Water Contaminants &

Their Health Impacts

By
Muhammad Saqib Nawaz
PhD Scholar IESE
Research Associate IESE
TVF NICE

Why contaminants dissolved in

water?

The hydrogen bonding in water is responsible for its

universal solvent character.
The inorganic are dissolved due to neutralization of
ions and organics due to bonding with polar oxygen
and hydrogen of water.
100% pure water is not found in nature, even water
vapors condensing in air contains solids, dissolved
salts and gases.
Even when the condensed water (rain water) falls it
sweeps many materials from air, and becomes more
contaminated on reaching ground, running on
surface and percolating through soil.
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The materials found in water may be divided into

living organisms and solids.
Remember all of them are not harmful and some
are desirable for health like minerals.

Inorganic Contaminants

Inorganic contaminants include both suspended

and dissolved materials.
Suspended material is undesirable due to two
reasons, one is aesthetic and other is its shielding
effect for microorganisms against disinfection.
Dissolved inorganics having health impacts
includes aluminium, arsenic, barium, cadmium lead
etc.
Pak EPA has established a maximum contaminant
level (MCL) for all those metals.

Inorganic Health Impacts

Increased Al = Neuropathalogical disorers

(Alzheimers disease and pshycological problems in
dialysis patients).

Radioactive nuclei like Ra226, ra 228, Sr 290, their

very small concentrations contaminates water and
it can contribute to lung cancer through air.

Arsenic issue, Lahore and Multan in Pakistan with

highest As concentration, Skin diseases and fatal
in high doses.
Ba, Cd, Cr are acute toxic , Cr issue from Qasur
tannery wastewater.

Pak EPA Standards

Organic Contaminants

Both naturally occurring and artificial organics are

found in water.
The natural organics produce color, taste and odor.
Man made organics are carcinogenic. Sometimes
by chemical treatment the organic material
changes its form from one to other, which is more
toxic.

Watershed & Reservoir

protection

To ensure the uncontaminated water supply the

watershed area must be protected.
If the reservoir is intended to do only disinfection then
that reservoir must be prohibited from any
recreational use or any other purpose.

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Swimming (contaminating) and water sports

restricted to the distance of 2km at least from water
intake.
Non contact (non contaminating) recreation such as
fishing, boating restricted to 200 m from intake.
Ground water and well protection:
These supplies and wells can get contaminated with
surface water during floods and by percolation of
waste material from soil.
Wells protected by careful construction techniques
which require casing be grouted down to the first
impermeable stratum.
Casing extend above surface of ground and concrete
apron protect the area surrounding the casing.
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Protection within treatment and

distribution system

Careful design of treatment system.

Avoid common wall construction

between treated and untreated water
basins.

An emergency power and chemical

supply.

Avoid sewer and water lines in close

proximity.

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Diseases Types:
1.
2.

3.
4.

Water borne diseases

Water washed diseases
Water based diseases
Insect Vector diseases

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Water Borne Diseases

These diseases occur due to the
drinking of the contaminated water.
For Example:
Cholera

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Water Washed Diseases

These are caused by washing the
contaminated water.

body with

For Example
Scabies

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Water Based Diseases

Diseases caused by parasites found in
intermediate organisms living in
contaminated water.

For Example
Guinea worm disease

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Insect Vector Diseases

These diseases are transmitted through
insects which grow in presence of water.

Malaria vector-borne disease, responsible for

more cases of morbidity and mortality than any
other tropical disease

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Water Treatment

By
Muhammad Saqib Nawaz
PhD Scholar IESE
Research Associate IESE
TVF NICE

Water Treatment
Water treatment transforms raw surface and
groundwater into safe drinking water.
Water treatment involves two major processes:
physical removal of solids and chemical
disinfection.

Unit Operations/Processes
Designed to Remove Solids

Screening
Sedimentation
Coagulation/flocculation
Filtration
slow sand filters
rapid sand filters
diatomaceous earth filters
membrane filters

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Conventional Surface Water

Treatment
Raw water
Filtration

Screening
sludge

Alum
Polymers

Coagulation

sludge

Cl2

Disinfection

Flocculation

Storage

Sedimentation

Distribution

sludge

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COAGULATION

STORAGE
SEDIMENTATION
FILTRATION

DISINFECTION

Screening

Removes large solids

branches
rags
fish

Simple process
may incorporate a mechanized trash
removal system

Protects pumps and pipes in WTP

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Sedimentation
the oldest form of water treatment
uses gravity to separate particles from
water
often follows coagulation and flocculation.
Because of the high volumetric flow rates
associated with water treatment systems,
gravity sedimentation is the only practical,
economical method to remove these solids.

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 Gravity separation can obviously be applied

only to those particles which have density
greater than water. But this density must be
significantly greater than that of water due to
particle surface effects and turbulence in the
sedimentation tanks.

Sedimentation: Effect of the

solution concentration

Dilute suspensions
Particles act independently

Concentrated suspensions
Particle-particle interactions are
significant
Particles may collide and stick
together (form flocs)
Particle flocs may settle more quickly
Particle-particle forces may prevent
further consolidation
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Sedimentation in dilute
suspensions?

What are the important

parameters?
Initial conditions (size,
shape)
After falling for some time
(hindrance)...

What are the important

forces?
Gravity
Drag Force
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1. Discrete Sedimentation

Occurs in dilute suspensions, particles

which have very little interaction with each
other as they settle.

Particles settle according to Stokes law

Design parameter is surface overflow rate

(Q/As)

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2. Flocculent Sedimentation

Particles flocculate as they settle

Floc particle velocity increase with time
Design parameters:

Surface overflow rate

2. Depth of tank
or,
3. Hydraulic retention time
1.

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Comparison of Type I and II

sedimentation

3. Zone or Hindered Settling

In more concentrated suspensions like mixed
liquor, a matrix of interlinked particles is formed, all
settling with the same rate: the zone settling
velocity. This type of settling is not dictated by the
forces acting on each particle alone, but rather by
the forces acting on the whole interlinked sludge
mass.
For zone settling to apply, the minimum sludge
concentration is in the range of 0.5 to 1.0 g/l.

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4. Compressional Settling
Sedimentation of suspension with solids
concentration so high that the particles are
in contact with one another and further
sedimentation can occur only by
compression of the mass. The lower portion
of a sludge thickener is an example of
compression settling.

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There is hope if people will

begin to awaken that spiritual
part of themselves, that we are
caretakers of this planet.
Thanks...

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