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Home / IAS Preparation / Water Pollution Pollutant and Control

Short Note on Water Pollution: Causes, Pollutants and Methods to Control

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Water pollution is one of the most serious environmental issues faced by us. 71% of earth’s surface is filled with water. Scientists often consider the availability of water as a prerequisite for life to exist anywhere in the universe. If it’s presence can sustain life, it’s absence can surely threaten the existence of many species. From industrial production to drinking water, availability of clean water is a necessary condition for the conduct of life. Read further to learn about self-purification of water bodies, biological oxygen demand and the different types of pollutants.

Read more about Water Supply here.

What is Water Pollution?

Water Pollution is defined as the contamination of water bodies, be it streams, rivers, oceans, aquifers etc., by chemicals and microorganisms degrading the quality of water. This degradation of quality renders water from that source unusable for human beings and toxic for the environment. It is not necessary that polluted water appear discolored or stenchy. It could just be a change in the mineral component of water.

Learn more about Air Pollution and Noise Pollution here.

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Key Concepts of Water Pollution

Self Purification of Water Bodies

Any water body with a certain amount of organic waste has the capacity to decompose it into inorganic nutrients. This is done by decomposer aerobic (requires oxygen) microorganisms. The ability of the water body to self purify depends on the load of organic matter. This is because decomposer organisms take up a lot of oxygen during the process of decomposition. Just like the atmosphere, gases are present in certain proportions in the water bodies. The particular temperatures of the water bodies help maintain the levels of these gases. Fish and other aquatic beings require oxygen for sustaining life. Hence the presence of organic waste beyond a limit will lead to a rise in decomposer microorganisms and inevitably reduce the amount of oxygen.

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)

The amount of oxygen required by the aerobic bacteria to decompose a certain amount of organic matter is called Biological Oxygen Demand. Determining BOD is critical to water quality management. On an average, there are 10 molecules of dissolved oxygen per million molecules of water. Factors like warmer temperature, discharge of fertilisers into the water bodies (and other pollutants) etc. can alter the levels of dissolved oxygen.

Read more about Water Treatment Process, here.

Eutrophication

The increase in concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus and other plant nutrients in water bodies and aquatic ecosystems is called eutrophication. It usually leads to lower oxygen absorption levels, as algae and other microorganisms cover the surface water. Cultural eutrophication happens as a result of human activities like discharge of sewage, fertilisers etc.

Causes of Water Pollution

Agricultural Runoff

Water from agricultural fields will have higher amounts of plant nutrients like sulphate, phosphate etc. present in herbicides, fertilisers etc. It will destabilise the temperature of water and mineral saturation making the water unsafe for human consumption.

Improper Sewage Management

Any leakage or careless diversion of sewage water can massively contaminate water bodies. It can lead to an increase in Coliform bacteria and other chemicals present in discharge of chlorinated water from activities like washing clothes, cleaning etc. People when not presented with a well maintained public sewage system could divert waste water from their homes to water bodies.

Mining Activities

Mining requires a lot of crushing and processing rocks leaving high mineral content which might get mixed with precipitation water. This high sulfide concentration can lead to production of sulphuric acid contributing to water pollution.

Read more about Mineral Extraction here.

Industrial Waste

Industries are usually located near water bodies for various reasons (water as raw material, access to ports etc. Most of these water bodies are used for releasing untreated water, chemicals and other effluents. Industries like paper industry, textile industry, sugar industry, thermal industry etc contribute most to this kind of water pollution.

Oil Spills

Oil spills are accidental leakages from oil tankers into oceans, coral reefs etc. leading to massive destruction of marine ecosystems. The toxic components of oil quickly dissolve into water and damage aquatic plants and animals. It has long lasting effects on the affected area.

Water Pollutants

Microbial pollutants

Water can be infested with bacteria, protozoa and viruses as a result of improper sewage management. Some microorganisms which cause diseases are Salmonella, E.Coli, Giardia Lamlia etc.

Also, check out the notes on WasteWater.

Inorganic pollutants

These are heavy metals and chemicals that don’t decompose. Examples are mercury, arsenic, ammonia etc. Their occurrence beyond a level can lead to severe health issues and even death.

Organic pollutants

Organic pollutants are materials like petroleum, prescription drugs, herbicides etc. They require long time frames to decompose.Diseases like leukemia, lymphoma and tumours.

Macroscopic pollutants

Dumping large objects like logs of wood, plastic waste and other visible material is also a large contributor to water pollution.It damages aquatic ecosystems in several ways. They clog natural pathways and enter the food chain.

Thermal pollutants

Temperature is a big factor in sustaining the oxygen level of the water body. Water used as coolants in industries increase the temperature of the waterbody creating difficult conditions for fish and other aquatic beings.

Learn more about the Design of Sewers, here.

Water Pollution Control

The sources of water pollution clearly point to the involvement of ordinary people, industries and authorities. Invariably, these stakeholders should come together to fight the menace of water pollution. Where awareness campaigns fail, strict law enforcement and penalties should come into play. Following are the various mechanisms through which water pollution can be controlled.

Domestic Sewage Treatment

Countries that deal well with water pollution have an effective sewage treatment system at least in the cities. The amount of sewage any city or town produces can never be fully self purified by a water body. Thus a process of removing contaminants from sewage is necessary. Studies have shown that over 90% of contaminants can be removed from wastewater. But the expenses associated with treatment increases with advanced technology. According to a study conducted in 2021, 54% of wastewater is treated. High income countries treat approximately 74% of their waste water whilst only around 5% of developing countries treat their wastewater.

Refer to this blog on Sewage Treatment for gaining a comprehensive understanding.

On site Sanitation

Households that are not served by public sewerage systems should install treatment plants to treat wastewater within their premises. Improperly treated sewage water, if left to seep into the ground might lead to contamination of wells and groundwater.

Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Industrial wastewater management is a more pressing concern than domestic wastewater due to its higher chemical content and quantity.Governmental regulations, stringent checkups and internal auditing is necessary for factories. Mechanisms to reuse treated water should also be set up.

Agricultural Wastewater Management

In the past decade, calls for organic farming and no till farming have increased. Runoff from application of pesticides and fertilizers can be reduced to a large extent if the push towards organic farming continues. The slurry from animal waste should be treated on site by preparing dried manure or should be treated on constructed wetlands. Just like natural wetlands, they have the ability to act as a biofilter to remove pollutants like organic matter and heavy metals.

Know more about the Quality and Characteristics of Sewage, here.

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