Water Pollution by Sudarshan Gurjar

Water Pollution 182

Definition 182
Sources of water pollution 182
Effects of Water Pollution 186
Legal measures to control water pollution: 191

✍✍📝📝Mains Question 195

Water Pollution

Definition

● Water pollution is defined as the addition or presence of undesirable substances in water.

● It is one of the most serious environmental problems caused mainly by various industrial, agricultural
and domestic activities.

Sources of water pollution

● Water pollution sources can be either point sources or nonpoint sources.

● Point sources: Pollutants are discharged directly from the source to the water. e.g. a drain pipe carrying
industrial effluents into a water body.
● Non-point sources: Pollutants come from diffuse sources or from a larger area. e.g. runoff from
agricultural fields, grazing lands, construction sites etc.
● Agricultural sources:
1. Agricultural runoff has fertilizers and pesticides that contain many nutrients.
2. These chemicals can get leached and seep into the groundwater polluting it.
3. Further these nutrients can cause eutrophication in the water bodies.
4. Aquatic organisms take and incorporate these nutrients into the food chain. (bioaccumulation)
5. At higher trophic levels, the concentration of these pollutants magnify (Biomagnification).
● Domestic and industrial waste:
1. Domestic sewage contains human and animal excreta, food residues, detergents and other wastes.

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2. Untreated sewage and industrial effluents contain toxic inorganic and organic pollutants.
● Sewage Water
• Sewage water includes discharges from houses and other establishments.
• The sewage contains human and animal excreta, food residues, cleaning agents, detergents, etc.
• Domestic and hospital sewage contain many undesirable pathogenic microorganisms.
● Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
• Presence of organic and inorganic wastes in water decreases the dissolved oxygen content of the water.
• Water having DO content below 8.0 mg/L may be considered as contaminated.

• Water having DO content below. 4.0 mg/L is considered to be highly polluted.

• A number of factors like surface turbulence, photosynthetic activity, O2 consumption by organisms and
decomposition of organic matter are the factors which determine the amount of DO present in water.
• The higher amounts of waste increase the rates of decomposition and O2 consumption thereby
decreases the DO content of water.
● Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
• Water pollution by organic wastes is measured in terms of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD).
• BOD is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by bacteria in decomposing the organic wastes present
in water. It is expressed in milligrams of oxygen per liter of water.
• The higher value of BOD indicates low DO content of water.
● Industrial Wastes

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• Discharge of wastewater from industries like petroleum, paper manufacturing, metal extraction and
processing, chemical manufacturing, etc., that often contain toxic substances, notably, heavy metals
(defined as elements with density > 5 g/cm3 such as mercury, cadmium, copper, lead, arsenic) and a variety
of organic compounds.
● Marine and coastal pollution
● Oceans and coastal waters receive a large percentage of their waste and pollutants – including plastic
debris, nutrients, oil, heavy metals and radioactive waste – from land-based sources.
● The rest comes from the shipping industry, fisheries and other sea-based sources.
● Agricultural sources
• Agricultural runoff contains dissolved salts such as nitrates, phosphates, ammonia and other nutrients,
and toxic metal ions and organic compounds.
• Fertilizers contain major plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
• Excess fertilizers may reach the groundwater by leaching or may be mixed with surface water.
• Pesticides include insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, etc. They contain a wide range of chemicals such
as chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs. E.g. DDT→ Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, Endosulfan etc.),
● Thermal and Radiation Pollution
• Power plants – thermal and nuclear, chemical and other industries use a lot of water for cooling purposes,
and the used hot water is discharged into rivers, streams or oceans.
• Discharge of hot water may increase the temperature of the receiving water by 10 to 15 °C above the
ambient water temperature. This is thermal pollution.
• Increase in water temperature decreases dissolved oxygen in the water. • Nuclear accidents near water
bodies or during natural calamities like tsunami and earthquakes pose the risk of radiation leakage
(radiation exposure) into water bodies. E.g. Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
• Radioactive iodine tends to be absorbed by the thyroid gland and can cause thyroid cancer.
● Aquatic organisms in the hot tropical water bodies live dangerously close to their upper limit of
temperature, particularly during the warm summer months.
● A slight increase in temperature affects aquatic organisms in following ways:
1. Affects feeding in fishes
2. Affects their growth
3. Decreases their swimming efficiency
4. Decreases their resistance to diseases and parasites

