WAT E R P O L L U T I O N

IF THERE'S NO
WATER, THERE'S NO
LIFE!
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND HUMAN HEALTH
Introduction
• Water covers about 70% of the Earth’s surface.
• Basis of life, it makes up to 60-95 % of the total weight of any
functioning living cell.
• Though, 70% of earth's surface is covered with water only
0.00192% of the water is available for human consumption.
• Pollution of water affects drinking water, lakes, river and
oceans all over the world.
• In most of the developing countries the major cause of death
is consumption of polluted water.
What is Water Pollution?
1. Water pollution is the contamination of natural water bodies
like lakes, rivers, streams, oceans, and groundwater due to
inflow or deposition of pollutants directly or indirectly into
water systems.
2. Water pollution very often caused by anthropogenic
activities.
3. Any modifications or change in the chemical, physical and
biological properties of water that can cause any harmful
consequences on living things and the environment is known
as water pollution.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Increasing urbanization and rapid depletion of
resources have forced authorities to shift from
traditional linear system of take-make-use-dispose
to circular system of resource conservation.
Circular Economy (CE) is a sustainable
development approach that works on the waste
management strategy of reduce, reuse, recycle, and
recover, reclaim and restore. (6Rs)
WATER STRESS
“ WAT E R S T R E S S ” R E F E R S TO T H E A B I L I T Y, O R L A C K
T H E R E O F, TO M E E T H U M A N A N D E C O L O G I C A L D E M A N D
F O R WAT E R . C O M PA R E D TO S C A R C I T Y, “ WAT E R S T R E S S ” I S
A M O R E I N C L U S I V E A N D B R O A D E R C O N C E P T. I T
C O N S I D E R S S E V E R A L P H Y S I C A L A S P E C T S R E L AT E D TO
WAT E R R E S O U R C E S , I N C L U D I N G WAT E R S C A R C I T Y, B U T
A L S O WAT E R Q U A L I T Y, E N V I R O N M E N TA L F L O W S , A N D T H E
A C C E S S I B I L I T Y O F WAT E R .

WAT E R S T R E S S C A U S E S D E T E R I O R AT I O N O F F R E S H WAT E R
RESOURCES IN TERMS OF QUANTITY (AQUIFER OVER-
E X P L O I TAT I O N , D RY R I V E R S , E T C . ) A N D Q U A L I T Y
 FRESH WATER
Freshwater is water that contains only minimal quantities of dissolved salts, thus
distinguishing it from sea water or brackish water.
Of all the water on Earth, just 3% is fresh water. Fresh water is found in glaciers, lakes,
reservoirs, ponds, rivers, streams, wetlands and even groundwater.
WHAT ARE FRESH WATER POLLUTION ?
Freshwater pollution originates from many sources, including municipal, industrial and
agricultural waste, wastewater and nutrient run-off, power generation, heavy industry,
automobiles, and others.
 WASTE WATER
Wastewater is used water that has been affected by domestic, industrial and commercial
use. The composition of all waste water is thus constantly changing and highly variable.
"Sewage" technically denotes any waste water which pass through a sewer. Domestic
wastewater originates from activities such as restroom usage, bathing, food preparation
and laundry. Industrial wastewater originates from industrial or commercial
manufacturing processes, such as agriculture, and are usually more difficult to treat than
domestic wastes.
 WATER POLLUTION
This widespread problem of water pollution is jeopardizing our
health. our drinkable water sources are finite: Less than 1 percent of
the earth’s freshwater is actually accessible to us. Water pollution
occurs when harmful substances—often chemicals or
microorganisms—contaminate a stream, river, lake.
Toxic substances from farms, towns, and factories readily dissolve
into and mix with it, causing water pollution.
SOURCES
A. Groundwater Pollution
Groundwater is one of our least visible but most critical natural resources. With rainfall, it
becomes groundwater as it seeps deep into the earth, filling up cracks, crevices, and porous
spaces of an aquifer, which is an underground storehouse of water. Groundwater is then
pumped to the earth’s surface for drinking water.
Groundwater gets polluted when contaminants such as fertilizers, pesticides, and waste
leaching from landfills and septic systems, making their way into an aquifer.
Once polluted, an aquifer becomes unsafe for humans and remains unusable for decades, or
even thousands of years. Besides, groundwater can also spread contamination far from the
original polluting source when it seeps into streams, lakes, and oceans.
B. Surface Water
Surface water covers about 70 percent of the earth, filling our oceans, lakes, rivers,
and including all blue bits on the world map. Surface water from freshwater sources
other than the sea accounts for more than 60 percent of the water delivered to our
homes.
Nutrient pollution that includes nitrates and phosphates, which plants and animals need
to grow, causes major pollution in the freshwater sources due to farm waste and
fertilizer runoff. Municipal and industrial waste discharges and also individuals’
dumping directly into waterways contribute their fair share of toxins.
C. Ocean Water
Eighty percent of ocean pollution or marine pollution originates on land along the
coast or far inland. Streams and rivers carry contaminants such as chemicals,
nutrients, and heavy metals that are carried from farms, factories, and cities into our
bays and estuaries, and from there, they reach the ocean.
Marine debris, particularly plastic, is blown away by the wind or washed away in
storm via drains and sewers. Our seas sometimes get polluted by big and small oil
spills and leaks and are also soaking up carbon pollution from the air. The ocean
absorbs a quarter of human-made carbon emissions.
 Sources of Water Pollution
Based on the origin of the pollutant

