College of Engineering, Architecture and

Technology
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
BSEE-2 (STEM)

GROUP 3:
 Abella, Marijade P.
 Marin, Raul Jr.
 Ocampo, Charles Nichole
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WATER POLLUTION

INTRODUCTION:
The water they say is life and indeed, they were right. About 70% of the earth is
water, which has undeniably become one of our greatest resources. When we were
young, we learned about the various ways to conserve water because water is used in
almost every important human chores and processes. Water is an essential element in
both domestic as well as industrial purposes.
However, a closer inspection of our water resources today gives us a terrible shock.
Water is now infested with various wastes ranging from floating plastic bags to chemical
waste, converting our water bodies into a pool of poison.

WHAT IS WATER POLLUTION?

River, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, degrading water quality and
rendering it toxic to humans or the environment. Water pollution occurs when harmful
substances—often chemicals or microorganisms—contaminate a stream.
Causes of Water Pollution
Industries produce a tremendous amount of waste, which contains toxic
chemicals and pollutants, causing air pollution and damage to our environment and us.
They contain harmful chemicals, including lead, mercury, sulfur, nitrates, asbestos, and
many others. Many industries, not having a proper waste management system, drain
the waste in the freshwater, which goes into canals, rivers, and later into the sea.
The toxic chemicals may change the color of water, increase the number of
minerals, called eutrophication, change the temperature of the water, and pose a
severe hazard to water organisms. The sewage and wastewater that is produced in each
household are treated chemically and released into the sea along with fresh water. The
sewage water carries pathogens, a typical water pollutant, other harmful bacteria, and
chemicals that can cause serious health problems and thereby diseases. Microorganisms
in water are known to cause some of the very deadly diseases and become the breeding
grounds for creatures that act as carriers. These carriers inflict these diseases onto an
individual via various forms of contact. A typical example would be Malaria.
Oil spill poses a huge threat to marine life when a large amount of oil spills into
the sea and does not dissolve in water. It causes problems for local marine wildlife,
including fish, birds, and sea otters. A ship carrying a large quantity of oil may spill oil if
met with an accident. Such an oil spill can cause varying damage to species in the ocean,
depending on the amount of oil spill, the toxicity of pollutants, and the size of the
ocean.
Farmers to protect crops from insects and bacteria use chemical fertilizers and
pesticides. They are useful for the plant’s growth. However, when these chemicals are
mixed up with water, they produce harmful pollutants 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.
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.
As the population has grown exponentially, 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, rise in
construction activities, inadequate sewer collection and treatment, landfills as more
garbage is produced, increase in chemicals from industries to produce more materials.
The waste produced by animals washed away into the rivers when it rains. It then
gets mixed up with other harmful chemicals and causes various water-borne diseases
like cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, jaundice, and typhoid. Landfills are nothing but a
massive 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. The increased level of
nutrients in water bodies is known as Eutrophication. It results in the bloom of algae in
the water. It also depletes the amount of oxygen in the water that negatively affects fish
and other aquatic animal populations.
Acid rain is essentially water pollution caused by air pollution. When the acidic
particles released in the atmosphere by air pollution mix with water vapor, it results in
acid rain.
Transportation of coal and other petroleum products through underground pipes
is well known. Accidental leakage may happen anytime and may cause damage to the
environment and result in soil erosion.
Mining is the process of crushing the rock and extracting coal and other minerals
from the underground. These elements, when extracted in the raw form, contain
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 sulfides from the rocks, which is harmful to the water.
EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION

ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Water pollution truly harms biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems. The toxic
chemicals can change the color of water and increase the amount of minerals - also
known as eutrophication - which has a bad impact on life in water. Thermal pollution,
defined by a rise in the temperature of water bodies, contributes to global warming and
causes serious hazard to water organisms.
ON HUMAN HEALTH
Water pollution has very negative effects on public health. A lot of diseases result
from drinking or being in contact with contaminated water, such as diarrhea, cholera,
typhoid, dysentery or skin infections. In zones where there is no available drinking
water, the main risk is dehydration obviously.

Water Pollution Facts

Fact 1 Fact 2
10.4 of Earth’s population does not have In developing countries, 70% of
access to an adequate water source. That’s industrial waste is dumped untreated
780 million people- or over 2 times the size of into the water supply.
United States.

Fact 3
There are between 12-18 million cases Fact 4
of water borne diseases each year.
That’s just in the United States- in Across the planet, urban settlements
developing countries, one third of all are the main source of pollution and
hospital cases could be caused of more than 80% of waste water is left
contaminated water untreated.

Fact 5 Fact 5
Fact 6

Up to 90% of waste water in With population growth and climate

developing countries flows into rivers, change is also adding stress to our finite
lakes, and coastal zones where it supply water. We can’t afford to waste
threatens access in safe drinking water, nearly 2/3 of the world’s
water, food security and over all population could experience water
health. scarcity by 2025
 HOW CAN WE STOP WATER POLLUTION?
Save water!
Water is the precious gift of God on the earth. Life exists on the earth because of
the availability of water. Itself being tasteless, odorless and colorless, it adds taste, color
and nice smell in the life of living beings on the earth. It is found everywhere and known
as life. It takes nothing from us but gives life to us. It has no shape but takes the shape
of container we store it. We find it everywhere in rivers, seas, tanks, wells, ponds, etc
but we lack clean drinking water. Three-fourth part of the earth is full of water however
we need to conserve water as there is very less percentage of clean water.

Prevention
Green agriculture Stormwater management
Wastewater treatment
Globally, agriculture accounts for Stormwater management is the
70% of water resources, so it is effort to reduce runoff of rainwater
Wastewater treatment consists of
essential to have climate-friendly or melted snow into streets, lawns
removing pollutants from wastewater
crops, efficient irrigation that and other sites and the
through a physical, chemical or
reduces the need for water and improvement of water quality”
biological process. The more efficient
energy-efficient food production. according to the US Environmental
these processes are, the cleaner the
Green agriculture is also crucial to Protection Agency (EPA). It is
water becomes.
limit the chemicals that enter the important to avoid pollutants from
water. contaminating the water and helps
to use water more efficiently.

Air pollution prevention

Water conservation
Air pollution has a direct impact on Plastic waste reduction
water contamination as 25% of human
80% of plastic in our oceans is Without water conservation, we won’t
induced CO2 emissions are absorbed by
from land sources. In order to go very far. It is central in making sure
oceans. This pollution causes a rapid
reduce the amount of plastic the world has better access to clean
acidification of our oceans, and
entering our ocean, we need to water. It means being aware that
threatens marine life and corals.
both reduce our use of plastic water is a scarce resource, taking care
Preventing air pollution is the best way
globally, and to improve plastic of it accordingly, and managing it
to prevent this from happening.
waste management. responsibly.
Thank you!