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5. Also reduces the biological diversity of aquatic ecosystem
● Underground water pollution
• In India at many places, the groundwater is threatened with contamination due to seepage from industrial
and municipal wastes and effluents, sewage channels and agricultural runoff.
• Pollutants like fluorides, uranium, heavy metals and nutrients like nitrates and phosphates are common
in many parts of India.
⦁ Nitrates
• Dissolved nitrates commonly contaminate groundwater.
• Excess nitrate in drinking water reacts with hemoglobin to form non-functional methaemoglobin
and impairs oxygen transport. This condition is called methemoglobinemia or blue baby syndrome.
⦁ Trace metals
• Include lead, mercury, cadmium, copper, chromium and nickel.
• These metals can be toxic and carcinogenic.
⦁ Arsenic
• Seepage of industrial and mine discharges, fly ash ponds of thermal power plants can lead to arsenic
in groundwater.
• In India and Bangladesh (Ganges Delta)
• Chronic exposure to arsenic causes black foot disease. It also causes diarrhea and also lung and skin
cancer.
⦁ Fluoride
• Excess fluoride in drinking water causes neuromuscular disorders, gastrointestinal problems, teeth
deformity, hardening of bones and stiff and painful joints (skeletal fluorosis).
• Pain in bones and joint and outward bending of legs from the knees is called Knock-Knee syndrome.
• Fluorosis is a common problem in several states of the country due to the intake of high fluoride content
water.
⦁ Mercury
• Pollution of water bodies by mercury causes Minamata (neurological syndrome) disease in humans.
Mercury compounds in wastewater are converted by bacterial action into extremely toxic methylmercury
mental derangement.

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• Lead causes lead poisoning (Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs
and tissues).
⇒ Aug,2020- A joint report ‘The Toxic Truth: Children’s Exposure to Lead Pollution Undermines a
Generation of Potential’ by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Pure Earth, a non-profit
organization notes that lead is a potent neurotoxin that causes irreparable harm to children’s brains.
• The compounds of lead cause anemia, headache, loss of muscle power and bluish line around the
gum.
• Water contaminated with cadmium can cause itai itai disease also called ouch-ouch disease (a painful
disease of bones and joints) and cancer of lungs and liver.
🔠? Match the Column:

Compound Disease

a) Arsenic 1. Itai Itai

b) Fluoride 2. methemoglobinemia

c) Cadmium 3. Black foot

d) Nitrate 4. Knock knee

Which one is the correct pair:

(1) A-3; B-1; C-2; D-4 (2) A-3; B-4; C-2; D-1 (3) A-3; B-4; C-1; D-2 (4) A-4; B-3; C-1; D-2

Effects of Water Pollution

⚾on the Environment

• Presence of large amounts of nutrients in water results in algal bloom (excessive growth of planktonic
algae. This leads to the aging of lakes.
• A few toxic substances, often present in industrial wastewaters, can undergo biological magnification
(Biomagnification) in the aquatic food chain. This phenomenon is well-known for mercury and DDT.
• High concentrations of DDT disturb calcium metabolism in birds, which causes thinning of eggshells and
their premature breaking, eventually causing a decline in bird populations.
⚾on Aquatic Ecosystem

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• Polluted water reduces Dissolved Oxygen (DO) content, thereby eliminating sensitive organisms like
plankton, molluscs and fish etc.
• However, a few tolerant species like Tubifex (annelid worm) and some insect larvae may survive in highly
polluted water with low DO content. Such species are recognized as indicator species for polluted water.
• Biocides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (organic chemicals consisting of carbon, hydrogen and
chlorine atoms ) and heavy metals directly eliminate sensitive aquatic organisms.
• Hot waters discharged from industries, when added to water bodies, lowers its DO content.

