Environmental Sciences and

Sustainability
WMES 6101B
Course Teacher:
Dr. Md. Mostafizur Rahman
Associate professor
Department of Environmental Science
Jahangirnagar University
Email: [email protected]
Google Scholar ID: https://scholar.google.com/citations?pli=1&user=nzljxJcAAAAJ
Research gate ID:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Md-Mostafizur-Rahman-9/research
 Key Water Quality Indicators
Physical Indicator Chemical Indicators
Temperature pH
Colour Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
Odour Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
Turbidity Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
Total Suspended Solids (TSS) Hardness
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Nutrient loading (e.g., Nitrate, NH3-N)
Conductivity

Biological Indicators
Total Coliform/ Faecal Coliform

In addition, toxic metals (As, Hg), in/organic compounds, pesticides and

radioactive elements should be consider
 Physical parameters of water quality
Color: The guideline value (maximum acceptable level) for
color of drinking water is 15 TCU (True color unit).

Turbidity: Drinking water should have turbidity less than 5

NTU (Naphthalometric turbidity unit)

Taste and odor: Pure water is always tasteless and

odorless. Therefore if any types of taste and odor is present,
it indicates water pollution.

Temperature: There is no guideline value for temperature for

drinking water.
Total dissolved solid (TDS): TDS should not exceeds
2100mg/ltr
Turbidity
Measures how
“murky” the water is

Estimates:

Mineral fraction
Organics
Inorganics
Soluble organic compounds
Plankton
Microscopic organisms

MODIS Image from NASA

http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by
large numbers of individual particles that are generally
invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The
measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality.

Why is turbidity important?

Turbidity is an important indicator of the amount of
suspended sediment in water, which can have many
negative effects on aquatic life. Turbidity can provide food
and shelter for pathogens. If not removed, the causes of
high turbidity can promote regrowth of pathogens in the
water, leading to waterborne disease outbreaks
 Chemical parameters of water quality
Chloride ion: Maximum permissible limit of chloride ion in drinking water
is 200mg/ ltr.
Ammonia: Concentration of NH3 in ground water system is usually 5
mg/ltr. If its concentration is greater than 50mg/ltr, it gives characteristic
taste and odor.
Nitrite: Level of nitrite in drinking water should not exceed 3mg/ltr.
Nitrate: It is most stable oxidized form of nitrogen. Like nitrite Nitrate
should not exceed 10 mg/ltr in drinking water.
Hardness: Water is classified on the basis of concentration of calcium
carbonate)
Soft water:<50mg/ltr
Moderately hard water: 50-150 mg/ltr
Hard water: 150-300 mg/ltr
Very hard water:>300 mg/dl
Biological oxygen demand (BOD)
Chemical oxygen demand (COD)
Dissolved oxygen (DO)
pH: pH of drinking water; 6.5-8.5
 pH - p(otential of) H(ydrogen)

Determines the solubility of nutrients (PO4-3, NO3-, C) and

heavy metals (Fe, Cu, etc): heavy metals more soluble in
basic (corrosive) waters, therefore a increase in pH can lead to
higher concentrations of heavy metals, which could be
dangerous for aquatic life.
pH

Measure of acidity

pH = - Log 10 (H+)

lakeaccess.org/lakedata/datainfonut.html

• Unpolluted natural waters pH 6-9

• Remains nearly constant for a given water body
• Field measurement using an electrode
 Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

DO is the measurement of oxygen

dissolved in water and available for fish
and other aquatic life.

Indicates health of an aquatic system.

Can range from 0-18 ppm.

Most natural water systems require 5-6

ppm to support a diverse population.

Varies with time of day, weather, temperature.

 Effect of Temperature on DO
Water can hold gases, but the amount depends on the
temperature of the water.
 BOD and COD
Biochemical oxygen demand
The amount of oxygen that is
(BOD) represents the amount
required for the chemical oxidation of
of oxygen consumed by
the organic and inorganic chemicals
bacteria and other
present in the wastewater by utilising
microorganisms while they
oxidising agents is called as
decompose organic matter at a
chemical oxygen demand (COD).
specified temperature.
 Biological parameters of water quality
•Bacteriological aspects of water pollution
•Human beings and other animals discharge large number of intestinal
bacteria into stool and urine. Therefore bacteria appears in drinking
water when water source is contaminated with stool. Some pathogenic
bacteria includes- Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio cholera, Yersinea
enterocolitica
•Viral aspects of water pollution
Sometime viruses from intestinal tract of infected person get access to
water along with faeces. Some intestinal pathogenic viruses which are
transmitted through contaminated water are- Rotavirus, Poliovirus,
Hepatitis A and E, etc
•Parasitological aspects of water pollution
Many species of protozoa and helminthes that causes water borne
disease contaminates water through stool of infected patients.
Some pathogenic parasites are- Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia,
Balantidium coli, etc
•Algae
Algae gives characteristic color, odor and taste to water. Also algae
prevent penetration of light to bottom of water system affecting
photosynthetic organisms
 Biological parameters of water quality
Microbial analysis of water is usually carried out to detect total
and/or fecal coliform. The main microbial risks are usually
associated with drinking water that is contaminated with human
or animal faeces.

Fecal coliform, a subset of total coliform bacteria exists in

faeces. Hence, scientist uses it as an indicator of water pollution
as the presence of waterborne human disease-causing bacteria
is indicated by this coliform.

