Transcript Water pollution effects

WATER POLLUTION EFFECTS
State of water
• Natural Water has,
– Physical attributes ( Temperature, smell, Colour )
– Chemical attributes – pH, DO, ions
– Biological attributes – microorganisms
Organisms and users will adapt to water with
particular physical, chemical and biological
attributes
– Salty sea
– Fresh Water
• Water Pollution
– Alteration of the water features/attributes to the
detriment of its inhabitants and users
State of water cont;
Water Quality
– The degree of pollution from the point of view of
organisms living in or using the water.
Pollution Sources
1. Point sources
• Piped (sewage,oils)
• Stormwater drains
2. Non- Point sources
• Agricultural runoff
• Atmospheric pollution
• Seepage from mine/urban areas
What is water pollution ?
• "Water pollution" is defined as the addition of
harmful or objectionable material causing an
alteration of water quality.
How does water pollution occur?
Mankind through socio-economic activities
introduce pollutants to the environment.
– “Then the Earth’s waters cycle, carry and spread
the pollutants all around the planet.”
Water Cycle
Precipitation
Evaporation
Evaporation
Evapo-transpiration
Discharge
treated water
Soil
moisture
Water
Supply
Soil moisture
Infiltration
Recharge
Ocean
runoff
Extraction
Aquifer
Soil moisture
Infiltration (Art)
Extraction
Return flow
Treated water
Salt Water Intrusion
Aquifer intrusion
Precipitation
Evaporation/ET
Surface Water
Groundwater
Pollution types
• Thermal Pollution (Heated factory water or cooler water from
another basin)
– Warmer …less dissolved Oxygen
– Cooler …More dissolved Oxygen
• Suspended solids (Silts, Clay, living organisms, dead
organic Matter).
• Dissolved solids (chemicals)
• Acid rain water (Nox and sox) Leaching effects
• Trace elements (Heavy Metals)
Human activities that contribute to water pollution
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Overgrazing
Poor agricultural land management
Removal of riparian vegetation
Sewage, industrial, and domestic
discharges
Construction, Mining
Release of gases and aerosols to the
atmosphere
Mismanagement of reservoirs
Accidental spills
Water pollutants (polluting elements)
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Sewage/waste water;
Fertilizers/Pesticides;
Alien species
Global Warming
Atmospheric Deposition;
Pathogens; from untreated sewage, storm drains,
septic tanks, runoff from farms
Petroleum;
Radioactive substances;
Heat;
Siltation/sediments;
Salinization- Increased salinization and salt runoff from
irrigated farms causes salinization of major rivers.;
• Heavy metals cause unpleasant taste and odour to
drinking water;
• Suspended particles like sediments
Effects of polluted water on;
1. Effects on Agriculture;-use of wastewater and polluted
surface and groundwater which contaminate crops and
transmit disease to consumers and farm workers;
Depositions of deleterious chemicals in soil leading to loss
of soil fertility;
2.
Effects
on
Environment/ecosystems;-pungent
smell,discolourisation; increased temps; contamination;
change the pH; decreased oxygen; detergents that create
a mass of white foam in the river waters; Enrichment of
groundwater with salts, nutrients from irrigated lands;
eutrophication/algal blooms-what is the effect on
recreational activities,water treatment plants/water
providers;loss of aesthetic value; Algae clogs our
waterways
Effects of polluted water on;
4. Domestic effects;-toxic substances such as
lead, mercury, cadmium, and chromium
or cyanide, which may affect the use of the
receiving water for domestic use or for aquatic
life.
5. Effects on industry; boiler scales, Heavy
metals cause unpleasant taste and odour to
drinking water; Suspended particles cause
unpleasant taste & discoloration to drinking
water;
Effects of polluted water on;
6. Economy
• Unsightly color, reduced clarity, and obnoxious odor of the receiving
waters also make it unfit for recreation and other productive uses;
• Adverse effects of water pollution lead to economic losses
in terms of reduced health, reduced agricultural productivity, and
low-quality tourism.
• There is also economic losses to family income due to the desire for
safe bottled water which is more expensive than unbottled water.
• When water is polluted, fish and other aquatic resources can perish,
which leads to a decline in fisheries production.
Erosion from degraded uplands and pollution from silt and
sedimentation, as well as untreated sewerage, cause
productivity losses in fisheries. Silt and sedimentation are major
causes for losses in fishery
production.
