Environmental Pollution & Control (CHEN 504)

Water Pollution (Module 1a)

By

Dr. Bilal Sabiu

Deparment of Chemical Engineering

Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

July, 2024
Water
 71% from earth surface.
 97% salt water (sea)
 3% fresh water
◼ 87% ice and glaciers, underground, air.
◼ 13% surface water (0.4% total water).
 Uses
 Domestic.
 Industry.
 Agriculture.
 Recreation.
 Safety and security.
Water Usage
90%
80%
Water Usage

70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
Domestic
20%
Industry
10%
Agriculture
0%
World North Europe Africa Asia South
America America
What is water pollution?
 Any chemical, biological, or physical change in
water quality that has a harmful effect on
living organisms or makes water unsuitable for
desired usage.
Images of Polluted Water
Water Pollution Cont’d…

According to the World Health Organization

(WHO):

 3.4 million premature deaths each year from

waterborne diseases
 1.9 million from diarrhea
 Each year there are 1.3 to 4.0 million cases of
cholera, and 21 000 to 143 000 deaths
worldwide due to cholera1
Water quality parameter

◼ Physical.
◼ Suspended solid (SS), color, taste, smell, temp.

◼ Chemical.
◼ Dissolved substances, alkalinity, hardness, fluoride,

heavy metal, organic compound, nutrient (nitrogen &

phosphorus), pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD),
chemical oxygen demand (COD).
◼ Biology.
◼ Bacteria, virus, protozoa, helminthes.
Types and Sources of Water Pollution

➢Point sources
➢Nonpoint sources
Water Do (ppm) at 20˚C
➢Biological oxygen Quality

Good
demand Slightly
8-9

polluted 6.7-8

➢Water quality Moderately

polluted 4.5-6.7
Heavily
polluted Below 4.5
Gravely
polluted Below 4
Pg. 535
Point Source Pollution vs. Nonpoint Source Pollution

 Point sources
 Located at specific places
 Easy to identify, monitor, and regulate
 Examples: factories, industry, municipal treatment
plants
 can be monitored and controlled by a permit system

 Nonpoint sources
 is pollution associated with storm water or runoff
 Broad, diffuse areas

 Difficult to identify and control

 Expensive to clean up
Examples of NPS
 oil & grease from  sewage & cleaners
cars from boats
 fertilizers  household cleaning
 animal waste products
 grass clippings  litter
 septic systems
Point and Nonpoint Sources
NONPOINT SOURCES

Rural homes

Urban streets Cropland

Animal feedlot

Suburban POINT
development SOURCES
Factory

Wastewater
treatment
plant
 Point & Non Point Sources

Point Source of Polluted Water in Nonpoint Sediment from Unprotected

Gargas, France Farmland Flows into Streams
Sources of Water pollution (1)
 Infectious Agents: bacteria and viruses
often from animal wastes
 Oxygen Demanding Wastes: organic waste
that needs oxygen often from animal waste,
paper mills and food processing.
 Inorganic Chemicals: Acids and toxic
chemicals often from runoff, industries and
household cleaners
 Sources of Water pollution (2)
 Organic Chemicals: oil, gasoline, plastics,
detergents often from surface runoff,
industries and cleaners
 Plant Nutrients: water soluble nitrates,
ammonia and phosphates often from sewage,
agriculture and urban fertilizers
 Sediment: soils and silts from land erosion
can disrupt photosynthesis, destroy spawning
grounds, clog rivers and streams
 Heat Pollution and Radioactivity: mostly
from powerplants
Pollutant Transport Mechanisms

• NPS pollutants build up on land surfaces during dry

weather
➢ Atmospheric deposition
➢ Fertilizer applications
➢ Animal waste
➢ Automotive exhaust/fluid leaks

• Pollutants are washed off land surfaces during

precipitation events (stormwater runoff)
• Stormwater runoff will flow to lakes and streams
Impact of Nonpoint Source Pollution

 fish and wildlife

 recreational water activities
 commercial fishing
 tourism
 drinking water quality
 Pollutants Found in Runoff
Sediment Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
Soil particles ● Oxygen depleting material
transported from ➢Leaves
their source ➢Organic material

Toxics Nutrients
● Pesticides ● Various types of materials that
➢ Herbicides become dissolved and suspended in
➢ Fungicides water (commonly found in fertilizer
➢ Insecticides and plant material):
● Metals (naturally occurring in ➢ Nitrogen (N)
soil, automotive emissions/ ➢ Phosphorus (P)
tires)
➢ Lead
➢ Zinc Bacteria/ Pathogens Thermal Stress
➢ Mercury Originating from: Heated runoff,
● Petroleum Hydrocarbons ● Pets removal of
(automotive exhaust and ● Waterfowl streamside
fuel/oil) ● Failing septic systems vegetation
Debris
Litter and illegal dumping
Potential Sources of Pollutants
Found in Residential Areas

