<p>COURSE NAME: ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES FOR UNDERGRADUATES FOR ALL COURSES</p><p>PAPER TITLE: ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES FOR UNDERGRADUATES</p><p>UNIT: 5 – ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION</p><p>TOPIC : EFFECTS AND CONTROLS OF WATER POLLUTION</p><p>OBJECTIVE: - After going through this module, students will be able to understand: 1. The effects of water pollution to entire flora and fauna especially to human being. 2. Control measures to be taken to overcome the problem of water pollution.</p><p>Introduction Water is the most precious gift of nature. It is vital for the survival of all living beings on this earth be it men or women, flaura or fauna. Nobody can mark their existence without water. It is our responsibility to be cautious and preserve it for the generation to come as without water there is no life. </p><p>Water has unique properties and these unique properties are mainly meant for human welfare and the living being which are in aquatic system. Not only aquatic system living beings but also for our plant community. For example, if we see water is the only substance available on this earth, which has the higher density when it is in liquid state then it is in solid state. This helps in protecting living beings in the water bodies. What happens when this water in cold areas freezed, it is the system which forest on the water body and the lower portion which is liquid in the form of water and this solid ice form this act as a insulator and the lower temperature does not decrease and does not fridge because of that it saves whatever the living bodies are there in the system that remains alive. If the system would have been reverse than till today no living being would have been available in the water bodies because it will start freezing from the bottom and whatever the living beings will be there, they will be killed. That is why we say it is a very precious gift to the human being. Now the anthropogenic processes are deteriorating the quality of this nature’s gift. In many cases we are deteriorating the quality of water.</p><p>Water these days is getting polluted and hence drinkable water is decreasing day by day. Now let us study the effect of water pollution and how can it be controlled.</p><p>1. Eutrophication It is the most common problem of inland water bodies’ lakes, rivers and other water bodies get polluted with nitrogen and phosphorous run off from fertilizers used in agricultural practices and discharge of phosphate-rich sewage effluent. The phosphate problem reflects not only a larger human population but also the modern tendency for more people to live in urban areas and the development municipal sewage systems Eutrophication is the indication of deteriorative status of water body. It generates acute economical as well as ecological problems. Eutrophication is one of the process which is taking place mainly because of the pollutions caused by the human being in water quality. Addition of nitrate, addition of phosphorous, addition of chlorides, these are deteriorating the water quality, not only the surface water body but also ground water. We are continuously exploiting ground water which not only depleting the ground water resources but it also affecting the quality of water and that quality is affecting human being, plant community as well as the aquatic system of the water body.</p><p>Good quality water resources are essential for human and live stock drinking purposes, Industries, fisheries and recreational amenities also demand good water quality. In an aquatic ecosystem nitrates and phosphates are playing important role for limiting primary productivity. Additional nitrate and phosphate favour an increase in rapidly growing phytoplanktonic species. As it takes longer for consumer organisms to increase in number in altered environmental condition, thus a good amount of primary production remain unconsumed by these organisms. This excess primary product enters the decomposition pathway Breakdown of this material to simple inorganic nutrients is oxygen demanding process .Thus dissolved oxygen levels may be reduced below the limits essential for the growth and reproduction of other species. In extreme cases the death of fish and other species takes place. Their subsequent decomposition also results in to dissolved oxygen depletion and situation at this juncture becomes worse for the ecosystem.</p><p>Eutrophication is not a temporary problem. It not only influences the physical, chemical and biological characters of the water body but also affects the life of other living beings and human beings dependent on that aquatic system.