Water Pollution + Solid Waste

Water Pollution
- Water pollution refers to degradation of water quality.
We generally look at the intended use of the water, how far
it departs from the norm, it effects on public health or
ecological view, a pollutant is any biological, physical or
chemical substance that in identifiable excess is known to
be harmful to other desirable living organisms.

Water in domestic uses must be free from constituents

harmful to health. It should taste and smell good. It
should not damage plumping or household appliances.
Water quality for industrial processes varies widely
depending on the process. Some requires distilled water
etc.

Some sources of water pollution

Point Source (Transportation accidents, industrial sites, oil wells, sewage
plants)

Non-point (Diffuse) Source (Farm fields, feedlots, golf courses, parking

lots, lawns) may be episodic.

Surface water
1. Industrial Effluent
2. Urban runoff
3. Agricultural runoff
4. Accidental spills of
chemicals
5. Sediments
6. Air fallouts
7. Salinity Intrusion

Groundwater
1. Leaks from waste disposal site
2. Saltwater intrusion into coastal
aquifers.
3. Seepage from mines and septic
systems.
4. Seepage from pesticides.
5. Seepage from accidental spills.
6. Seepage polluted stream

Major categories of Water Pollutants

Infectious Agents Disease causing agents or pathogens, including bacteria,
viruses, protozoa, parasites. These come from raw sewage and animal
waste and they may be responsible for 80% of the disease in developing
countries. Measured by the amount of colliform bacteria present.
Oxygen-demanding wastes can be decomposed by aerobic bacteria. Cause
a reduction in Dissolved Oxygen (DO), suffocating for oxygen-consuming
organisms (fish). Measured by biological oxygen demand (BOD). Sewage,
animal manure or biodegradable organic wastes.
Water soluble Inorganic chemicals Water-soluble inorganic chemicals,
including acids, salts, and metals. Make water unfit to consume and use
for irrigation. Also can harm organisms and cause material corrosion

Organic chemicals including oil, gasoline, plastics, pesticides, solvents,

detergents. Present health risks to humans and other organisms.
Plant nutrients Nitrates, phosphates, ammoniumfrom fertilizers mostly.
Cause excessive algal and plant growth that lower oxygen levels when
they decompose Algal bloomDO decreases. Eutrophication

Sediment Mud, silt, sand. Disrupt photosynthesis and transports large

amounts of other, adsorbed pollutants. Bad for Aquatic animals.
Radioactive materials radon, uranium, may come either from natural or
anthropogenic sources.
Heat from cooling water for power plants & other industrial plants. Lowers
solubility of oxygen in water. Also affect aquatic lives directly.

EUTROPHICATION

Wastewater Treatment
The water used for industrial and municipal purposes is
often degraded during use by the addition of suspended
solids, salts, nutrients, bacteria, and oxygen-demanding
material.

By law, these wastewaters must be treated before being

released back into the environment.
Conventional methods include disposal and treatment of
household wastewater by way of septic-tank disposal
systems in rural areas and centralized water treatment
plants that collect wastewater from sewer systems in
cities.

Wastewater Treatment plant: ETP

Wastewater treatment, or sewage treatment, occurs at
specially designed plants known as Effluent Treatment
Plant (ETP).
Wastewater treatment methods are usually divided
into three categories: primary treatment, secondary
treatment, and advanced waste treatment.
Primary treatment removes 30% to 40% of the
pollutants volume from wastewater.
Secondary removes about 90%
Advanced treatment plan is used when it is
particularly important to maintain good water quality.

Special Pollution Problems of Groundwater

pollution
Slow movement retards cleansing effect
Decomposing bacteria may not be present in
sufficient numbers
Cooler temperatures, lack of sunlight slow
chemical reactions that decompose wastes
Source of pollution may be more difficult to trace.
Aquifer characteristics may be poorly known.