 Nutrients: Fertilizers and

septic systems
 Pathogens: Pet waste and
septic systems
 Sediment: Construction,
road sand, soil erosion
 Toxic: Pesticides, household
products
 Debris: Litter and illegal
dumping
 Thermal: heated runoff,
removal of streamside
vegetation
 Pollution of Streams
➢ Oxygen sag curve

Fig. 20-5
Eutrophication of Lakes
 Eutrophication:
nutrient enrichment of
lakes mostly from runoff
of plant nutrients
(nitrates and
phosphates)
 During hot dry weather
can lead to algae blooms
 Decrease of
photosynthesis
 Dying algae then drops
DO levels
 Fish kills, bad odor
 Pollution of Lakes
Discharge of untreated

➢ Eutrophication municipal sewage Nitrogen compounds

(nitrates and phosphates) produced by cars
and factories

Natural runoff
Discharge of (nitrates and
detergents phosphates
( phosphates)
Manure runoff
From feedlots
(nitrates and
Discharge of treated Phosphates,
municipal sewage ammonia)
(primary and secondary
treatment:
nitrates and phosphates) Runoff from streets,
lawns, and construction
Lake ecosystem lots (nitrates and
nutrient overload phosphates)
and breakdown of
chemical cycling
Runoff and erosion
Dissolving of
(from from cultivation,
nitrogen oxides
mining, construction,
(from internal combustion
and poor land use)
engines and furnaces)

Fig .22.7, p. 499

Ground Water Pollution
 Groundwater can become contaminated
 No way to cleanse itself
 Little dilution and dispersion
 Out of sight pollution
 Prime source for irrigation and drinking
 REMOVAL of pollutant difficult
Leaking
tank

Water
table

Groundwater
flow Free gasoline
Gasoline dissolves in
leakage plume groundwater
(liquid phase) (dissolved Migrating
phase) vapor phase
Contaminant plume moves Water well
with the groundwater
Fig. 20-12
 Groundwater Pollution: Causes

Hazardous waste injection well

Pesticides
Coal strip
De-icing Buried gasoline
mine runoff
road salt and solvent tank
Pumping Cesspool
well Gasoline septic tank
station
Waste lagoon Water pumping Sewer
well Landfill

Accidental Leakage from faulty

spills casing

Discharge

Confined aquifer

Groundwater
flow
Fig. 20-11
 Groundwater Pollution Prevention

➢Monitoring aquifers

➢Strictly regulating hazardous waste

disposal
➢Storing hazardous materials above
ground
Ocean Pollution
 Large amounts of untreated
raw sewage (viruses)
 Leaking septic tanks
 Runoff
 Algae blooms from nutrients
 Dead zones No D.O.
 Airborne toxins
 Oil spills
Industry Cities Urban sprawl
Nitrogen oxides Toxic metals Bacteria and viruses Construction sites
from autos and and oil from from Sediments are washed into
smokestacks, streets and sewers and septic waterways, choking fish and plants,
toxic chemicals, parking lots tanks contaminate clouding waters, and blocking
and heavy metals in pollute waters; shellfish beds sunlight.
effluents flow into
bays and estuaries.
Farms
Runoff of pesticides, manure, and
fertilizers adds toxins and excess
nitrogen and phosphorus.
Red tides
Closed Excess nitrogen causes
shellfish beds explosive growth of
toxicmicroscopic algae,
Closed poisoning fish and
beach marine mammals.
Oxygen-depleted
zone

Toxic sediments
Chemicals and toxic
metals contaminate
shellfish beds, kill
spawning fish, and
accumulate in the tissues
of bottom feeders.
Oxygen-depleted zone Healthy zone
Sedimentation and algae Clear, oxygen-rich
overgrowth reduce sunlight, waters promote growth
kill beneficial sea grasses, use of plankton and sea grasses,
Fig. 20-15 up oxygen, and degrade habitat. and support fish.
Fig. 21-10, p. 505
Oil Spills
 Sources: offshore wells, tankers, pipelines
and storage tanks
 Effects: death of organisms, loss of animal
insulation and buoyancy, smothering
 Significant economic impacts
 Mechanical cleanup methods: skimmers
and blotters
 Chemical cleanup methods: coagulants
and dispersing agents
Bad News
 45% of Lakes, 40%
streams still not
fishable and
swimmable
 Nonpoint sources
still huge problem
 Livestock and Ag.
Runoff
 Fish with toxins
Global Outlook: Stream Pollution in
Developing Countries

 Water in many of
central China's rivers
are greenish black from
uncontrolled pollution
by thousands of
factories.

