ENVIRONMENTAL

CHEMISTRY

Water Pollution

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 'Water' is one of the natures precious gifts to mankind. All
living things consist mostly of water .
Water is the most essential component of life and is vital
for sustenance. The importance of water in our diet is apparent
as it helps the body to perform specific metabolic tasks and
regulates our body temperature, moreover water is unique as
it's density is similar to that of cell protoplasm. There is no
doubt that water is everywhere and it is very important to our
Earth and the life inhabiting it. Water contains no calories and
is a significant factor in losing weight. It is the key component
in determining the quality of our lives and is a universal
solvent. Page 2
 Distribution of Water on Earth

71% of water on the earth surface.

– 97% salt water (sea)
– 3% fresh water
•87% ice and glaciers, underground, air.
•13% surface water (0.4% total water).

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 What is water pollution?
Water pollution is the contamination
of water bodies(e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers
and groundwater). 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 affects the entire biosphere – plants
and organisms living in these bodies of water. In
almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to
individual species and population, but also to the
natural biological communities.

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 Pollution in
the Lachine
Canal, Canada

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Point source
pollution –
Shipyard –
Rio de Janeiro.

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Major Causes of Water Pollution
• Pathogens
• Organic Wastes

• Chemical Pollutants

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 Pathogens
Pathogens include bacteria and other organisms
that enter water from domestic sewage and animal
excreta. Human excreta contain bacteria such as
Escherichia coli and Streptococcus faecalis.

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 Organic Wastes
Organic wastes include leaves, grass, trash, etc. These wastes are
biodegradable. The large population of bacteria decomposes organic
matter present in water. They consume oxygen dissolved in water.
Even a moderate amount of organic matter when decomposed in
water can deplete the water of its dissolved oxygen. The amount of
oxygen required by bacteria to break down the organic matter present
in a certain volume of a sample of water, is called Biochemical
Oxygen Demand (BOD).

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 Chemical Pollutants
Water soluble inorganic chemicals that include heavy metals
such as cadmium, mercury, nickel etc constitute an important class
of pollutants. Petroleum products pollute many sources of water
e.g., major oil spills in oceans. Other organic substances with
serious impacts are the pesticides that drift down from sprays or
runoff from lands. Various industrial chemicals like
polychlorinated biphenyls, (PCBs) which are used as cleansing
solvent, detergents and fertilizers add to the list of water
pollutants.

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 Process in which nutrient enriched water
bodies support a dense plant population, which
kills animal life by depriving it of oxygen and
results in subsequent loss of biodiversity is
known as Eutrophication.

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 International Standards For Drinking
Water
Fluoride: For drinking purposes, water
should be tested for fluoride ion
concentration. Its deficiency in drinking
water is harmful to man and causes diseases
such as tooth decay etc. The F– ions make the
enamel on teeth much harder by converting
hydroxyapatite, [3(Ca3(PO4)2.Ca(OH)2], the
enamel on the surface of the teeth, into much
harder fluorapatite, [3(Ca3(PO4)2.CaF2].

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Lead: Drinking water gets contaminated
with lead when lead pipes are used for
transportation of water. The prescribed
upper limit concentration of lead in drinking
water is about 50 ppb. Lead can damage
kidney, liver, reproductive system etc.

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Sulphate: Excessive sulphate (>500 ppm) in
drinking water causes laxative effect,
otherwise at moderate levels it is harmless.

Nitrate: The maximum limit of nitrate in

drinking water is 50 ppm. Excess nitrate in
drinking water can cause disease such as
methemoglobinemia (‘blue baby’ syndrome).

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 Major Water Pollutants
Pollutant Source
Micro-organisms Domestic sewage
Organic Wastes Domestic sewage, animal excreta and waste, decaying animals
and plants, discharge from food processing factories.
Plant Nutrients Chemical fertilizers
Toxic Heavy Metals Industries and chemical factories
Sediments Erosion of soil by agriculture and strip mining
Pesticides Chemicals used for killing insects, fungi and weeds
Radioactive Substances Mining of uranium containing minerals
Heat Water used for cooling in industries
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