• Riparian buffers: A riparian buffer is a vegetated area (a "buffer strip") near a stream, usually forested,
which helps shade and partially protect a stream from the impact of adjacent land uses.
• Treatment of sewage water and the industrial effluents before releasing it into water bodies. Hot water
should be cooled before release from the power plants.
• Excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides should be avoided. Organic farming and efficient use of animal
residues as fertilizers can replace chemical fertilizers.
• Water hyacinth (an aquatic weed, invasive species) can purify water by taking some toxic materials
and a number of heavy metals from water.

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• Oil spills in water can be cleaned with the help of oil zapper, microorganisms.
• It has been suggested that we should plant eucalyptus trees all along sewage ponds. These trees absorb
all surplus wastewater rapidly and release pure water vapor into the atmosphere.
Bioremediation: Bioremediation is the use of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) to degrade the
environmental contaminants into less toxic forms.
Microorganisms can be specifically designed for bioremediation using genetic engineering techniques. In
situ bioremediation In situ — It involves treatment of the contaminated material at the site.
Bioventing: supply of air and nutrients through wells to contaminated soil to stimulate the growth of
indigenous bacteria.
Biosparging: Injection of air under pressure below the water table to increase groundwater oxygen
concentrations and enhance the rate of biological degradation of contaminants by naturally occurring
bacteria.
Bioaugmentation: Microorganisms are imported to a contaminated site to enhance the degradation
process. Using bioremediation techniques, TERI has developed a mixture of bacteria called ‘Oilzapper and
Oilivorous-S’ which degrades the pollutants of oil-contaminated sites, leaving behind no harmful residues..
Oilzapper is essentially a cocktail of five different bacterial strains.

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Ex situ bioremediation
Ex situ — involves the removal of the contaminated material to be treated elsewhere.
Landfarming: contaminated soil is excavated and spread over a prepared bed and periodically tilled until
pollutants are degraded. The goal is to stimulate indigenous biodegradative microorganisms and facilitate
their aerobic degradation of contaminants.
Bioreactors: it involves the processing of contaminated solid material (soil, sediment, sludge) or water
through an engineered containment system.
Composting: Composting is nature's process of recycling decomposed organic materials into a rich soil
known as compost.
Phytoremediation
• Phytoremediation is the use of plants to remove contaminants from soil and water.
• Natural phytoremediation is carried out by mangroves, estuarine vegetation and other wetland vegetation.

Flocculation: Aluminum sulfate (alum) is the most common coagulant used for water purification. Other
chemicals, such as ferric sulfate or sodium aluminate, may also be used.

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Chlorine is used because it is a very effective disinfectant, and residual concentrations can be maintained
to guard against possible biological contamination in the water distribution system. The addition of chlorine
or chlorine compounds to drinking water is called chlorination.
Fluoridation Water fluoridation is the treatment of community water supplies for the purpose of adjusting
the concentration of the free fluoride ion to the optimum level sufficient to reduce dental caries. Fluoride
is generally present in all natural water. Its concentration up to a certain level is not harmful. Beyond that
level, the bones start disintegrating. This disease is called fluorosis. We have fluoride problems in many
parts of our country. The Bureau of Indian Standards prescribes 1.0 mg/l as desirable and 1.5 mg/l as a
maximum permissible limit for drinking water.
Defluoridation at domestic level can be carried out by mixing water for treatment with an adequate amount
of aluminum sulfate (alum) solution, lime or sodium carbonate and bleaching powder depending upon its
alkalinity (concentration of bicarbonates and carbonates in water) and fluoride contents.

Legal measures to control water pollution:

The Water Act (1974), the are the main acts to tackle water pollution.
Water Cess Act (1977 and ● The Water Cess Act deals with revenue-generation.
1988), and the Environment
● Pollution control boards at the central and state levels are
(Protection) Act or EPA
(1986) empowered to prevent, control, and abate water pollution, and to
advise governments on matters pertaining to such pollution.
● CPCB coordinates the activities of the state boards and also
prepares a list of polluting industries in India.
● The acts mainly deal with industrial units and do not cover the
regulation of water pollution originating from the household and

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 agriculture sectors.

The Water (Prevention and ● The Act targets prevention and control of water pollution
Control of Pollution) Act, ● It provides for the establishment of Boards for the prevention and
1974
control of water pollution (CPCB and SPCBs)
● It prohibits the discharge of pollutants into water bodies beyond
a given standard, and lays down penalties for non-compliance.
● CPCB and SPCBs lay down standards and implement them for
the prevention and control of water pollution.