The value (recommended limit) for

arsenic in drinking water as per
the guideline of the World Health
Organization (WHO) is 10 mg/L
while the national standard in
most
countries, including Bangladesh,
is 50 mg/L. With varying levels of
contamination from region to
region, groundwater in 61 out of
the 64 districts in Bangladesh is
contaminated
with
arsenic.
According to a study conducted by
the British Geological Survey and
DPHE,
Bangladesh,
arsenic
concentrations in the country
range from less than 0.25 mg/L to
more than 1600 mg/L.

Groundwater pollution: Bangladesh

We have long believed that groundwater is in
general pure and safe to drink.
In Bangladesh, groundwater of 59 districts
(126,134 km2) are effected by Arsenic
contamination. A total of 75 million people are at
risk.
Total number of tube wells in Bangladesh = 4 million
Total number of affected tube wells = 1.12 million
Number of people suffering from arsenicosis = 7,600

Coastal Pollution: Why Should We

Care???
Around half of our
population lives within
200 km of the coast
We eat at least 15 lbs.
of seafood per person
each year
Just about everything
bought & sold goes
thru ports in cargo
ships

A large variety species

in oceans & wetlands,
each one vital to
balance of nature
17% of our oil and 25%
of our natural gas come
from offshore
The oceans are fun to
be near or in...

Coastal and Oceanic pollution

Causes of petroleum pollution offshore drilling accidents,
transport accidents and regular leakage (pipelines, ships),
natural sea-bottom leakage (Gulf of Mexico)
Other types solids plastics (bottles), beverage yokes,
packaging materials, nylon ropes, cast-off nets, etc. Mostly
from tourist places.
Ocean Pollution Of concern because 90% of ocean
species live on the continental shelfclose to land.

Also of concern because of commercially important

seafood may be contaminated.

Saline water
gradually intruding
landward because of
low flow availability
along the Ganges

Solid Waste Management

Types: Organic, Inorganic, Construction materials,
Toxic and Hazardous waste (Hospital/Radioactive)
Reduce, Reuse , Recycle : Reduce consumption,
reuse material again and againa glass bottle
carrying cold drinks can be used to keep oil in
kitchen, once the bottle is broken grind it and make
another bottle or glass product, i.e recycle.
At least 50% reduction by weight of urban waste is
possible by:
Better design of packaging to reduce waste, an element of
source reduction (10% reduction)
Establishment of recycling programs (30% reduction) ; and
Large-scale composting programs (10% reduction).

Waste management
3R : Reduce, Reuse or Recycle

A fundamental concept for resource conservation

and Waste management

Reduce

Reuse

Recycle

Waste left
If u r putting higher importance subsequently on reduce, reuse and recycle
.less waste left for treatment. Right diagram is the best practice while the left
as the worst practice.

 Open dumping: In many places of our country, solid

waster is accumulated in open dumps where the
refuse was piled up without being covered or
otherwise protected.

Open dump creates nuisance by being unsightly,

providing breeding grounds for pests, creating health
hazard, polluting air, and sometimes polluting
groundwater and surface water.

 Sanitary landfill: A sanitary landfill is designed to

concentrate and contain refuse without creating a
nuisance or hazard to public health or safety.

If waste buried in a landfill the liquid content of it might

seep into the ground as Leachate noxious,
mineralized liquid capable of polluting groundwater.

Methods
Composting: is a biochemical process in which
organic materials such as lawn clippings and
kitchen scraps decompose to a rich, soil-like
material.
Incineration: combustible waste is burned at
temperatures high enough (900-10000C) or
(1650-18300F) to consume all combustible
material, leaving only ash and noncombustibles to dispose of in a landfill.

Ocean Dumping
International treaty signed by many countries
bans ocean dumping of radiological, chemical ,
biological warfare agents and high-level
radioactive waste.
Types of waste dumped in ocean

Dredge soil
Industrial waste
Sewage sludge
Construction and demolition debris
Solid waste