Water

Kerala is one among the most thickly populated region

in the world and the population is increasing at a rate
of 14% per decade.As a result of the measures to
satisfy the needs of the huge popualtion,the rivers of
Kerala have been increasingly polluted from the industrial and domestic waste and from
the pesticides and fertilizer in agriculture.ndustries discharge hazardous pollutants like
phosphates, sulphides, ammonia, fluorides, heavy metals and insecticids into the
downstream reaches of the river.!he river periyar and chaliyar are very good e"amples
for the pollution due to industrial effluents. it is estimated that nearly #$% million litres of
trade effluents reach the &eriyar estuary daily from the Kochi industrial belt.
!he ma'or water (uality problem associated with rivers of Kerala is
bacteriological pollution.!he assessment of river such as )halakudy, &eriyar,
*uvattupuzha, *eenachil, &amba and Achenkovil indicates that the ma'or (uality
problem is due to bacteriological pollution and falls under + or ) category of )&)+
classification.!here are local level (uality problems faced by all rivers especially due to
dumping of solid waste, bathing and discharge of effluents.,ith regard to groundwater,
water (uality charecteristics of wells in Kerala are found to be affected by chemical and
biological contaminants.!he ground water (uality problemas in the coastal araes are
mainly because of the presence of e"cess chloride.!he chloride concentration -#.%mb/l
was detected in the well water samples of Azhicode, Kakkathuruthy, 0dathin'il,
Kadalundi, )hellanum, nallalam, *ankombu and 1aripad. in Alappuzha district, flouride
concentration in the pumbing wells was observed to be high.n midland region, with
regard to ionic concentraion, the concentration of flouride iron and chlorid were found to
be on the higher side.!he flouride content was observed to be beyond the permissible
limit of 1 mg/1.2eep wells in )hittur taluk and Kna'ikod areas of &alakkad district are
found to contain flouride concentration greater than 1mg/l.
3pen well of Kerala are under threat of bacetriological comtamination.n Kerala
about $%% of the population relies on ground water for drinking.At the same time studies
have shown that faecal contamination is present in 4%% of drinking water wells.!he open
character of the wells, and conventional maintanance habits, and use of buckets and rope
to draw water, kitchen wastes and pit latrines with average family load factor 5.
members6 at a distance of less than . meters from wells are some of the factors, which are
contributing to the bacteriological contamuination.7round water contamination due to
industrial pollution has been reported from places of Kochi 5eastern part of Aluva6,
&alakkad and some parts of Kollam, Kozhikode and Kannur.

Guidelines for Water Quality Management

(i) CCME Water Quality Index: ,ater 8uality nde" 5))*0 ,86 based on )anadian
)ouncil of *inisters of the 0nvironment provides a convenient means of summarizing
comple" water (uality data that can be easily understood by the public, water distributors,
planners, managers and policy makers. !he ))*0 ,8 incorporates three elements9

(a) Scope: !he number of water (uality parameters 5variables6 not meeting water (uality
ob'ectives 5:16
(b) re!uency: !he number of times of the ob'ectives are not met 5:#6
(c) "mplitude: !he e"tent to which the ob'ectives are not met 5:;6.!he inde" produces
number between % 5worst6 to 1%% 5best6 to reflect the water (uality.
A zero value signifies very poor water (uality whereas a value close 1%% signifies
e"cellent water (uality. !he assignment of ))*0 ,8 values to different categories is a
somewhat sub'ective process and also demands e"pert 'udgement and public<s
e"pectations of water (uality. !he water (uality is ranked in the following . categories9
1. Excellent: ))*0 ,8 values 4.=1%%
#. Good: ))*0 ,8 values >%=44
;. air: ))*0 ,8 values $%=?4
4. Marginal: ))*0 ,8 values 4.=.4
.. #oor: ))*0 ,8 values %=44
(ii) C#C$ Classification:)entral &ollution )ontrol +oard classified the inland surface
water into five i.e.@ from A to 0 on the basis of their designated best use and desired class.
!he classification has been made in such a manner that with the degradation in (uality,
the water (uality re(uirement becomes progressively lower from A to 0.
#rimary Water Quality Criteria for %arious &ses (C#C$)
Sl'
(o
C)aracteristics " $ C * E
1 2issolved 3"ygen5236,mg/l, *in $ . 4 4 A
# +iochemical 3"ygen 2emand
5+326 ,mg/l, *a"
# ; ; A A
; !otal )oli forms *&B/1%%ml, *a" .% .%% .%%% A A
4 p1 Calue $..=>.. $..=>.. $..=>.. $..=>.. $..=>..
. )onductivity ,micromhos, *a" A A A 1 #.#.
$ !otal dissolved solids .%% A 1.%% A #.%%
? Bitrates as B3;, mg/l #% A .% A A