• High levels of turbidity leads to economic losses;
Effects of polluted water on;
• Improvement of water quality- Removal of organic
matte thru aerobic decomposition; chlorination to
remove bacteria, suspended solids; precipitation of
salts, desalination etc during water treatment is
expensive for polluted water;
• Increased salinization and salt runoff leading to
salinization of major rivers.;
• Heavy metals cause unpleasant taste and odour to
drinking water;
• Suspended particles cause unpleasant taste &
discoloration to drinking water;
Effects of polluted water on;
• Hard water with usually high levels of calcium
and magnesium can cause a build-up of
minerals in pipelines/boiler scales and cause
erosion and blockage problems. Water
softeners and conditioners can be used in the
water to reduce limescale but can be
expensive.
Effects of polluted water on;
7. Leisure
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Swimming pool water can become contaminated with a number of different
pollutants and may cause changes in water colour and odour, some pollutants
may also be harmful to human health.
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Discolouration of the swimming pool water could be due to a number of reasons.
It may be dirty and cause the water to change a milky colour if the filter is
inadequate or blocked. Algae contamination can also cause discolouration, black
algae cause black spots to appear in the pool. Other forms of algae contaminate
pools when chlorine levels are too low, these often turn the water a green colour.
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Chlorine is used in many swimming pools to keep them clean. There are certain
substances, such as certain types of detergents and some forms of make-up, that
don’t mix well with chlorine. These can cause adverse effects to human health
such as skin and throat irritations.
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Pond water can also become polluted with different chemicals or microbes. This
can make the pond less attractive and can be harmful to aquatic life within the
pond. An overgrowth of algae and accumulation of leaf debris are often the main
problems with ponds in the home; UV filters are efficient at reducing algae levels
in ponds and also remove decaying vegetation. These are useful for long term
maintenance of your pond.
Effects of polluted water on;
8. Effects on human health;
Increased incidence of tumours, ulcers due to nitrate pollution;
Increased incidence of skin disorders due to contact with
pollutants; Increased incidence of constipation, diarrhea, and
infections to intestine; Dangerous effects on growing foetus in
pregnant women; Concentration of pollutants due to
bioaccumulative pesticides through secondary and tertiary
food chains in case of non-vegeterians; Still births, abortions,
and birth of deformed children; Blue baby disease caused by
methaneglobinema-which results in asphyxia (reduced oxygen
supply);Reduced activity of immune system; Loss of memory
power and reduced mental sharpness; Water borne diseases
like jaundice, hepatitis, gasteroenteritis, will be more
prevalent due to water pollution; Reduced bone development
and muscular development; Reduced male fertility; Shifts in
physiological cycles of human body.
Effects of polluted water on;
9. Effects on animal health;
Large scale death of aquatic and terrestrial
animals; Reduced reproduction rate;
Increased disease incidences; Imbalances
created in secondary foodchains;
Accumulation of bioaccumulative and
nonbiodegraddable pollutants in animal
bodies; Bioaccumulation eg of organochlorine
pesticides; Biomagnification;Cause health
hazards like impotence, cancerous tumours
etc
Major water related diseases
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4
Type
Water borne
(Disease
causing
vector
carried in
water)
Water
washed
(Resulting
from lack of
water or
improper
use of water)
Water Based
(Vector lives
in water)
Diseases
Cholera
Typhoid
Diarrhoea
Dysentery
Effects
Dehydration
Scabies
Eye
infections
Diarrhoea
Cause
 Drinking
contaminated
water
 Eating
contaminated
food
 Not washing
 Lack of enough
water for
washing
Bilharzias
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Blood in stool
Pain in stomach
Insect vector Malaria
related
River
blindness
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Worms from the
snails enter
through the skin
in infected
water
Mosquitoes bites
Semolina worm
Itchy lashes
Sore eyes
Blindness
Fever from lice
diseases
Prevention
 Use clean water for
drinking
 Keep flies away from
food
 Avoid unprotected
water sources
 Increase water
availability for washing
 Improve personal
hygiene
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Fever
Aches
Blindness
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Reduce contact with
infected snails
Control snails
Removal potential
larvae breeding sites
Use mosquito netting
Introduce fish in ponds
river water