Figure 20-7
Case Study: India’s Ganges River: Religion,
Poverty, and Health

 Religious beliefs, cultural traditions, poverty, and

a large population interact to cause severe
pollution of the Ganges River in India.
 Very little of the sewage is treated.
 Hindu believe in cremating the dead to free the soul
and throwing the ashes in the holy Ganges.
◼ Some are too poor to afford the wood to fully cremate.
◼ Decomposing bodies promote disease and depletes DO.
Case Study: India’s Ganges River: Religion,
Poverty, and Health

 Daily, more than 1

million Hindus in India
bathe, drink from, or
carry out religious
ceremonies in the
highly polluted Ganges
River.
India’s Ganges River
Major Water Pollutants Have
Harmful Effects (1)
▪ Infectious disease organisms: contaminated
drinking water

WHO:
 3.4 million premature deaths each year from

waterborne diseases
 1.9 million from diarrhea

 U.S. 1.5 million illnesses

Major Water Pollutants Have
Harmful Effects (2)
1. Heavy metals: Metals, such as Cd, Pb and Hg
❑ These metals can prove poisonous to
humans – Cadmium and mercury can cause
kidney damage,
– lead poisoning can cause damage to the
kidneys, liver, brain and central nervous
system.
All of these metals are cumulative poisons
Major Water Pollutants Have
Harmful Effects (3)
2. Detergents and fertilizers: These may contain
phosphates as additives

❑ Eutrophication and threatens the development of

higher life forms, such as fish.
(Reduction of the dissolved oxygen concentration of
the water).

3. Acid-polluted water (pH<3): Acid mine water

principally contains sulfuric acid produced by the
oxidation of iron pyrites (FeS2)
Major Water Pollutants Have
Harmful Effects (4)
4. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls): The
organic compound are used as fluids in
transformers and capacitors. Although their
manufacture has been stopped.
❑PCBs are resistant to oxidation when released
into the environment and so persist for a long
time
– can cause skin disorders in humans.
– They may be carcinogenic to humans.
Major Water Pollutants Have
Harmful Effects (5)
5. Raw sewage:
❑When a source for drinking water becomes
contaminated with untreated sewage it is
possible to spread diseases through the water
like:
– Giardiasis, a diarrheal disease caused by a
parasitic protazoa, Giardia lamblia.
– These types of diseases can also be caused by
bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms.
Solutions to better Drinking water
quality

 Drainage Area Management Plans

 Agriculture plots
 1987 Water Quality Act
 Safe Drinking Water Act
 Maximum contaminant levels
Is Bottled Water the Answer?
 Some bottled water is not as pure as tap water
and costs much more.
 1.4million metric tons of plastic bottles are
thrown away.
 Fossil fuels are used to make plastic bottles.
◼ Theoil used to produce plastic bottles in the U.S. each
year would fuel 100,000 cars.
Water Quality
Bacterial Counts: Fecal coliform counts from
intestines of animals
 None per 100 ml for drinking

 >200 per 100 ml for swimming

Sources: human sewage, animals, birds,

raccoons, etc.
Water Quality
 Dissolved Oxygen: BOD Biological Oxygen
Demand…the amount of oxygen consumed by
aquatic decomposers

 Chemical Analysis: looking for presence of

inorganic or organic chemicals

 Suspended Sediment water clarity

 Using Laws to Protect Drinking
Water

 The U.N. estimates that 5.6 million Americans

drink water that does not meet EPA standards.

 1 in 5 Americans drinks water from a treatment

plant that violated one or more safety standard.

 What about Nigeria? ……….

 What Can You Do?
Water Pollution

• Fertilize garden and yard plants with manure or compost

instead of commercial inorganic fertilizer.

• Minimize your use of pesticides.

• Do not apply fertilizer or pesticides near a body of water.

• Grow or buy organic foods.

• Do not drink bottled water unless tests show that your tap
water is contaminated. Merely refill and reuse plastic bottles
with tap water.

• Compost your food wastes.

• Do not use water fresheners in toilets.

• Do not flush unwanted medicines down the toilet.

• Do not pour pesticides, paints, solvents, oil, antifreeze, or other

products containing harmful chemicals down the drain or
onto the ground.