Water Pollution

Water Pollution

Definition:

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and ground water). This form of environmental degradation occurs when pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds.

Water Pollution

Causes of water pollution:

• Industrial waste: Industries produce huge amount of waste such as lead, mercury, nitrates etc. The toxic chemical has the capacity to change the color, increase the minerals also change the temperature and pose serious hazard to water organism.

Pollution

• Sewage and waste water: The sewage and waste water that is produced by each household is chemically treated and released into sea with fresh water. It carries harmful bacteria and chemical that can causes serious health problems.
  
  

  

  Sewage

• Mining activities: Mining is the process of crushing the rock and extracting coal and other minerals from ground. These elements when extracted can increase the amount of toxic elements when mixed up with water which may result in health problems.
  
  

  

  Mining

• Accidental oil leakage: Oil spill pose a huge concern as large amount of oil enters into the sea and does not dissolve with water there by opens problems for local marine wild life such as fish, birds and sea.
  
  

  

  Oil

Impurities in water:

• Ionic and dissolved: Ca^2+, Mg^2+, Na^+, K^+, NH4^+, Fe^2+Mn^2+
• Non-ionic and dissolved: Turbidity, silt, mud, dirt and other suspended matter, color, organic matter, colloidal silica, Micro-organism, oil, greas.
• Gaseous: CO2, H2S, NH3, O2, Cl2