Water Quality #arameters and Indicators
,ater (uality determines the Dgoodness< of water for particular purposes. ,ater
(uality tests will give information about the health of the waterway. +y testing water over
a period of time, the changes in the (uality of the water can be seen. !he water (uality
parameters are discussed below.
+emperature: !emperature can e"ert great control over a(uatic communities. f
the overall water body temperature of a system is altered, an a(uatic community
shift can be e"pected. n water above ;%
%
), a suppression of all benthic organisms
can be e"pected.Also, different plankton groups will flourish under different
temperatures. :or e"ample, diatoms dominate at #%=#.
%
), green algae dominate at
;%=;.
%
), and cyano=bacteria dominate above ;.
%
).
p, -alue: p1 is an indicator of the e"istence of biological life as most of them
thrive in a (uite narrow and critical p1 range.
*issol-ed .xygen (*.): 23 is essential for a(uatic life. A low 23 5less than
#mg/l6 would indicate poor water (uality and thus would have difficulty in
sustaining many sensitive a(uatic life.
Colour (,a/en): )olour is vital as most water users, be it domestic or industrial,
usually prefer colourless water. 2etermination of colour can help in estimated
costs related to discolouration of the water.
Conducti-ity: )onductivity indicates the presence of ions within the water,
usually due to in ma'ority, saline water and in part, leaching. t can also indicate
industrial discharges. !he removal of vegetation and conversion into monoculture
may cause run=off to flow out immediate thus decrease recharge during drier
period. 1ence, saline intrusion may go upstream and this can be indicated by
higher conductivity.
+urbidity ((+&): !urbidity may be due to organic and/or inorganic constituents.
3rganic particulates may harbour microorganisms. !hus, turbid conditions may
increase the possibility for waterborne disease. Bonetheless, inorganic
constituents have no notable health effects. !he series of turbidity=induced
changes that can occur in a water body may change the composition of an a(uatic
community. :irst, turbidity due to a large volume of suspended sediment will
reduce light penetration, thereby suppressing photosynthetic activity of
phytoplankton, algae, and macrophytes, especially those farther from the surface.
f turbidity is largely due to algae, light will not penetrate very far into the water,
and primary production will be limited to the uppermost layers of water.
)yanobacteria 5blue=green algae6 are favoured in this situation because they
possess flotation mechanisms. 3verall, e"cess turbidity leads to fewer
photosynthetic organisms available to serve as food sources for many
invertebrates. As a result, overall invertebrate numbers may also decline, which
may then lead to a fish population decline. f turbidity is largely due to organic
particles, dissolved o"ygen depletion may occur in the water body. !he e"cess
nutrients available will encourage microbial breakdown, a process that re(uires
dissolved o"ygen. n addition, e"cess nutrients may result in algal growth.
Although photosynthetic by day, algae respire at night, using valuable dissolved
o"ygen. :ish kills often result from e"tensive o"ygen depletion.
Salinity: 1igh salinity may interfere with the growth of a(uatic vegetation. Ealt
may decrease the osmotic pressure, causing water to flow out of the plant to
achieve e(uilibrium. Fess water can be absorbed by the plant, causing stunted
growth and reduced yields. 1igh salt concentrations may cause leaf tip and
marginal leaf burn, bleaching, or defoliation. As per conductivity, salinity 5Ba)l
content, g/kg6 can be used to check for possible saline intrusion in future.
+otal Suspended Solids (+SS): !otal Euspended Eolids is an indication of the
amount of erosion that took place nearby or upstream. !his parameter would be
the most significant measurement as it would depict the effective and compliance
of control measures e.g. riparian reserve along the waterways. !he series of
sediment=induced changes that can occur in a water body may change the
composition of an a(uatic community. !o measure total suspended and dissolved
solids, a sample of water is placed in a drying oven to evaporate the water, leaving
the solids. !o measure dissolved solids, the sample is filtered before it is dried and
weighed. !o calculate the suspended solids, the weight of the dissolved solids is
subtracted from the total solids.
+otal *issol-ed Solids(+*S): !he total dissolved solids 5!2E6 in water consist
of inorganic salts and dissolved materials. n natural waters, salts are chemical
compounds comprised of anions such as carbonates, chlorides, sulphates, and
nitrates 5primarily in ground water6, and cations such as potassium 5K6,
magnesium 5*g6, calcium 5)a6, and sodium 5Ba6. n ambient conditions, these
compounds are present in proportions that create a balanced solution. f there are
additional inputs of dissolved solids to the system, the balance is altered and
detrimental effects may be seen. nputs include bothnatural and anthropogenic
source.
$ioc)emical .xygen *emand ($.*): +32 is a measure of organic pollution
to both waste and surface water. 1igh +32 is an indication of poor water (uality.
C)emical .xygen *emand (C.*): )32 is an indicator of organics in the
water, usually used in con'unction with +32. 1igh organic inputs trigger
deo"ygenation. f e"cess organics are introduced to the system, there is potential