The Water (Prevention and provides for levy and collection of a cess on water consumed by
Control of Pollution) Cess persons operating and carrying on certain types of industrial
Act, 1977 activities.

Atal Mission for ● AMRUT aims to transform 500 cities and towns into efficient
Rejuvenation and Urban urban living spaces.
Transformation (AMRUT)
● It is a centrally sponsored scheme with 80% budgetary support
from the Center.
● Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India
● Thrust Areas of AMRUT:
(i) Water Supply,
(ii) Sewerage facilities and septage management,
(iii) Storm Water drains to reduce flooding,
(iv) Pedestrian, non-motorized and public transport facilities,
parking spaces etc

Smart cities mission ● City rejuvenation mission for 100 chosen cities.
● Aims to provide core infrastructure in the city: housing, water
and electricity supply, sanitation and solid waste management,
efficient urban mobility and public transport, robust IT
connectivity and digitalization, etc.
● Holistic approach for all round development of the city.
● Three pronged strategy: city improvement (retrofitting), city
renewal (redevelopment) and city extension (green-field

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 development).

National River Conservation ● Boss? Ministry of Jal Shakti

Plan (NRCP) ● Centrally sponsored plan launched in 1995.
● Presently covers 38 rivers in 178 towns spread over 20 States.
● Interception and diversion of sewage and setting up of Sewage
Treatment Plants are the main strategies under the National River
Conservation Plan (NRCP).
● River conservation activities such as creation of civic
infrastructure for sewage management and disposal are also being
implemented under other central schemes.

Ganga Action Plan (GAP) ● The Ganga Action Plan (GAP) was launched by the Government
in 1985, for pollution abatement activities in identified polluted
stretches of river Ganga. But it did not succeed in cleaning Ganga.

National Mission for clean ● It was then established as a society and as an implementation arm of
Ganga 2011 National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA).
● NRGBA was constituted under the provisions of
theEnvironment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986.
● But, it was dissolved in 2016 and replaced with the National
Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River
Ganga (referred as National Ganga Council). The National Ganga
Council is chaired by the Prime Minister.
● The EPA Act, 1986 envisages a five tier structure at national,
state and district level to take measures for prevention, control and
abatement of environmental pollution in river Ganga and to ensure
continuous adequate flow of water so as to rejuvenate the river
Ganga.

Namami Gange Programme •Namami Gange Programme is an Integrated Conservation

Mission, approved as a ‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union

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 Government in June 2014 to accomplish the twin objectives of
effective abatement of pollution and conservation and rejuvenation
of National River Ganga.
•It is being operated under the Department of Water
Resources,River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation,
Ministry of Jal Shakti.
•The program is being implemented by the National Mission for
Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart organizations i.e.,
State Program ManagementGroups (SPMGs).
• NMCG is the implementation wing of National Ganga Council
(set in 2016; which replaced the National Ganga River Basin
Authority (NRGBA).
•It has a Rs. 20,000-crore, centrally-funded, non-lapsable corpus
and consists of nearly 288 projects.
● Main pillars of the programme are
○ Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure
○ River-Surface Cleaning
○ Afforestation
○ Industrial Effluent Monitoring
○ River-Front Development
○ Biodiversity Conservation
○ PublicAwareness
○ Ganga Gram
● Marking a major shift in implementation, the Government is
focusing on involving people living on the banks of the river to
attain sustainable results.
● The government is also involving the States and grassroots level
institutions such as Urban Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj
Institutions.

🔠? Which of the following statement is not correct about AMRUT mission;

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 1. aims to transform 500 cities and towns into efficient urban living spaces.
2. Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT),launched on 2017,
3. It is a centrally sponsored scheme with 80% budgetary support from the Center
The options are as follows:
(A] 1 & 2 only (B] 2 only (C] 1 & 3 only (D] 1,2 & 3

✍✍📝📝Mains Question
Q. (GSM3-2015)- The Namami Gange and National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) programmes and
causes of mixed results from the previous schemes. What quantum leaps can help preserve the river Ganga
better than incremental inputs?

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