Point Source Pollution

• Water pollution caused by point sources

refers to the contaminants that enter the
water body from a single, identified
source like pipe or ditch.

• Point source pollutants can be discharges

from sewage treatment plant, factories,
underground mines, power plants or a
city storm drain.

• Easy to identify and control

 Non-Point Source Pollution

• Pollution caused by nonpoint sources refers to contamination

that does not originate from a single source.

• Nonpoint source pollution is the cumulative effect of small

contaminants gathered in large areas.

• Leaching of nitrogen compounds from agricultural land, and

stormwater runoff over agricultural land are examples.

• Ambiguously defined and harder to control

CAUSES OF WATER
POLLUTION
A. INDUSTRIAL WASTE:

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, sulphur, 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 colour of water, increase the number of
minerals, called eutrophication, change the temperature of the water, and pose
a severe hazard to water organisms.
B. Sewage and Wastewater

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 bacterias, and chemicals that can cause serious health
problems and thereby diseases.
C. Mining Activities
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 sulphides from the rocks,
which is harmful to the water.
D. 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 results in global
warming.
 E. Chemical fertilizers and
Pesticides

CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS AND PESTICIDES

A R E U S E D BY FA R M E R S TO P R OT E C T C R O P S
F R O M I N S E C T S A N D BAC T E R I A S . T H E Y A R E
U S E F U L F O R T H E P L A N T ’ S G R OW T H .
HOWEVER, WHEN THESE CHEMICALS ARE
M I X E D U P W I T H WAT E R , T H E Y P R O D U C E
H A R M F U L P O L LU TA N T S F O R P L A N T S A N D
ANIMALS.
F. 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.
 G. GLOBAL WARMING

A N I N C R E A S E I N T H E E A RT H ’ S T E M P E R AT U R E
R E S U LT S I N global warming due to the greenhouse effect. It
increases the water temperature and results in the death of aquatic
animals and marine species, which later results in water pollution.
 Classification of Water Pollutants

Suspended Inorganic
Matter Pollutants
Organic Radioactive
Pollutants Pollutants

Thermal
Nutrient
Water
Pollutants
Pollutants

Pathogens E-Waste

Classification
Acid Mine
Sewage of Water
Drainage
Pollutants
Organic Pollutants
a). Oxygen Demanding Wastes
1. Domestic and municipal sewage,
wastewater from food processing
industries, canning industries, slaughter
houses, tanneries, breweries, distilleries,
etc. have considerable concentration of
biodegradable organic compounds.
2. The DO available will be consumed for
aerobic oxidation of organic matter.
3. Results in oxygen depletion (4 mg/L), killing
aerobic organisms producing more of toxins
like ammonia and sulphides.
b) Synthetic Organic Compounds
1. Pesticides, detergents, food additives,
pharmaceuticals, insecticides, paints,
fibers, plastics, solvents and volatile
organic compounds (VOCs).
2. Resistant to microbial degradation.
3. Even concentration in traces may make
water unfit for human consumption, etc.
4. Exceedingly persistent and their stability
to chemical reagents is also high.
•c) Oil

• Oil - natural product from the plant

remains fossilized over millions of
years

• Complex mixture of hydrocarbons

• Oil spills, leak from oil pipes, and

Oil tankers and offshore petroleum
refineries.

• Endangers water birds and coastal

plants.

• Reduction of light transmission

through surface waters, thereby
reducing the photosynthetic activity
of the aquatic plants.
Pathogens
• The pathogenic
microorganisms enter in to
water body through sewage
discharge as a major source
or through the wastewater
from industries like
slaughter houses.

• Viruses and bacteria can

cause water borne diseases,
such as cholera, typhoid,
dysentery, polio and
infectious hepatitis in
human.
 Nutrients
• The agriculture run-off, wastewater
from fertilizer industry and sewage
contains substantial concentration
of nutrients like nitrogen and
phosphorous.

• Leads to eutrophication and ends up

as a dead pool of water.

