Water Pollution

Anti-oxidant rich water

http://liveenergized.com/2010/08/30/what-is-orp /

A World without water

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egtKx24dat8
 Outline
Causes of water pollution

Ground water remediation technologies

Waste water treatment Carbonaceous oxygen

demand (CBOD)
The standard test: Biochemical oxygen demand---
Nitrogenous oxygen
demand (NBOD)

Five-Day BOD Test (BOD5)

Modeling BOD as a First-Order Reaction

Nitrosomonas 2NO2- + 2H+ + 2H2O
Nitrification 2NH3+ 3O2 NBOD
Nitrobacteria
2NO2- + O2 2NO3-
 Causes
Causes of waterpollution
of Water pollution

BOD as an Ground water

indicator Water soluble
Inorganic plant inorganic chemicals,
Oxygen depleting nutrients, acids, Pb, Hg
wastes fertilizer

Causes of
Disease causing
water Sediment
agents (pathogens)
pollution

Organic
chemicals (oil, Water soluble
Industry waste
plastic) radioactive
isotopes
Thermal
pollution (hot
water released
by power Read more
Reference: text book
When the source and place of pollution is easily identifiable then the
source of pollution is called pointsource of water pollution else the
source is called non pointsource of water pollution
SURFACE WATER POLLUTION:
1. Sewage and other oxygen demanding wastes
2. Industrial wastes
3. Agricultural chemicals
4. Thermal & radioactive wastes
5. Heavy metals
6. Bio-degradable & non bio-degradable wastes
THE VARIOUS INDUSTRIAL WASTES CAN BE CATEGORIZED AS:
Organic substances like phenol that increase the BOD level
Inorganic substances like chlorides, nitrogen, carbonates that encourage growth
of microorganisms & make the water body unfit for use
Acids, alkali that change pH of water thereby threatening aquatic life
Toxic substances like cyanides etc. that cause extensive, irreversible damage to
plant & animal life
Oil & other floating impurities that interfere with self-purification of water bodies
Colour producing dyes

AGRICULTURAL WASTES INCLUDE:

Fertilizers
Pesticides
Fertilisers: Excessive use of chemical fertilisers results
in the accumulation of nitrogen, phosphorus & oxygen
on lands. These are washed off the land with water
through rainfall & irrigation into water bodies. Excessive
use of potassium & phosphorus enhances a luxuriant
growth of algae in water, which in turn reduces its DO
content leading to eutrophication.
On the other hand, nitrogenous fertiliser converted to
nitrates and deposits in water bodies. when these
nitrates enter the human body, they are transformed to
methaemoglobin prohibits the formation of
oxyhaemoglobin and leading to skin cancer
 InorganicInorganic
Pollutants: Eutrophication
plant nutrients

NO3-, PO43-
Excess amount

Water bodies
High level of plant nutrients

Promote the excessive growth of algae and other aquatic plants

Interfere with the use of water by clogging up water intake pipes, changing the taste
and smell of the water

Building up organic matter

Oxygen level decrease Fish and other aquatic species

die
 Pesticides

The effect of injudicious use of pesticides on the

environment is as follows:
1. They attack both targeted & non-targeted species
2. The harmful effects are long-lasting
3. Food contamination
4. Biomagnification
 Biomagnification
Biomagnification is the increase in concentration of a
substance, such as the pesticide, that occurs in a food chain.
The pollutant enters the first organism in a food chain. When
the second organism in the chain consumes the first one, the
pollutant too moves into the second organism.

As we go up the levels of the ecological pyramid, there is

energy loss. Hence, at each succeeding level, the predator
consumes more of the prey. As a result, the organisms at
higher levels have greater concentrations of the pollutant.
 Organic Pollutants
Oil
Gasoline
plastic,
Pesticide
Cleaning solvents
Detergents

Enter the water directly from

industrial activity,
improper handling of chemicals
Illegal disposal of chemical wastes

Harmful to aquatic life and human health

 Oxygen demanding wasteanic
waste that can be decomposed by bacteria
BOD: The amount of oxygen required to breakdown a certain amount of
organic matter is called the biological oxygen demand (BOD).
Table 12.1
BOD and Water Quality
BOD Level Water quality Description
(parts per
million)
1-2 Very good Not much organic waste
present
3-5 Moderately clean
6-9 Somewhat polluted Bacteria decomposing
organic matter present
100 or greater Very polluted

Anaerobic respiration
 The Story of Fluoride Contamination
65 million people in India suffer from fluorosis, caused by
an excess of fluoride in water.
Fluorosis is most severe and widespread in India and China
Health impacts of Fluoride
Dental fluorosis results in blackened, mottled, or cracked
teeth.
Skeletal fluorosis means permanent and severe bone and
joint deformities.
Non-skeletal fluorosis leads to gastro-intestinal and
neurological problems.

Reference: text book

 Detection of Fluoride

Zirconium-Alizarin Indicator
 Arsenic poisoning
Uses of Arsenic
1. Arsenic compounds are used in making special types of glass, as a
wood preservative and, lately, in the semiconductor gallium
arsenade, which has the ability to convert electric current to laser
light.
2. Arsine gas AsH3, has become an important dopant gas in the
microchip industry, although it requires strict guidelines regarding its
use because it is extremely toxic.
3. During the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, a number of arsenic
compounds have been used as medicines; copper acetoarsenite was
used as a green pigment known under many different names.

Read more:
http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/as.htm#ixzz40sPsUBTj
 Environmental effects of arsenic
The arsenic cycle has broadened as a consequence of human interference and due
to this, large amounts of arsenic end up in the environment and in living organisms.
Arsenic is mainly emitted by the copper producing industries, but also during lead
and zinc production and in agriculture. It cannot be destroyed once it has entered
the environment, so that the amounts that we add can spread and cause health
effects to humans and animals on many locations on earth.
Plants absorb arsenic fairly easily, so that high-ranking concentrations may be
present in food. The concentrations of the dangerous inorganic arsenics that are
currently present in surface waters enhance the chances of alteration of genetic
materials of fish. This is mainly caused by accumulation of arsenic in the bodies of
plant-eating freshwater organisms. Birds eat the fish that already contain eminent
amounts of arsenic and will die as a result of arsenic poisoning as the fish is
decomposed in their bodies.

Read more:
http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/as.htm#ixzz40sQPjNcB
 Detection of arsenic

Solid acids: sulfamic acid

HgBr..AsH2HgBrchange color of test strip
White.yellow..tan brown

Test paper: Mixed arsenic/mercury halogenides

Read More:
http://www.sustainablefuture.se/arsenic/docs/how_to_detect_arsenic.pdf
 Technologies to remove Arsenic

1. ECAR: Removal of As from water

2. ARUBA: Removal of As from soil

 Arsenic removal using bottom ash (ARUBA)

Coal ash before and after coating with ferric hydroxide

Ashok Gadgil

Read more:
http://eetd.lbl.gov/l2m2/arsenic.html
 ARUBA
A Method to remove Arsenic from soil
1. Coal ash (black) is coated with Ferric hydroxide.
2. This coated coal ash act as adsorbent for As (III) or
As(V) present in soil.
3. After adsorption of As on coal ash, the color of coal
ash turned out to be red.
4. The red colored layer can be easily removed from
from surface, thus making the soil free of arsenic
This is a study material only for the intended students and only
for Academic educational purposes.
Images if any have been taken from Public domain.