Water pollution is defined as the addition of any substance to water or changing of water’s chemical and physical characteristics in any way which interferes with its use for legitimate purpose. Polluted water is turbid, unpleasant, bad smelling, unfit for drinking, bathing, and washing or other purposes. They are harmful and are vehicles of many diseases as cholera, dysentery, typhoid etc.
Sources for Water Pollution and Remedies
The chief sources for water pollution are- sewage and other wastes, industrial effluents, agricultural discharge and industrial wastes from chemical industries, thermal power plants and nuclear power plants. Each of these sources of pollution carries a variety of pollutants that enter the water body.
water pollution control facility:introduction
water pollution is due to two reasons:
Point sources: drain pipes, ditches, sewer out falls
Non-point sources: runoff, atmosphere deposition etc.
Water pollution may be caused by biotic and abiotic contaminants. The water pollution results from either natural sources or artificial sources.
Sewage is another major cause of water pollution.
The human activities, industry, agriculture, mining, deforestation, power generation, cause water pollution
The inert wastes such as metals, oil films, slit settle to the bottom, if not removed, and affects plant life at the bottom of the water bodies.
Due to water pollution two thirds of world population may live in water stressed conditions.
Water borne diseases also known as dirty water diseases result from consuming contaminated water.
Water pollution affects the food production also. Agriculture itself pollutes water due to the usage of fertilizers, pesticides and the herbicides.
Water pollution control facility
Environmental and forests departments in the countries should developed industry-oriented standards called ‘Minimal national standards’ and enacted water prevention and control of keep the water bodies at the safe levels of pollution.
More sewage treatment plants are urgently needed ,because some of the chemical pollutants released through sewage have long life, around 100 years or more, and the cleaning up costs become prohibitively high, if allowed to enter into water sources.
The sanitation facilities are imperative as the cities grow, particularly in developing countries. Industrial and community sanitation along with control and treatment of human waste and industrial waste are necessary to reduce water pollution.
Remedies for Water Pollution
Biodegradable pollutants alone are not responsible for water pollution, though these indicate level of pollution. Besides these, a substantial pollution load is contributed by non biodegradable or slow degrading pollutants, such as heavy metals, mineral oils, biocides, plastic materials etc. that are dumped into water. For biodegradable pollutants, pollution may be controlled by their treatment for reuse and recycling. The non biodegradable toxic substances can be removed from water by suitable methods.
The various ways or methods and remedies suggested for control of water pollution are as follows:
Stabilization of the ecosystem- This is the most significant remedy to control water pollution. The basic principles involved are the reduction in waste input, harvesting and removal of biomass, trapping of nutrients, fish management and aeration.
Reutilization and recycling of water- Various kinds of wastes which include industrial effluents (as paper pulp or other chemicals), sewage of municipal and other systems and thermal pollutants (waste water etc.) may be recycled to beneficial use.
Removal of pollutants – Various pollutants (radioactive, chemical, biological) present in water body can be removed by appropriate methods or remedy like adsorption, electro-dialysis, ion-exchange, reverse osmosis etc. The different kinds of pollutants usually polluting the water body are ammonia, mercury, phenolics, dyes from the industries, sodium salts etc.