Month: January 2015

Types and Sources of water pollution

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The major sources of water pollution are domestic wastes, industrial wastes, agricultural, and natural. The wastes are discharged into natural bodies and chemical pesticides and fertilizers, part of which are washed and go to the water bodies. They altered the water from the natural state in physical condition, chemical and microbiological composition.

The sources of water pollution are two types; point source and non-point source of water pollution. Point sources of water pollution happen when the polluting substance is discharging directly into the water channel for example a city storm drain or a pipe spewing toxic chemicals directly into a river. A non-point source (NPS) pollution does not originate from a single discrete source. It is the collective effect of little quantity of contaminants accumulate from a big region, for instance when fertilizer from a field is carried into a stream by surface runoff.

Industrial Waste
All most all industry directly or indirectly polluted the water. The major industries such as fertilizer industries, paper industries, tanneries, food processing, textiles, and paints industries directly discharge wastes into the water bodies. Industrial processes are the main sources of the water pollution. Some of them are following:

  • Many industry as like food industry and other light industries discharge non-toxic organic substances (BOD, COD).
  • Thermal pollution can be occurs both human and naturally. Different industries such as power plant, nuclear power plant, nuclear weapon plants release heat into nearby water bodies for cooling purposes. Many human activities such as greenhouse effect and many industrial processes as like burning of fossil fuel are responsible for global warming. It is another reason for thermal pollution.
  • Many industry releases oil, fats, grease etc into water bodies. Moreover dumping, Oil spills and shipping travel polluted the oceans.
  • Different petrochemical industries discharge different petroleum hydrocarbons as like gasoline, fuel, lubricants.
  • Different inorganic pollutants (as like mineral acids, Toxic metals, heavy metals, salts, acidic gas) are discharges from different industries such as automobile industry, steel manufacturing industry.
  • Different organic pollutants as like plastics, fibers, elastomers, paint, elastic, plasticizer, solvents, drug, personal hygiene and cosmetic
  • Many nuclear power plants, weapon plants, medicinal, industrial and research applications that use radioactive material are produced radioactive waste. Moreover mining and processing of U, Ra, Po and Th are other sources of marine nuclear waste.

Municipal Waste
The wastes from domestic households and some portion of industrial waste waters are included in municipal waste. These wastes are other significant sources of water pollution.

Sewage disposal is the main municipal waste. Frequently, it contains faeces, urine and laundry waste, flush chemical and pharmaceutical substances. It is the major problem in developing countries. Sewage often carries harmful viruses, bacteria and microorganisms.

Another municipal waste is suspended particles which is causing thick silt at the bottom. The sources of these silts are construction sites, logging, slash, burn practices or land clearing particles. Municipal waste can cause eutrophication.

Agricultural sources of water pollution
There are different fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, defoliants, and veterinary drugs are used in agricultural purposes and these are the sources of water pollution. These compound go indo to the water bodies and polluted the water.

Fertilizers containing nutrients (nitrates and phosphates) cause excessive growth of algae and other water plants in the water bodies which is responsible for eutrophication process. Moreover some radioactive containing fertilizers are used in many farms such as tobacco farm.

Natural sources of water pollution
About 0.35% of air is carbon dioxide, moreover many industry emit huge amount of acidifying gasses, such as sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. These gasses react with the rainwater and makes different acid as like sulfuric acid, carbonic acid. This acidic rain water accumulates different water bodies and changes the overall pH as well as polluted the water. It kills many vital plant lives, thereby affecting the whole food chain. Moreover when rainwater runway into water bodies, it picks up many toxic chemicals, dirt, garbage and disease-carrying organisms; this is unsafe for aquatic life.

Flood is another Natural source of water pollution. The flood water mixes with garbage, many disease-carrying organisms, chemicals, dirt and polluted the surface water.

Global warming is also responsible for water pollution. It increases the temperature of the water bodies and raises the sea levels.

The causes of water pollution

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The elements that causes of water pollution are referred as the water pollutants. Water pollutants may be classified under the following categories: organic, inorganic, radioactive and so on.

Organic pollutants:
The following organic pollutants causes of water pollution.

  • Oxygen demanding waste: These types of wastes are different natural materials (as like plant leaves, grass), some artificial biodegradable substances (Food processing waste), and some others chemicals that may cause  This environment helps to increase some Microorganisms.
    Microorganisms mainly degrade these substances in presence of dissolve oxygen (DO) and the net results being the de-oxygenation process and quick depletion of dissolve oxygen.oxygen depletion reaction in biodegrade process
  • Synthetic organic compounds such as fuel, plastics, fibers, elastomers, paint, elastic, plasticizer, solvents, drug, personal hygiene and cosmetic
  • Disease causing agents such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa and parasitic worms.
  • Petroleum hydrocarbons, as like gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuels, lubricants and fuel ignition byproducts.
  • Different insecticides, herbicides, and  organohalides (such as Trichloroethylene)
  • Plant nutrients
  • Detergents
  • Sewage
  • Oil, fats, grease etc.

