CE703 / PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROCESS FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER

Activity 1: Physical, Chemical and Biological Characteristics of Water

Physical characteristics of water

Parameters Sources Causes Effects Standard/ Guideline
Turbidity • Suspended and • Mostly by human • Reduce the aesthetic • IS 10500:2012
colloidal matter activities in quality of lakes and Desirable limit: 1 NTU
such as clay, silt certain industries, streams Permissible limit: 5 NTU
or other finely such as mining • Increase the cost of • EPA
divided organic and agriculture water treatment for Not more than 5 NTU
matters • Through storm drinking and food • WHO standards
• Chemical water pollution processing Not exceeding 1.5 NTU
precipitates like from paved • It can harm fish and
iron and surfaces such as other aquatic life by
manganese roads, bridges and reducing food supplies,
• Microorganisms parking lots. degrading spawning
beds, and affecting gill
function
• May develop
gastrointestinal diseases
• Slow photosynthesis of
aquatic plants

Colour • Minerals such as • Dissolved organic • Not objectionable from • IS 10500:2012

iron and matter from health point of view, Desirable limit: 5 hazen
manganese decaying but objectionable from units
• Copper vegetation aesthetic and
 • Natural deposits • Inorganic psychological point of Permissible limit: 15 hazen
• Dissolved organic materials such as view. units
matter such as coloured soil etc. • Natural colours give a • EPA
tannin and lignins • Human activities yellow-brownish Secondary Drinking Water
• Algal growth and like construction appearance to water, Regulation: 15 Colour units
phytoplankton and mining hence, the natural • WHO standards
tendency to associate Not exceeding 5 hazen units
this colour with urine.
• May spoil the colour of
clothes being washed in
such waters.
Taste • Microbial • Seawater seeping • Affect human health • IS 10500:2012
contamination into fresh water • Corrosive water Desirable limit: Agreeable
• Metals such as • Corrosion of • Metallic taste Permissible limit: Agreeable
copper, lead, plumbing • WHO standards
sulfates, precipitations Unobjectionable
manganese or
chloride ions
Odour • Microbial • Due to the gases • Presence of H2S cause • IS 10500:2012
contamination produced by the corrosion in pipes Desirable limit: Agreeable
like algal blooms decomposition of • Rotten egg smell Permissible limit: Agreeable
• Calcium and iron organic matter • EPA
• Presence of • Industrial wastes Secondary Drinking Water
hydrogen • Pesticide Regulation: 3 Threshold
sulphide contamination odour number
• WHO standards
Unobjectionable

Conductivity • Dissolved ions • Ground water • Affect aquatic life and • EPA
• Ionisable runoff plant growth 2500 µS/cm
inorganic • Sewage systems • WHO standards
 compounds such • Granite rocks 15000µmhos/cm
as alkalies,
chlorides,
sulphides and
carbonate
compounds
Temperature • Sunlight • Thermal pollution • Affects the efficiency • Temperature between 4.4℃
• Confluence • Impoundments of treatment units. to 10℃ is desirable and
• Deforestation • Affects aquatic system above 35℃ is unfit for
• Increase solubility and public water supply
toxicity of compounds
• Inhibit photosynthesis
• Reduce the oxygen
holding capacity of
water
Solids • Livestock waste • Industrial • Hardness • IS 10500: 2012
• Septic system wastewater • Gastro intestinal Desirable limit: 500 mg/L
• Landfills • Urban runoff irritations Permissible limit: 2000
• Nature of soil • Salts used for • Scaly deposits mg/L
• Hazardous waste road de-icing • Sediments • EPA
• Dissolved • Cloudy coloured water Secondary Drinking Water
minerals • Staining Regulation: 500 mg/L
• Iron and • Salty or bitter taste
manganese • Corrosion of pipes and
fittings
Chemical characteristics of water
Parameters Sources Causes Effects Standard/ Guideline

Calcium • Weathering and • Dissolve from • Hardness in water • IS 10500: 2012

soil ion rocks such as • Poor lathering and Desirable limit: 75 mg/L
exchange limestone, deterioration of the Permissible limit: 200 mg/L
reactions marble, calcite quality of clothes
• Ionic species etc. • Incrustation in pipes
from industries • Scale formation
• CaCO3 precipitation in
boilers and heat
exchangers affects heat
transfer
Magnesium • Seawater and • From chemical • Poor lathering and • IS 10500: 2012
rivers industries deterioration of clothes Desirable limit: 30 mg/L
• Washed from • Applying • Laxative effect with Permissible limit: 100 mg/L
limestone rocks softeners sulfate
• Causes hardness in
water
• Causes
hypomagesaemia
Sodium • Sodium • Weathering of • Harmful to some • IS 10500: 2012
containing rock rock persons with cardiac Desirable limit: 200 mg/L
deposits • Ion exchange problems • EPA: 20 mg/L
• Marine aerosols reactions in soil • Contributing factor in • WHO standard: 50 mg/L
• Soil • By road salting if hypertension
• Brackish water runoff and • Decrease soil
from some leaching are not permeability
aquifers controlled • Affect osmo-regulation
in aquatic life
 • Salt water • Affects the taste of
intrusion drinking water
• Infiltration of
leachate from
landfills
Potassium • Ancient lakes • Weathering • Causes irritation when No guidelines
and sea beds • Leaching inhaled
• From fruits and • Mining • Disturbing heartbeats
vegetables • Pesticide usage • Affect the germinating
seedlings
Bicarbonates/ • Natural rocks • Industrial waste • Causes alkalinity Alkalinity as CaCO3
Carbonates • Borates, silicates • Hardness in water • IS 10500: 2012
and phosphates • Helps metabolism of Desirable limit: 200 mg/L
flora and fauna Permissible limit: 600 mg/L
Hardness as CaCO3
• IS 10500: 2012
Desirable limit: 200 mg/L
Permissible limit: 600 mg/L