• People swimming in eutrophic

waters containing blue-green algae
can have skin and eye irritation,
gastroenteritis and vomiting.
 Suspended Solids and sediments
• Comprises silt, sand and minerals eroded
from land.
• Block the sunlight penetration in the
water.
• Deposition of the solids in the quiescent
stretches of the stream or ocean bottom
can impair the normal aquatic life and
affect the diversity of the aquatic
ecosystem.
• Undergo decomposition leading to
development of anaerobic conditions.
Inorganic Pollutants
• Non-biodegradable and persist in the
environment.
• Include mineral acids, inorganic salts,
trace elements, metals, metals
compounds, complexes of metals with
organic compounds, cyanides, sulphates,
etc.
• Metals in high concentration can be toxic
to biota e.g. Hg, Cu, Cd, Pb, As, and Se.
 Thermal Pollutants

• Due to discharge of hot water from

thermal power plants, nuclear power
plants, and industries where water is
used as coolant.

• temperature of water body increases,

which reduces the DO content of the
water adversely, affecting the aquatic life.

• Leads to the thermal stratification in the

water body, where hot water will remain
on the top.
Radioactive Pollutants

• Used in research, agriculture,

medical and industrial activities,
such as I131, P32, Co60, Ca45, S35, C14,
etc.

• Radioactive discharge from

nuclear power plants and nuclear
reactors, e.g., Strontium Sr90,
Cesium Cs137, Plutonium Pu248,
Uranium-238, Uranium-235.

• Toxic to the life forms.

Sewage
• Sewage pollutants include
domestic and hospital wastes,
animal and human excreta etc.

• The sewage let off causes oxygen

depletion, spread of
diseases/epidemics like hepatitis,
typhoid, and cholera.

E-Wastes

• 70% of heavy metals found in land fills

come from electronic wastes.

• When e-waste is incinerated with other

wastes it leads to hazardous emission-
containing ‘Dioxins’.
Acid Mine Drainage
• Water with a high concentration of sulfuric
acid (H2SO4) that drains from mines—
mostly coal mines but also metal mines
(copper, lead, and zinc).
• Pyrite (FeS2) comes into contact with
oxygen and water, it weathers forming
H2SO4
• The acid is produced when surface water
or shallow groundwater runs through or
moves into and out of mines or tailings.
EFFECTS OF WATER
POLLUTION
 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Water pollution is very harmful to the
environment, particularly to animals and the life
present in the water. The effects can be
HHKJKHFH

catastrophic, depending on where pollutants, their

concentrations, and the type of chemical or other
substances are involved.
1. Some toxic substances, often present in industrial wastewater, can
undergo “biological enlargement” in the aquatic food chain a disrupt
calcium metabolism in birds, causing eggshell thinning and early
rupture, resulting in embryo death.

2.Pollutants can adversely affect aquatic communities by destroying

their normal structure and delicate inter-dependencies.
 3. Pollution also destroys the natural food chain. Pesticides and polluting
industrial chemicals – such as lead and cadmium – are eaten by small animals.
4. The water used to grow crops will transport any pollutants present in the
water to the crops themselves. If the crops still produce a crop, then these
toxins go to the fibula table.
5. One of the consequences of water pollution is the loss of valuable species
and biodiversity. Indeed, some species are relatively more vulnerable to the
effects of certain pollutants, as laboratory experiments under controlled
conditions show.
HUMAN HEALTH

Water pollution causes many waterborne contagious

diseases which are the results of fecal-oral route of
infection. Health risks resulted by water pollution
includes different diseases like cholera, typhoid,
amoebiasis, stomach flu.
TYPHOID:
Salmonella typhi is a pathogenic bacterium which causes typhoid fever in
human beings. Sustained high fever (39 to 40C), weakness, stomach pain,
constipation, headache and loss of appetite are some of the common symptoms
of this disease.
Antibiotic therapy is the only effective treatment for typhoid fever.
Other treatments include:
Drinking fluids. This helps prevent the dehydration that results from a
prolonged fever and diarrhea. lIf you’re severely dehydrated, you may need to
receive fluids through a vein (intravenously). Surgery. If your intestines
become torn, you’ll need surgery to repair the hole.
CHOLERA:
A bacterium called Vibrio cholerae causes cholera infection. The deadly effects of
the disease are the result of a toxin the bacteria produces in the small intestine. The
toxin causes the body to secrete enormous amounts of water, leading to diarrhea
and a rapid loss of fluids and salts (electrolytes).
Key symptoms are diarrhoea and dehydration. Rarely, shock and seizures may
occur in severe cases.
Oral or intravenous hydration is the primary treatment for cholera. In conjunction
with hydration, treatment with antibiotics is recommended for severely ill patients.
It is also recommended for patients who have severe or some dehydration and
continue to pass a large volume of stool during re-hydration treatment.
AMOEBIASIS:
Amoebiasis is a disease caused by the parasite Entamoeba histolytica. It can affect
anyone, although it is more
Common in people who live in tropical areas with poor sanitary conditions.
Diagnosis can be difficult because other parasites can look very similar to E.
Histolytica when seen under a microscope.
Amoebiasis is an infection of the intestines.
If symptoms occur, they may be mild and include cramping and diarrhoea. Bloody
stools, fever and, rarely, Iiver abscess may occur in severe cases.
Treatment of amoebiasis includes pharmacologic therapy, surgical intervention,
and preventive measures, as appropriate.
WILD LIFE HEALTH
 • PLANTS :
Polluted water in the ground actually washes the essential nutrients plants need out of the soil.
Without these nutrients, plants become more susceptible to drought, fungal infections and
insects. Water pollution also leaves large amounts of aluminium in the soil, which can be
harmful to plants.

