WATER POLLUTION: Definition, Sources, Effects and Solutions.

DEFINITION OF WATER POLLUTION:

The addition of certain substances to the water bodies such as organic, inorganic, biological, radiological heat degrades the quality of water so that it becomes unfit for use.

SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION:

• Point sources: All the pollutants that travel directly from source to water. They are easy to regulate.

• Diffuse or non-point source: These pollutants include community waste and industrial waste. They are difficult to regulate.

• Agricultural source: Excessive use of chemicals and fertilizers by farmers is also a major source of water pollution as it pollutes underground water resources.

• Thermal pollution: In thermal and nuclear power plants, water is used as a coolant and releases hot water to the original source, this sudden rise in temperature kills fishes and other aquatic animals.

• Underground water pollution: Contamination due to seepage from industrial and municipal waste and agricultural runoff.

• Marine pollution: Oceans are the ultimate sinks of natural and man-made pollutants into the sea.

OIL SPILLS:

This is the most dangerous of all water pollution. Oil spills from tankers at sea or leaks from underground storage tanks on land. Crude oil is lighter than water therefore, it floats on the surface and poses the threat of swift spreading fire.

It also leads to a decrease in oxygen levels in the water and causes harm to organisms. It is also a source of air and water pollution.

EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION:

1. Effects on Aquatic ecosystem: this reduces dissolved oxygen (DO), thereby eliminating sensitive organisms like plankton and fish.

2. Effects on human health: Polluted water usually contains pathogens like viruses, bacteria, parasite protozoa, and worms and hence increases water-borne diseases like jaundice, cholera, typhoid.

3. Hazards to groundwater pollution: the presence of excess nitrate in drinking water is dangerous for human health and may be fatal for infants.

4. Biological magnification.

5. Eutrophication.

CONTROL MEASURES:

• Treatment of sewage water and industrial effluents should be done before releasing it into water.

• Hot water should be cooled down before release from the power plants.

• Domestic cleaning in tanks, streams, and rivers should be avoided, organic farming and efficient use of animal residues as fertilizers.

• Excessive use of fertilizers should be avoided, organic farming and efficient use of animal residues as fertilizers.

• Water hyacinth ( an aquatic weed) can purify water by taking some toxic material and a number of heavy metals from water.

• Oil spills in water can be cleaned with the help of bregoli, a by-product of the paper industry resembling sawdust, zapper micro-organisms.

STEPS TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT:

• Installation of an online monitoring effluent system to check the discharge of effluent directly into the rivers and water bodies.

• Setting up a monitoring network for assessment of water quality.

• Action to comply with effluent standards is taken by SPSBS/PCCS to improve the water quality of the rivers.

• Implementation of National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) AND National Wetland Conservation Programme (NCWP) for conservation and management of identified lakes and wetlands of many countries which have been merged in Feb 2013 into an integrated scheme of National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems ( NPCA)