminate pollutants, through a process called pollution prevention.
To remove heat from wastewater generated by power plants or
manufacturing plants the following technologies are used: • cooling ponds,
man-made bodies of water designed for cooling by evaporation, convection,
and radiation.
• cooling towers, which transfer waste heat to the atmosphere through
evaporation or heat transfer
• Cogeneration, a process where waste heat is recycled for domestic or
industrial heating purposes
4. Agricultural wastewater treatment
Sediment (loose soil) washed off fields is the largest source of agricultural
pollution. Farmers may utilize erosion controls to reduce runoff flows and
retain soil on their fields. Common techniques include contour poling, crop
mulching, crop rotation, planting perennial crops and installing riparian
buffers. Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) are typically applied to
farmland as commercial fertilizer, animal manure, or spraying of municipal or
industrial wastewater (effluent) or sludge. Nutrients may also enter runoff
from crop residues, irrigation water, wildlife, and atmospheric deposition.
Farmers can develop and implement nutrient management plans to reduce
excess application of nutrients and reduce the potential for nutrient pollution
To minimize pesticide impacts, farmers may use Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) techniques (which can include biological pest control) to maintain
control over pests, reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, and protect water
quality
5. Erosion and sediment control from construction sites
Sediment from construction sites is managed by installation of:
• erosion controls, such as mulching and hydro seeding
• Sediment controls, such as sediment basins and silt fences.
Discharge of toxic chemicals such as motor fuels and concrete washout is
prevented by use of
• spill prevention and control plans
• Specially designed containers (e.g. for concrete washout) and structures
such as overflow controls and diversion berms.
6. Control of urban runoff (storm water)
Effective control of urban runoff involves reducing the velocity and flow of
storm water, as well as reducing pollutant discharges. Pollution prevention
practices include low-impact development techniques, installation of green
roofs and improved chemical handling (e.g. management of motor fuels & oil,
fertilizers and pesticides). Runoff mitigation systems include infiltration
basins, bioretention systems, constructed wetlands, retention basins and
similar devices.
Thermal pollution from runoff can be controlled by storm water management
facilities that absorb the runoff or direct it into groundwater, such as bio
retention systems and infiltration basins. Retention basins tend to be less
effective at reducing temperature, as the water may be heated by the sun
before being discharged to a receiving stream.
 Conclusion
• The bad health effects on humans and animals.
• Polluted water is not good for irrigation, drink and for
all organisms that need water to survive
• We should take steps to stop water pollution to save our water
reservoirs
• We must all cooperate with one another to save our fresh and marine
life as much as possible.