for complete depletion of dissolved o"ygen. ,ithout o"ygen, the entire a(uatic
community is threatened. !he only organisms present will be air= breathing
insects and anaerobic bacteria. f all o"ygen is depleted, aerobic decomposition
ceases and further organic breakdown is accomplished anaerobically. Anaerobic
microbes obtain energy from o"ygen bound to other molecules such as sulphate
compounds. !hus, ano"ic conditions result in the mobilization of many insoluble
compounds. n areas of high organics there is fre(uently evidence of rapid sewage
fungus colonization. !he various effects of the sewage fungus masses include silt
and detritus entrapment, the smothering of a(uatic macrophytes, and a decrease
in water flow velocities. An accumulation of sediment allows a shift in the
a(uatic system structure as colonization by silt=loving organisms occur.
"mmoniacal (itrogen: Ammonia levels in e"cess of the recommended limits
may harm a(uatic life. Although the ammonia molecule is a nutrient re(uired
for life, e"cess ammonia may accumulate in the organism and cause alteration of
metabolism or increases in body p1. t is an indicator of pollution from the
e"cessive usage of ammonia rich fertilisers.
#otassium: &otassium is macro nutrient element for plant growth. t can occur
naturally in minerals and from soils. 1igh levels in surface water, especially in
areas where there are agricultural activities as indicative of introduction of K due
to application of fertilisers.
(itrate (itrogen: !he growth of macrophytes and phytoplankton is stimulated
principally by nutrients such as nitrates. *any bodies of freshwater are
currently e"periencing influ"es of nitrogen and phosphorus from outside
sources. !he increasing concentration of available phosphorus allows plants to
assimilate more nitrogen before the phosphorus is depleted. !hus, if sufficient
phosphorus is available, high concentrations of nitrates will lead to phytoplankton
5algae6 and microphyte 5a(uatic plant6 production. !his is mostly due to the usage
of fertilisers.
+otal Coliform Count and aecal Coliform Count: *icrobiological test is to
detect the level of pollutions caused by living thing especially human who live
or work in the area especially upstream of the site. !hese tests are based on
coliform bacteria as the indicator organism. !he presence of these indicative
organisms is evidence that the water has been polluted with faeces of humans or
other warm=blooded animals.
#esticides (C)lorinated0 Glyp)osp)ate0 #ara!uat0 Met)amidap)os): !hese
parameters are common tests for the level of agrochemical pollution. Eince a
specific type of agrochemical to use is unknown at this stage, it is unknown at this
stage the type of agrochemical that would be used in the proposed development, a
range of test is recommended for analysing to gauge the e"isting condition that
could be used as baseline information or reference.
"l1alinity: !he Alkalinity or the buffering capacity of a stream refers to how well
it can neutralize acidic pollution and resist changes in p1. Alkalinity measures the
amount of alkaline compounds in the water, such as carbonates, bicarbonates and
hydro"ides.!hese compounds are natural buffers that can remove e"cess
hydrogen 51G6 ions.
,ardness: 1ardness is fre(uently used as an assessment of the (uality of water
supplies. !he hardness of a water is governed by the content of calcium and
magnesium salts 5temporary hardness6, largely combined with bicarbonate and
carbonate and with sulfates, chlorides, and other anions of mineral acids
5permanent hardness6.
Metals: !he effects of metals in water and wastewater range from beneficial
through troublesome to dangerously to"ic. Eome metals are essential@ others may
adversely affect water consumers, wastewater treatment systems, and receiving
waters. Eome metals may be either beneficial or to"ic, depending on
concentration. !he primary mechanism for to"icity to organisms that live in the
water column is by absorption to or uptake across the gills9 this physiological
process re(uires metal to be in a dissolved form. !his is not to say that particulate
metal is nonto"ic, only that particulate metal appears to e"hibit substantially less
to"icity than does dissolved metal. Bot all metals are acutely to"ic in small
concentrations. !he Hheavy metalsH include )opper 5)u6,iron 5:e6, )admium
5)d6, Iinc 5In6, *ercury 51g6, and Fead 5&b6 and are the most to"ic to a(uatic
organisms. Eome water (uality characteristics which affect metal to"icity include
temperature, p1, hardness, alkalinity, suspended solids, redo" potential and
dissolved organic carbon. *etals can bind to many organic and inorganic
compounds which reduces the to"icity of the metal.
#)osp)orus: &hosphorus is often the limiting nutrient for plant growth, meaning
it is in short supply relative to nitrogen. &hosphorus usually occurs in nature as
phosphate, which is a phosphorous atom combined with four o"ygen atoms.
&hosphate that is bound to plant or animal tissue is known as organic phosphate.
&hosphate that is not associated with organic material is known as inorganic
phosphate. +oth forms are present in a(uatic systems and may be either dissolved
in water or suspended 5attached to particles in the water column6. norganic
phosphate is often referred to as orthophosphate or reactive phosphorous. t is the
form most readily available to plants and thus may be the most useful indicator of
immediate potential problems with e"cessive plant and algal growth.
(oise