</p><p>(2) Effect on human health - Human health may be affected by consuming polluted water for drinking and personal hygiene purposes or using it for agriculture industries recreation or living in close visiting of polluted water body. Water gets polluted through various ways a wide range of diseases denoted as ‘Water borne’ diseases can be differentiated on the basis of sources of pollution and type of pollutants on this basic there are two main groups </p><p>(a) Pathogenic diseases (b) Non pathogenic (in animate ) disease</p><p>One of the main problems with water pollution is water born diseases especially in developing countries and poor countries. Water born diseases are caused by pathogens that mean micro-organisms which caused diseases. These pathogens may get entry in to the water body through leaking sewerage pipes which may be because of faulty valves or because of old pipes or because of a faulty design in the sewerage plant. Once these pathogens enter the water body they can be consumed either directly by the person or indirectly through food. There are various types of water born diseases, for example viral diseases like viral hepatitis A and E, typhoid fevers and para typhoid fever then cholera then niliodosis and then you have viral diahorrea. You have certain other viral bacteria diseases like poliomyelitis also which is caused by pathogens carried in the water. You have helmipinotic diseases like roundworms, threadworms, hirated and also amaeobiosis and geardiasis. There are certain victus in the polluted water which can carry the parasite to the body. For example- psyclopes which carry guinea worms or snails which caused schistosomiasis. Other diseases which can be caused by water is because water specially stagnant water, it act a breeding place for mosquitoes and even fresh water collections can act as breeding place for mosquitoes which carry the malarial parasite and also spread viral diseases like dengue and chikengunia.</p><p>Pathogenic Diseases Pathogenic diseases are caused by many micro organisms like viruses, bacteria and protozoan’s which are commonly present in the sewage and domestic wasters of organic nature. This waste material if reaches the fresh water body. It increases the pathogenic microbial count and such water become hazardous for human consumption common water borne diseases are: </p><p>Disease Causal agent </p><p>Cholera - Vibrio Chderac Bacillary dysentery - Shigella species Typhoid - Salmonella typhi Diorrhia - Escherichia cali Lepterpirosis - Leptospira species Infectious hepatitis - Hepatitis virus Amoebiasis - Entamoba hystotytica Dracontiasis - Guinae worm Distomatosis - Fasciola sp,Dicrocoelium sp Ascariasis - Ascaris lumbricades </p><p>Apart from consumption of water direct contact with polluted water during swimming water skiing and other recreational activities pathogens seek entry through penetration of skin or mucous membrane and cause diseases – some of the common contract diseases are – </p><p>- Schistosomiasis – It is chronic disease characterized by loss of energy and reduction in resistance. It is chiefly caused due to three species of trematoda namely – schist soma mansoni, Species Japonicum and species haematabium. </p><p>- Persons taking both in lakes may suffer from ‘ Surimmers’ itch” This dermatitis is also caused by schistosomes. </p><p>- Leptospirosis - It is a bacterial infection of wild and domestic animals. Leptospia excreted in water come in contact with human skin and mucous membrane causes leptospirosis in man.</p><p>Non Pathogenic diseases – </p><p>The increased amount of various inorganic and organic compounds in the aquatic systems leads to many disorders in human beings and living beings dependent on such water. Some of the common diseases are- </p><p>Mathemoglobinaemia or Blue body disease – It is caused by high concentration of nitrate in water .The diseases in prevalent in infants’. The reaction of nitrate with hemoglobin produces mat hemoglobin which strangles the oxygen carrying capacity of the tissue. </p><p>Flurosis- If the amount of fluoride is high in drinking water; it can cause cumulative which damages. Skeleton the initial symptoms of fluoride pollution are expressed as mottling of teeth and out word bending flegs from the knees called knock –knee syndrome. Prolonged intake of fluoride causes stiffness of bone joints particularly of vertebral calcium leading to development of human. </p><p>Similarly higher concentration of Arsenic lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Chromium and various radio active substances are causing diseases of human being. The important symptoms of these metallic compound mediated diseases are.</p><p>Metal Effect on human beings (Methyl Mercury) Minamata disease–numbness of limbs lips and tongue. Loss of muscle control causes deafness blurring vision, clumsiness apathy and mental deterioration. Affects control of central nervous systems.</p><p>Lead - Liver and kidney damage reduced hemoglobin formation mental retardation and pregnancy abnormalities. Children may suffer from macrocephaly or convulsions or both.</p><p>Arsenic - Mental disturbance, liver cirrhosis hyper Keratosis, kidney damage, causes black foot diseases.</p><p>Cadmium - Bone deformation kidney damage testicular atrophy, anaemia, damaging control nervous systems and liver. Hypertension causes Itai-Itai disease. </p><p>Zinc - Vomiting, renal damage, cramps. </p><p>Chromium - Nephritis, gastro intestinal ulceration, Cancer.