Lecture 2. Environmental Pollution

LECTURE 2: ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
POLLUTION
Pollution is the effect of undesirable changes in our surroundings that have harmful
effects on plants, animals and human beings. Pollutants include solid, liquid or
gaseous substances present in greater than natural abundance produced due to
human activity, which have a detrimental effect on our environment.
TYPES OF POLLUTION
1. Water pollution
2. Noise Pollution
3. Air pollution
WATER POLLUTION
Water is the essential element that makes life on earth possible. Without water
there would be no life. We usually take water for granted. Although 71% of the
earth’s surface is covered by water only a tiny fraction of this water is available to
us as fresh water.
When the quality or composition of water changes directly or indirectly as a

result of man’s activities such that it becomes unfit for any purpose it is said
to be polluted.
Pollutant can be classified according to the nature of its origin
Point source: When a source of pollution can be readily identified because it has a
definite source and place where it enters the water it is said to come from a point
source. For instance, pollutant that reaches the water from a pipe, channel, etc. The
most common example is Municipal and Industrial Discharge Pipes.
Non-point source: When a source of pollution cannot be readily identified, such as

agricultural runoff, acid rain, etc, they are said to be non-point sources of
pollution.
Sources of water pollution
 Sewage and domestic waste

 Industrial effluents
 Agricultural discharges
 Detergents
 Toxic metals
 Thermal pollutants
1. Sewage and domestic waste
About 75% of water pollution is caused by sewage, domestic wastes and food
processing plants.
Harmful effects of sewage and domestic waste
1. Sewage provides an ideal environment for a vast array of microbes,

primarily bacteria, plus some viruses and protozoa. Large amounts of human
waste in water, increases the number of these bacteria which cause
gastrointestinal diseases.
2. The ova and larvae of many worms are parasitic to man. They may pass out
in urine and faeces thereby contaminating the receiving waters
3. Sewage containing organic matter causes depletion of dissolved oxygen in
receiving water bodies
4. Oxygen deficiency also leads to the production of odours in water.
5. Suspended matter in sewage has a tendency to blanket the stream thereby
interfering with the sprawning of fish and reduction of aquatic biota.
2. Industrial effluents
Industrial effluents discharged into water bodies contain toxic chemicals,

hazardous compounds, phenols, aldehydes, ketones, amines, metallic wastes, toxic
acids, oils, grease, dyes, suspended solids, radioactive wastes and thermal
pollutants from industries.
The principal type of industries which contribute to water pollution are chemicals
and pharmaceuticals, coal mines, soaps and detergents, pulp and paper, sugar,
distilleries, dyeing, tanneries, steel mills, fertilisers etc.
Harmful effects of industrial pollution
1. Industrial effluents cause deleterious effects on living organisms and may

bring about death or sublethal damage of kidneys, liver, lungs, brain and
reproductive system
2. Effluents containing acids and alkalis make water corrosive
3. Mineral constituents can be responsible for excessive hardness of water
which then becomes unsuitable for domestic and industrial purposes
4. Heated effluents discharged into water bodies increases temperature of
the stream thereby altering the aquatic ecosystem
5. Industrial effluents impart colour, foul odour and turbidity to the
receiving waters
3. Agricultural discharges
Plant nutrients, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fertilisers, farm wastes, manure

slurry, sediments, plants and animal’s debris, soil erosion. Fertilisers added to soil
contain nitrates and phosphate which are washed off through rainfall, irrigation and
drainage into water bodies.
Effects of agricultural discharges
1. Excessive use of fertilisers lead to accumulation of nitrates in water. Nitrates

are converted to nitrites when such water is consumed by man. This leads to
incidence of methemoglobinaemia (blue babies syndrome) in children where
nitrites interfere with oxygen carrying capacity of blood causing suffocation
and damaging respiratory as well as vascular systems.
2. There could be nitrate poisoning in cows and grazing animals due to
consumption of vegetables grown in nitrate rich soil.
3. Fertilisers enrich soil cannot support microbial life for long periods.
Microbes enrich humus enhance plant growth. Hence there is poor humus
and less nutrients while the soil can readily become eroded by wind and rain.
4. Excessive use of fertilisers increase produce large sized vegetables and
fruits, which are more prone to pests, insects and diseases.
5. Excessive addition of nitrates and phosphates in aquatic system causes
eutrophication. It leads to depletion of oxygen due excessive algal growth
thereby causing death of fish and other aquatic life.
4. Detergents
Detergents were developed to replace soaps. When they were first introduced,
detergents were non-biodegradable which led to mountains of foam on rivers, lakes
and sewage treatment plants. This was caused by the choice of surfactant, which is
the ingredient that lowers surface tension in water and allows the removal of dirt in
soiled materials.
Surfactants in detergents were changed by 1965, so that all detergents become