Sulphate • Animal • Industrial waste • Bitter medicinal taste • IS 10500: 2012

sewage disposal • Scaly deposits Desirable limit: 200 mg/L
• Septic system • Metallurgical • Corrosive to concrete Permissible limit: 400 mg/L
sewage roasting process structures and pipes • EPA
• By-product of • Fossil fuel and asbestos- cement Secondary Drinking Water
coal mining combustion pipes Regulation: 250 mg/L
• Natural • Laxative effects
deposits or • Rotten-egg odour
salt from hydrogen
sulphide gas
formation
 • Volcanoes
and hot
springs
Chloride • Fertilizers • Industrial waste • High blood pressure • IS 10500: 2012
• Minerals water • Salty taste Desirable limit: 250 mg/L
• Seawater • Agricultural • Corrosion of pipes, Permissible limit: 1000
runoff fixtures and mg/L
• Road salting appliances • EPA
• Blackening and Secondary Drinking Water
pitting of stainless Regulation: 250 mg/L
steel

Nitrate • Livestock • Agricultural • Methemoglobinemia • IS 10500: 2012

facilities runoff or blue baby Desirable limit: 45 mg/L
• Septic systems • Household waste syndrome in infants Permissible limit: No
• Manure lagoons water disposal • Reduce soil relaxation
• Fertilizers permeability • WHO standard: 50 mg/L
• Natural • Create problems in
Deposits brewing industry
Phosphorus • Phosphate rocks • Organic wastes • Create an imbalance in No guidelines
• Agricultural from sewage ecosystem
fertilizers and • Industrial effluent • Eutrophication and
manure flow excess growth of algae
• Soil erosion • may interfere with
coagulation in water
treatment plants
• Extremely high
concentration causes
digestive problem
Iron • Minerals such as • Leaching of • Brackish colour • IS 10500: 2012
siderite, cast iron pipes • Rusty sediment Desirable limit: 0.3 mg/L
 hematite and in water • Bitter or metallic taste Permissible limit: No
magnetite distribution • Brown-green stains relaxation
• Sea water • Iron bacteria • EPA
systems
• Natural rocks • Discoloured beverages Secondary Drinking Water
• Weathering of Regulation: 0.3 mg/L
iron silicates • WHO standards: Not
• Iron ore mining exceeding 0.1 mg/L
•
Manganese • Landfills • Weathering of • May cause aesthetic • IS 10500: 2012
• Deposits in rock rocks problems such as Desirable limit: 0.1 mg/L
and soil • Leaching of laundry and fixture Permissible limit: 0.3mg/L
landfills staining • EPA
• Brownish colour Secondary Drinking Water
• Bitter taste Regulation: 0.05 mg/L
• Altered taste of water- • WHO standards: Not
mixed beverages exceeding 0.05 mg/L
Fluoride • Pesticides • Processed food • Cause mottling of teeth • IS 10500: 2012
• Industrial waste and beverage and crippling skeletal Desirable limit: 1 mg/L
industry disposal fluorosis Permissible limit: 1.5 mg/L
• Agricultural • Affects neurological • EPA
runoff development Secondary Drinking Water
Regulation: 2 mg/L
• WHO standards: 0.5 mg/L
Biological characteristics of water
Parameters Sources Causes Effects Standards/ Guidelines
Bacteria • Livestock • Sewage overflows • Gastrointestinal illness • IS 10500: 2012
facilities • Runoff due to rainfall Shall not be
• Septic systems • Livestock management detectable in any
• Manure lagoons practises 100 ml sample
• Household waste
water
• Naturally
occurring
Viruses • Fecal matter • Inadequate sanitation • Cause waterborne diseases Nil
• Pathogenic • Waste disposal from such as Meningitis,
microorganism hospitals Gastroenteritis, Hepatitis,
• Pharmaceutical Encephalitis etc.
waste
Protozoa • Soil • Percolation of • Diarrhoea Nil
• Decaying precipitation through • Gastroenteritis
vegetation soil • Primary amoebic
meningoencephalitis
Algae • Nutrient rich • Intrusion of • Eutrophication Nil
marine and fresh contaminated water • Asthma
water containing toxins • Eye irritation
• Rashes in skin