2. DEATH OF ANIMALS :
Animals, including water animals, die when water is poisoned for various reasons.
Other animals are stressed and their populations are endangered.
3. HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS :
Proliferation of toxic algae species also impacts the health of both
wildlife and humans.
When people become exposed to algae-infested waters or consume fish or shellfish
poisoned by algal toxins, they can become ill and can even die.

4. EUTROPHICATION AND DEAD ZONES :

Dead zones like the one found at the Gulf of Mexico occur when sewage
discharge and fertilizer runoff — from farms, golf courses and lawns —
enter surface waters. Intended to promote the growth of plants,
fertilizers also encourage the growth of algae, called eutrophication.
Eutrophication
1. An aquatic or marine ecosystem with too many nutrients.
2. The excess nutrients stimulate the growth of the plankton at
the expense of the benthic vegetation.
3. The algal populations explode.
4. Planktonic algae can form a thick scum surface that blocks
out light to the benthic species.
5. In addition dead algae, dead fish and other organisms
depletes the DO in the water.
6. Very few organisms can survive in this hypoxic environment.
Biomagnification
• Biomagnification is the build up of toxins in a food chain.
• The substances become increasingly concentrated in tissues or
internal organs as they move up the chain.
Bioaccumulation occurs within a trophic level
and is the increase in the concentration of a
substance in certain tissues of organisms'
bodies due to absorption from food and the
environment.
Testing Water for Pollutants
• Coliform bacteria: Escherichia coli, significant
levels
• Level of dissolved oxygen (DO) - Measured in parts
per million (ppm) at 20°C (68°F). Only a few fish
species can survive in water with less than 4 ppm
of DO at this temperature.
• Chemical analysis
Water Quality Parameters
1. Dissolved Oxygen (DO) - Measured in PPM
2. Temperature
3. pH
4. Conductivity - Units are μmhos/cm at 25o C or μsiemens/cm
5. Alkalinity
6. Salinity
7. Hardness
8. Turbidity: Measured in Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU)
9. Phosphates, Nitrates
10.Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
THANK YOU
 MCQs

Q1. What is the waste management strategy that the circular economy works on?
1. Reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, reclaim, restore
2. Regenerate, return, recover
3. Reduce, reuse, replace
4. Reuse, recycle, return

Q2. What is the percentage of fresh water available and its source?
5. 1%
6. 3%
7. 0.3%
8. 10%

Q3. what is the main difference between point source and non-point source?
9. Source of originating
10. Amount of pollution caused
11. Spread of pollution
12. Water body affected
Q4. Health risks resulted by water pollution Includes different diseases such as
1. Cholera, typhoid, pneumonia
2. Typhoid, stomach flu, cancer
3. Cholera, typhoid, amoebiasis
4. Typhoid, amoebiasis, cholera, stomach flu

Q5. What is the treatment of amoebiasis?

5. Pharmacologic therapy
6. Photochemical therapy
7. Phytotherapy
8. Physiotherapy

Q6. what is the pH A class water?

9. 6.5 and 9
10. 6 and 8
11. 6.5 and 8.5
12. 5.5 and 8.5
Q7. When sewage discharge water, fertilizers run-off and enter they promote growth of algae, this is called
1. Epophycation
2. Euphoria
3. Eutrophy
4. Eutrophication

Q8.Q. What are 3 naturally occurring radioactive material that contaminate water?
5. Uranium, thorium and aluminium
6. Uranium, barium, vanadium
7. Uranium, thorium, actinium
8. Platinum, palladium, potassium

Q9. Surface water covers about __ percentage of earth

9. 72%
10. 70%
11. 71%
12. 70.5%

Q10.which of the following are the primary cause of water pollution

13. Animals
14. Human activities
15. Plants
16. None of the above