Eound is a form of energy which travels in the form of waves. !he waves are
created when molecules in air undergo compression and rarefaction alternately. Eound
waves move outward from the vibrating source. !he unwanted sound is known as noise.
!he word noise comes from the Fatin word nauseas meaning seasickness. A decibel 5d+6
is the standard for the measurement of noise. Boise can originate from a variety of
sources. !hese sources can be natural or man made. !he natural sources could be thunder,
sea=shores etc. but e"posure to them is not very regular and the number of people
e"posed to it form only a small percentage of the total population. Boise pollution caused
by man made sources is the ma'or contributor and needs urgent attention. !hese sources
include industries, domestic sources, transport and traffic, construction activities, festivals
and religious activitis etc.,13 suggests that noise can affect human health in a number
of ways. !hese include

#)ysical effects9 !hese are high blood pressure, other cardiovascular changes,
problems in digestive system and general fatigue. &rolonged e"posure to noise
levels >%decibels 5d+6 and above can cause deafness.
#)ysiological effects9!hese arise due to interference in the biological functioning
of the body due to noise pollution. !hey include an"iety, insomnia, hypertension,
nausea and giddiness. Boise levels in the range 1#%=1.% d+ can affect respiratory
system and cause dizziness, loss of physical control etc. A loud noise can also
cause increased secretion of hormones of the pituitary gland viz.
Adrenocorticotropic hormone 5A)!16, which stimulates adrenal gland for further
secretion of several other hormones. !his chain of secretions enhances sensitivity
of the body to adrenalin, increase in level of blood sugar, suppression of immune
system and a decrease in the ability of liver to deto"ify blood. )hronic noise may
also lead to abortions and congenital defects. :re(uent e"posure to noise levels >.
d+ or above can lead to increased pulse rate, higher cholesterol levels and violent
behavior. !he noise levels of ?%d+ can cause constriction of blood vessels in skin.
.
#syc)ological effects9!hese include loss of working efficiency resulting in
reduced output, absentism and higher rates of accidents and in'uries. Boise can
also interfere with sleep which in turn affects overall mental and physical health
of a person. Boise levels of 4.=.% d+ can cause changes in sleep patterns and
affect deep sleep. Boise levels of .%=$% d+ can also interfere with
communication. At times, it may not be possible to hear warning signals. n
addition to humans, noise can be e(ually adverse to wildlife also. Animals in the
zoo are (uite sensitive to the noise in their surroundings and their behavior can be
affected by noise.
Control of (oise #ollution: Boise is a controllable pollutant. Boise pollution can be
controlled by changing the vehicle design, changes in tyres or road surfaces and
eliminating old and noisier vehicles can reduce noise due to surface transport. Eimilar
changes in design of machinery and e(uipment used in industries and construction work
can help in checking noise pollution. f possible the residential areas should be distant
from railroads, highways, airports, industries and factories. Jse of sound absorbing
materials such as glass wool, felts, porous blocks, perforated files and blocks, carpets etc
can also minimize noise. Boise barriers, mufflers,silencers etc. reduce the transmission of
sound. n addition, earplugs, earmuffs and helmets can be used for personal protection
from noise.
A buffer zone of vegetation is also helpful to curtail noise to some e"tent. n
addition to this, it is also necessary to educate people about noise and its harmful effects.
Euch an awareness would encourage them to e"ercise self control and reduce noise
pollution. n ndia, various legal provisions are also initiated to control noise pollution.
!he )entral &ollution )ontrol +oard 5)&)+6constituted a )ommittee on Boise &ollution
control. !his committee recommended noise standards for ambient air, automobiles,
domestic appliances and construction e(uipment. !hese standards as notified in
0nvironment &rotection Kules 514>$6 are given below.
Code *ay +ime2d$ (ig)t +ime2d$
A. ndustrial Area ?. ?%
+. )ommercial Area $. ..
). Kesidential Area .. 4.
2. Eilence Ione .% 4%
(The day time is between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. whereas night time is 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.)