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Water Pollution: Water Pollution Is The Contamination of Water Bodies (E.g. Lakes, Rivers, Oceans and

Water pollution occurs when harmful substances are introduced into bodies of water directly or indirectly. It has significant negative impacts on human health and ecosystems. There are two main categories of water pollution - point source pollution which enters waterways through discrete sources like pipes, and non-point source pollution which comes from diffuse sources like agricultural runoff. Many substances can pollute water including chemicals, pathogens, and changes in physical properties. Water pollution is analyzed using physical, chemical, and biological testing and controlled through treatment of sewage and wastewater.

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34 views

Water Pollution: Water Pollution Is The Contamination of Water Bodies (E.g. Lakes, Rivers, Oceans and

Water pollution occurs when harmful substances are introduced into bodies of water directly or indirectly. It has significant negative impacts on human health and ecosystems. There are two main categories of water pollution - point source pollution which enters waterways through discrete sources like pipes, and non-point source pollution which comes from diffuse sources like agricultural runoff. Many substances can pollute water including chemicals, pathogens, and changes in physical properties. Water pollution is analyzed using physical, chemical, and biological testing and controlled through treatment of sewage and wastewater.

Uploaded by

faizanulhaque
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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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; and, in almost all
cases the effect is damaging not only to individual species and populations, but also to the
natural biological communities.

Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies
without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds.

INTRODUCTION
Water pollution is a major problem in the global context. It has been suggested that it is the
leading worldwide cause of deaths and diseases, and that it accounts for the deaths of more
than 14,000 people daily. An estimated 700 million Indians have no access to a proper toilet,
and 1,000 Indian children die of diarrheal sickness every day. Some 90% of China's cities suffer
from some degree of water pollution, and nearly 500 million people lack access to safe drinking
water. In addition to the acute problems of water pollution in developing countries,
industrialized countries continue to struggle with pollution problems as well.

WATER POLLUTION CATEGORIES


Surface water and groundwater have often been studied and managed as separate resources,
although they are interrelated. Sources of surface water pollution are generally grouped into
two categories based on their origin.

Point Source Pollution


Non-Point Source Pollution

POINT SOURCE POLLUTION

Point source pollution refers to contaminants that enter a waterway through a discrete
conveyance, such as a pipe or ditch. Examples of sources in this category include discharges
from a sewage treatment plant, a factory, or a city storm drain. The U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA)
defines point source for regulatory enforcement purposes. The CWA definition of point source
was amended in 1987 to include municipal storm sewer systems, as well as industrial
stormwater, such as from construction sites.

NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION


Non–point source (NPS) pollution refers to diffuse contamination that does not originate from a
single discrete source. NPS pollution is often the cumulative effect of small amounts of
contaminants gathered from a large area. The leaching out of nitrogen compounds from
agricultural land which has been fertilized is a typical example. Nutrient runoff in stormwater
from "sheet flow" over an agricultural field or a forest are also cited as examples of NPS
pollution.

CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION


The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a wide spectrum of chemicals,
pathogens, and physical or sensory changes such as elevated temperature and discoloration.
While many of the chemicals and substances that are regulated may be naturally occurring
(calcium, sodium, iron, manganese, etc.) the concentration is often the key in determining what
is a natural component of water, and what is a contaminant.

Many of the chemical substances are toxic. Pathogens can produce waterborne diseases in
either human or animal hosts. Alteration of water's physical chemistry includes acidity (change
in pH), electrical conductivity, temperature, and eutrophication. Eutrophication is an increase in
the concentration of chemical nutrients in an ecosystem to an extent that increases in the
primary productivity of the ecosystem. Depending on the degree of eutrophication, subsequent
negative environmental effects such as anoxia (oxygen depletion) and severe reductions in
water quality may occur, affecting fish and other animal populations.

THERMAL POLLUTION
Thermal pollution is the rise or fall in the temperature of a natural body of water caused by
human influence. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by
power plants and industrial manufacturers. Elevated water temperatures decreases oxygen
levels (which can kill fish) and affects ecosystem composition, such as invasion by new
thermophilic species. Urban runoff may also elevate temperature in surface waters.
MEASUREMENT OF WATER POLLUTION
Water pollution may be analyzed through several broad categories of methods: physical, chemical and
biological. Most involve collection of samples, followed by specialized analytical tests.

Sampling

Sampling of water for physical or chemical testing can be done by several methods, depending
on the accuracy needed and the characteristics of the contaminant. Many contamination events
are sharply restricted in time, most commonly in association with rain events. For this reason
"grab" samples are often inadequate for fully quantifying contaminant levels. Scientists gathering
this type of data often employ auto-sampler devices that pump increments of water at either time
or discharge intervals.

Physical testing

Common physical tests of water include temperature, solids concentration like total suspended
solids (TSS) and turbidity.

Chemical testing

Water samples may be examined using the principles of analytical chemistry. Many published
test methods are available for both organic and inorganic compounds. Frequently used methods
include pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nutrients
(nitrate and phosphorus compounds), metals (including copper, zinc, cadmium, lead and
mercury), oil and grease, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), and pesticides.

CONTROL OF WATER POLLUTION


Domestic sewage

Domestic sewage is 99.9% pure water, the other 0.1% are pollutants. While found in low
concentrations, these pollutants pose risk on a large scale. In urban areas, domestic sewage
is typically treated by centralized sewage treatment plants. In the U.S., most of these plants
are operated by local government agencies, frequently referred to as publicly owned
treatment works (POTW). Municipal treatment plants are designed to control conventional
pollutants: BOD and suspended solids. Well-designed and operated systems (i.e., secondary
treatment or better) can remove 90 percent or more of these pollutants. Some plants have
additional sub-systems to treat nutrients and pathogens. Most municipal plants are not
designed to treat toxic pollutants found in industrial wastewater.

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