</p><p>Radioactive isotopes are toxic to life forms .These accumulated in bones and teeth and cause serious disorders in human beings. Effect on aquatic Flora and Fauna. </p><p>The inorganic and organic pollutants in water effect aquatic vegetation adversely. These may favour growth and reproduction of some species while on the other hand these may prove lethal to many other species. Thus pollutants are responsible for reduction of species diversity in the system which in a negative signs for the ecosystem. In many causes toxic effects of chemicals were found to be responsible to vanish the flora and fauna of the aquatic system. </p><p>- Suspended solids such as silt and coal may injure the gills of the fish and cause asphyxiation. </p><p>- The oxygen depletion due to pollution load and eutrophication leads to death of aquatic animals. </p><p>- Water bodies receiving industrial and municipal effluent – indicate various physical changes too. e. g., color of water and offensive odour. This prevents growth of fresh water plants and animals. </p><p>- Polluted water having acidic or alkaline nature corrodes concrete and metal pipes. </p><p>Control of Water Pollution: - Pollution of water bodies can be controlled through practicing following measures – </p><p>I. The catchment and feeders of the rivers, lakes ponds and streams should be regularly monitored these should not carry pollutants.</p><p>II. Industrial plants should follow recycling operations. </p><p>III. Sewage and industrial effluents should be properly treated through physical, chemical and biological processes to minimize pollution load prior to release it in water body. IV. The impact due to suspended socials may be minimized by controlling discharge of wastes containing suspending socials. Such waste is treated for precipitation.</p><p>V. Wastes containing high total dissolve social (TDS) should be treated for separation of liquid and residue. Residues are used for controlled land fills. </p><p>VI. Cooling towers can be used to convent once-through systems in to closed systems. Treated waste water can be used as a cooling water make up. Cooling water can be processed or stored in artificial ponds until the difference in temperature between it and receiving water is nearly equal. </p><p>VII. Waste containing radioactive substances should be treated separately by means of dewatering procedure. Solids or brine should be disposed off with special care.</p><p>VIII. The most important and affective solution for environmental pollution control lies in social awareness and public participation. </p><p>There are many control measures for that. The most important thing in India is the awareness still the people are very less aware about the way we are depleting the water as well as we are affecting the quality of water available on this earth. So first and the foremost important aspect is that we have to create awareness that how to control this deterioration of quality of irrigation or you can say the water bodies. By following some very simply precautionary measure we can help in keeping water bodies’ neat and tidy e.g. Minimize the use of synthetic detergents Do not immerse idols, flowers & domestic wastes in water bodies. </p><p>One type of pollution peculiar to our country is caused by pollution due to emersion of idols. Idols which are made by non biodegradable products like plastic, cement and plaster of paris and painted with toxic dyes are immersed in water bodies, they contaminate the water bodies and this may harm the crops when it is used for irrigation. It may harm people when it is used or consumed for drinking purposes. Paints may contains heavy metals like the lead, mercury, cadmium and they are extremely toxic to humans and also it may harm the aquatic life in the water body that is in the river and affect the food chain that means it may go from the fish to the human body. - Avoid cremation of dead bodies on the river banks and submergence of ash. - Adopt organic forming minimize the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides & weedicides. - Agriculture is the biggest sector which is utilizing the water. It is accounting around the 70% of the world utilization of water and around 90% in the developing countries. Now recently as we seen that we are depleting the water resources and we are affecting the quality of irrigation water that it is very important to enhance the resource use efficiency or the water use efficiency or another term we can say the water productivity is very essential. We have to improve the water productivity of irrigation water in the country. There are a lot of measures for this enhancing the water productivity of irrigation water mainly by adopting micro irrigation systems like drip system or sprinkler system. By using fat system we are increasing the loses of water and therefore it gives very poor resource use efficiency of water that is why by adopting micro irrigation system like drip system and sprinkler system we can enhance the productivity of water like soil we have to enhance the productivity of water also. </p><p>It is the duty of every individual to maintain the cleanliness of surrounding. Hence personal and public attention is needed to save fresh water bodies of this country.</p>