WHO and DoE, Bd standard for fecal and total coliform in

drinking water is 0 coliform per 100 mL (0 CFU/100 mL) of water
samples. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the major species in the
fecal coliform group, which is considered to be the best indicator
of fecal pollution and the possible presence of pathogens.
 Water pollution
“Water pollution is any chemical, physical or
biological change in the quality of water that has a
harmful effect on any living thing that drinks or uses or
lives (in) it.”
 WHO has defined water pollution as,

“Any foreign material either from natural or other

sources that may contaminate the water supply and
makes it harmful to life, cause for their toxicity, leads to
reduction of normal oxygen level of water, causes
aesthetically unpalatable effects and spread of epidemic
diseases”.
Sources of Water Pollution

 Factories
 Refineries
 Waste treatment facilities
 Mining
 Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers
 Human sewage
 Oil spills
 Failing septic systems
 Soap from washing your car
 Oil and antifreeze leaking from cars
 Household chemicals
 Animal waste
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 General types of water pollutants
Class of pollutants Significance

Source: Environmental chemistry, Manahan

Trace elements Health, aquatic biota, toxicity
Heavy metals Health, aquatic biota, toxicity
Organically bound metals Metal transport
Radionuclide toxicity
Inorganic pollutants Toxicity, aquatic biota
Asbestos Human health
Algal Nutrient Eutrophication
Acidity, alkalinity, salinity Water quality, aquatic life
Trace organic pollutants Toxicity
Polychlorinated biphenyl Possible biological effects
Pesticide Toxicity, aquatic biota, wildlife
Petroleum waste Effect in wild life, aesthetics
Sewage, human and animal wastes Water quality, oxygen levels
BOD Water quality, oxygen levels
Pathogens Health effects
Chemical carcinogens Incidence of water
The term heavy metal refers to any metallic chemical
element that has a relatively high density and is toxic or
poisonous at low concentrations.
Trace element is a term that refers to those
elements that occur at very low levels of a few
parts per million or less in a given system.

The term trace substance is a more general one

applied to both elements and chemical
compounds. Living things need very small
amounts of some trace metals, but high levels of
these same metals can be toxic.
Trace element
Toxicological effects of heavy metals in Natural
waters
Pollutant Effects

Mercury Neurological damage including paralysis, blindness, insanity;

chromosome breakage and birth defects.
Lead Dysfunction in the kidneys, reproductive system, liver, brain,
central nervous system and finally sickness or death results.
Mental retardation in many children.
Cadmium High blood pressure, kidney damage, destruction of testicular
tissue and destruction of red blood cells.
Arsenic Toxic, possibly carcinogenic
Chromium Essential as Cr(III), toxic as Cr(VI)

https://www.differencebetween.com/differenc
e-between-heavy-metals-and-trace-elements/
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 Groundwater Pollution

 Groundwater pollution, sometimes referred to as

groundwater contamination, is not as easily
classified as surface water pollution.

 By its very nature, groundwater aquifers are

susceptible to contamination from sources that may
not directly affect surface water bodies, and the
distinction of point vs. non-point source may be
irrelevant.

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Groundwater Pollution

26
Common Sources of Groundwater Pollution

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 What is an aquifer?
•An aquifer is a body of porous rock or sediment saturated with
groundwater. Groundwater enters an aquifer as precipitation
seeps through the soil.
•An unconfined aquifer can receive water directly from the
surface, while a confined aquifer is trapped between two
layers of rock.
Groundwater can become depleted if we use it at
a faster rate than it can replenish itself!

Aquifers are filled slowly.

For this reason, aquifers
can dry up when
people drain them faster
than they can be refilled—a
process called aquifer
depletion.

•Aquifers can be drained by man-made wells or they can flow

out naturally in springs.
 Negative effects of groundwater depletion
Lowering of the Water Table
Excessive pumping can lower the groundwater table, and cause wells
to no longer be able to reach groundwater.
Increased Costs
As the water table lowers, the water must be pumped farther to reach
the surface, using more energy. In extreme cases, using such a well
can be cost prohibitive.
Reduced Surface Water Supplies
Groundwater and surface water are connected. When groundwater is
overused, the lakes, streams, and rivers connected to groundwater can
also have their supply diminished.
Land Subsidence
Land subsidence occurs when there is a loss of support below ground.
This is most often caused by human activities, mainly from the overuse
of groundwater, when the soil collapses, compacts, and drops.
Water Quality Concerns
Excessive pumping in coastal areas can cause saltwater to move
inland and upward, resulting in saltwater contamination of the water
supply.
Effect of groundwater pumping from coastal aquifers
Saltwater intrusion occurs
naturally to some degree in
most coastal aquifers, owing
to the hydraulic connection
between groundwater and
seawater.

Certain human activities,

especially groundwater
Pumping
from coastal freshwater
wells, have increased
saltwater intrusion in
many coastal areas.
 Eutrophication

 Eutrophication is the condition of

water pollution when the
environment becomes enriched
with nutrients. This causes
phytoplankton to grow and
reproduce more rapidly, resulting
in algal blooms.
This bloom of algae disrupts normal ecosystem functioning
and the bloom of algae may also block sunlight from
photosynthetic marine plants under the water surface.
Microbe uses huge amount of dissolved oxygen for
degradation of excess algae and finally dissolved oxygen
depletion is occurred. Many aquatic organisms suffer from
lacking of dissolved oxygen.
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