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Assignment

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mehwish558496
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Assignment topic: Water Pollution

Submitted by Mehwish Ibrahim


Submitted to Sir Tariq Ahmad
Date: 14-09-2024

Department Of Earth Sciences


Nusrat Jahan College Chenab Nagar
Water Pollution
“Water pollution is the introduction of toxic substances and excessive nutrients into water bodies, which leads
to harmful effects on aquatic life, human health, and the natural environment. This includes pollutants from
agricultural runoff, industrial discharges, and sewage.”
Rachel Carson (Geologist and Environmentalist)
Water pollution refers to degradation of water quality as measured by biological, chemical, or physical criteria.
This degradation is judged according to the intended use of the water, its departure from the norm, and public
health or ecological impacts. From a public health or ecological point of view, a pollutant is any substance
that, in excess, is known to be harmful to desirable living organisms. In fact, the primary water pollution
problem facing billions of people today, especially in the developing world, is the lack of clean drinking water
that is free of disease-causing organisms or substances.

Classification of water pollution


Pollutants Major anthropogenic Adverse effects
sources
Oxygen demanding organic Domestic sewage, industrial Depletion of dissolved oxygen,
wastes(biodegradable) wastes, animal wastes death of fish, damage to plant life,
foul smell
Pathogens Domestic sewage and animal Outbreak of water borne diseases
waste
Acids Industrial waste, acidic deposition Death of aquatic organisms,
solubility of harmful substances
increases
Salts Irrigation, industrial waste Increase if salinity, death of
aquatic organism, becomes unfit
for drinking purposes, domestic
use, industrial and agriculture use
Heavy metals, arsenic etc. Industrial waste, leaching from Toxic to humans, animals, and
soils by acidic substances aquatic life
Plant nutrients (NO3PO4) Agricultural, domestic and Eutrophication, fish death,
industrial wastes disruption of community structure
Heat Cooling water from power plants Solubility of oxygen decreases,
and other industries harmful to aquatic life
Radioactive substances Mining of radioactive substances, Carcinogenic and mutagenic
nuclear power generation
Chlorine and its compounds Paper and other industries, water Fatal to fish possibly carcinogenic
disinfection
Oil and grease Lubricants and solvents etc.,Potential damage to ecosystem,
petroleum wastes taste and Oduor problems for
drinking water
Pesticides and Herbicides Agriculture, pesticides and Toxic to aquatic life, mammals
herbicide manufacturing units and humans, some chemicals are
carcinogenic and mutagenic
Other Synthetic organisms Industrial effluents Toxic to aquatic life, mammals
(Photosetters, chloroform and humans, some chemicals are
nitrosamines etc. carcinogenic

5 Pathways for chemical pollutants Diagram shows pathways for chemical pollutants within the hydrologic cycle of the
environment.

Distribution of water pollution


Surface water pollution
Surface water includes natural water found on the earth's surface, like rivers, lakes, lagoons and oceans.
Hazardous substances coming into contact with this surface water, dissolving or mixing physically with the
water can be called surface water pollution.

Ground water pollution


When humans apply pesticides and chemicals to so they are washed deep into the ground by rain water. Tins
gets to underground water, causing pollution underground. This means when we dig wells and bore holes to
get water from underground, it needs to be checked for ground water pollution.

Poor quality water can be responsible for slow growth, poor aesthetic quality of the crop and, in some cases,
can result in the gradual death of the plants. High soluble salts can directly injure roots, interfering with
water and nutrient uptake. Salts can accumulate in plant leaf margins, causing burning of the edges. Water
with high alkalinity can adversely affect the pH of the growing medium, interfering with nutrient uptake and
causing nutrient deficiencies which compromise plant health.
Water quality should be tested to ensure it is acceptable for plant growth and to minimize the risk of
discharging pollutants to surface or ground water.

Conclusion
Water pollution results from the introduction of harmful substances, such as toxic chemicals, pathogens, and
excess nutrients, into water bodies. This pollution is caused by industrial waste, agricultural runoff, and
sewage, leading to significant ecological and public health impacts. Pollutants deplete oxygen, harm aquatic
life, and contaminate drinking water, posing risks to humans and the environment. Surface and groundwater
pollution are common, affecting both water bodies and underground water sources. Poor water quality can
damage crops, hinder plant growth, and result in toxic effects on ecosystems. Effective water quality
management is essential to protect both human health and the environment.
References
Enviremental geology by Carla W. Montgomery. 9th Edition
Introduction to environmental geology by Edward A. Keller. 5th Edition
Carson, R. (1962). Silent Spring. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Figure 1: https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/water-pollution-causes-and-its-effects/238259164
https://www.slideshare.net/vishwajithmaski/water-pollution-and-its-management-ppt
https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/water-pollution-its-effect-and-control/238259176
Figure 2: 5 Pathways for chemical pollutants Diagram shows pathways for chemical pollutants within the
hydrologic cycle of the environment. (Modified from Delzer, G. C., Zagorsk, J. S., Lopes, T. J., and Basshart,
R. S. 1996. Occurrence of Gasoline Oxygenate MTBE and BTEX Compounds in Urban Storm Water in the
United States, 1991–95. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigation Report 96–4145)
Figure 3: Source: Data from J. E. Fergusson, Inorganic Chemistry and the Earth. Copyright © 1982
Pergamon Press, Oxford, England.
https://ag.umass.edu/greenhouse-floriculture/greenhouse-best-management-practices-bmp-manual/water-
qualityforcropproduction#: ~:text=Poor%20quality%20water%20can%20be,
causing%20burning%20of%20the%20edges.

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