biodegradable, but that caused a new problem. Detergents contained large amounts
of phosphorus which acted as a stimulant to algal growth in water.
5. Toxic metals
Toxic metals added to aquatic system from industrial processes, domestic sewage
discharge, street dust, land runoff, and fossil fuel burning. Waste containing high
concentration of toxic metals are extremely toxic to all organisms. Toxic metals
such mercury, cadmium, lead, arsenic, cobalt, manganese, iron and chromium have
been identified as dangerous to aquatic ecosystem and human health.
For instance, lead poisoning in humans have been attributed to steel and paint
industries. Lead dissolved in blood is transferred to vital organs such as kidneys
and brain, it also readily passes from a pregnant woman to her foetus. This causes
severe and permanent brain damage.
6. Thermal pollutants
This includes waste from nuclear and thermal power plants. Various industries
with cooling requirement also contribute to thermal loading.
Thermal pollution creates two major problems

i) The activity of biological life is more at higher temperature, hence as
temperature of water rises, there is more demand for dissolved oxygen
ii) At higher temperature, less amount of dissolved oxygen will be present in
water and this may be fatal for aquatic life.
OTHER SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION
Oily wastes: The discharge of oily wastes from ships and tankers also pollute
water bodies. Oily wastes from garages, soap factories also cause pollution.
Radioactive wastes: Discharge of radioactive wastes also pollute water bodies
Distribution system: Water supplied to consumers are usually through network of

pipes which are laid underground. When these pipes are broken or leaks, and
comes in contact with domestic sewage, this leads to water contamination.
Storage reservoirs: Water stored in storage reservoirs, if not properly maintained

could lead to turbidity or bacterial contamination.
Storm water runoff: Storm water runoff, particularly in cities, contain oil, grease,
dust and other particulates from roads, leaves from trees, grass cuttings from lawns
and parks, and fallout from air pollution. It receives little or no treatment before
discharged into storm sewers and finally disposed into receiving waters
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
1. Establishing standards for water pollution control: Regulation and

standards are legally binding rules set by government departments and
agencies. Suitable regulations, bye-laws, standards and practices should be
framed and enforced to regulate the entry of undesirable flow in natural
water bodies. The regulations should be modified from time to time to suit
changing needs and technological advancements.
2. Water pollution control boards should be set up in all the states of the
federation. They should be entrusted with the task of regulating the
discharges from the industries. The administration of these boards must be in
the hand of government. These boards may also act as consulting agency to
provide expert to industrialists and to device means and ways for effective
and safe disposal of industrial wastes.
3. Public involvement: There should be public awareness on the consequences

of contamination of water supplies through news papers, radio, television,
and schools.
4. Monitoring network of water quality. Regular monitoring of surface water

bodies should be surveyed with respect to maximum and minimum
discharges and also with respect to their level of pollution. Different
manufacturing procedures, internal operations, formation of new varied
products etc. cause high level of heterogeneity of effluents, this makes
monitoring a crucial link for water pollution control
5. Reutilisation, Recycling and Reuse of wastewater: Reuse of treated

sewage effluents should be emphasized and encouraged. Treated and
untreated waste should not be discharged in surface water bodies. They
should be used as irrigation water for specific agricultural crops, landscaping
of parks, roads and residential gardens. They can also serve as industrial
water for cooling, processing, washing and clean up.
6. Economic incentives can be applied for wastewater discharges to maintain

the desired quality in the receiving waters. Examples, taxes, levies etc
7. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) of newly established industries

should be done to prevent environmental damage prior to the construction of
potentially hazardous programmes.

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LECTURE 2: ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

When the quality or composition of water changes directly or indirectly as a

Pollutant can be classified according to the nature of its origin

Non-point source: When a source of pollution cannot be readily identified, such as

 Sewage and domestic waste

1. Sewage and domestic waste

Harmful effects of sewage and domestic waste

1. Sewage provides an ideal environment for a vast array of microbes,

Industrial effluents discharged into water bodies contain toxic chemicals,

Harmful effects of industrial pollution

1. Industrial effluents cause deleterious effects on living organisms and may

Plant nutrients, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fertilisers, farm wastes, manure

Effects of agricultural discharges

1. Excessive use of fertilisers lead to accumulation of nitrates in water. Nitrates

Surfactants in detergents were changed by 1965, so that all detergents become

Thermal pollution creates two major problems

OTHER SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION

Radioactive wastes: Discharge of radioactive wastes also pollute water bodies

Distribution system: Water supplied to consumers are usually through network of

Storage reservoirs: Water stored in storage reservoirs, if not properly maintained

1. Establishing standards for water pollution control: Regulation and

3. Public involvement: There should be public awareness on the consequences

4. Monitoring network of water quality. Regular monitoring of surface water

5. Reutilisation, Recycling and Reuse of wastewater: Reuse of treated

6. Economic incentives can be applied for wastewater discharges to maintain

7. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) of newly established industries

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