Inorganic pollutants:
The following inorganic pollutants causes of water pollution.

  • Inorganic salts such as sulfate, nitrate, nitrite, chloride, phosphate etc.
  • Mineral acids such as HCl, H2SO4, HNO3
  • Toxic metals such as chromium, mercury, lead, arsenic etc.
  • Ammonia
  • Heavy metals
  • Chemical waste

Radioactive pollutants:
Four human activities are responsible for radioactive pollution. They are:

  • Mining and processing of ores for radioactive substances as U, Ra, Po etc.
  • Use of radioactive materials in nuclear power plants.
  • Use of radioactive materials in nuclear weapon plants.
  • Use of radioactive materials in medicinal, industrial and research applications.

Thermal pollution:
Thermal water pollution means the increase or decrease of the temperature of a natural water body. It is also cause of water pollution. It is the change of physical properties of water. Most cases it is occur by human activities, but some of the cases are occurs by naturally. Power plant, nuclear power plant and nuclear weapon plants, greenhouse, Global warming are the main thermal pollutants of water.

Sediments:
Some substances do not dissolve in water; they may float on the water or settle at the bottom of the water that is also causes of water pollution. The natural process of soil erosion gives rise to sediments in water, which are most extensive pollutants of surface water.

Water Pollution in the River of Shela at sundarbans by oil spill

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A tanker named “OT Southern Star 7”, carrying 3.57 lakh liters of furnace oil, sank in the river of Shela on December 09, 2014, which is flowing through the Sundarbans and threatening its unique biodiversity due to water pollution. Sundarbans is the world largest mangrove forest. It is declared World Heritage Centre by UNESCO. It is situated both in Bangladesh and India. The water bodies along with mangrove simultaneously support an eco-system all together special with the effect that the Sundarbans could be effortlessly developed into the value regarding biodiversity.

Unfortunate, an empty cargo vessel hit the oil tanker on account of poor visibility as it was dense fog at the dawn. The oil spill was spread about 65 kilometres in the upstream and downstream of the river Shela and at least 20 canals linked to that of the river of Sundarbans. Different small plants, dolphins, crocodiles and other aquatic lives are adversely affected by this water pollution. Moreover, the world’s largest mangrove forest has also been adversely affected; a serious threat to its aquatic life and the flora and fauna.
water pollutioa at shela river
The oil spill occurred close to the aquatic protected area of Chadpai Wildlife Sanctuary (declared by the government of Bangladesh). This is the home of two threatened dolphin species: Ganges Dolphin and Irrawaddy Dolphin. Sundarbans is composed of three wildlife sanctuaries- East, south and West Wildlife Sanctuary.

Many experts, national and international (such as United Nations expert team) say that any commercial vessel movement, as like oil tankers, is harmful for wildlife in the forest. To make sure ecological balance in Sundarbans, the UNDP and Bangladesh government are agree to work together. In the economical view, the loss of the environment and ecological due to the oil spill in the river, ranging from $130 million to $640 million. The extent of the damage caused by this oil spillage would be assessed, after next five to ten years. It can be calculated by investigating how a large amount of phytoplankton and zooplankton remain in the water of the affected river and cannel region and compare it to other restricted regions of the Sundarbans.

Water pollution and the signs of it

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Water covers above 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. No life can survive without water. Hence, water is the most fundamental resource for living beings on the earth and for this reasons the other name of the water is life, but we polluted this water by many ways. Water Pollution may be defined in a number of ways. Water pollution occurs when many unwanted substances go into water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater. It can be physical, chemical, or biological change from the natural state. It alters the quality of water and has dangerous effects on any living things. The quality of water is of vital concern for mankind. This polluted water becomes unsuitable or less suitable for any safe or beneficial consumption and brings serious effects on human health (such as water-borne diseases), when they uses or drinks this water. In the same way water pollution affects on the living things in the water bodies (plants, organisms). Nearly all cases the effects of water pollution not only individual living species, but also whole ecosystems that exist in the waters.
water pollution
Water pollution is one of the major worldwide crises. Although the non-developing and developing countries are mostly affected, but developed countries also affected seriously. In one report on water quality in the USA shows that the water of many streams, lakes and other water bodies are recognized as polluted. Every year many unwanted death are taking place for water pollution related illness.

The signs of water pollution:

  • Bad taste of drinking water
  • Developing unwanted colorization in the water
  • Unpleasant odor from lakes, rivers and sea-beaches
  • Unchecked growth of aquatic weeds in water bodies
  • Decrease in number of fish in fresh water, lakes, rivers and ocean water
  • Oil and grease floating on water surfaces etc.

There are many interruption happens due to water pollution such as public water supply, recreation and aesthetics, fish, other aquatic life and wild life, agriculture, industry. Water pollution can be happens by naturally or by mankind.