Groundwaterpollution(NIOS)

Lotofpeoplearoundtheworlddependongroundwaterfor
drinking,domestic,industrialandagriculturaluses.
Generallygroundwaterisacleansourceofwater.
However,humanactivitiessuchasimpropersewagedisposal,
dumpingoffarmyardmanuresandagriculturalchemicals,
industrialeffluentsarecausingpollutionofgroundwater.
Eutrophication:

Eumaenswellorhealthyandtrophymeansnutrition.
Theenrichmentofwaterbodieswithnutrientscauses
entrophicationofthewaterbody.
Dischargeofdomesticwaste,agriculturalsurfacerunoff,land
drainageandindustrialeffluentsinawaterbodyleadstorapid
nutrientsenrichmentinawaterbody.
Theexcessivenutrientenrichmentinawaterbodyencourages
thegrowthofalgaeduckweed,waterhyacinth,phytoplankton
andotheraquaticplants.
Thebiologicaldemandforoxygen(BOD)increaseswiththe
increaseinaquaticorganisms.
Asmoreplantsgrowanddie,thedeadanddecayingplantsand
organicmatteracteduponbyheterotrophicprtozoansand
bacteria,depletethewaterofdissolvedoxygen(DO).
DecreaseinDOresultinsuddendeathoflargepopulationoffish
andotheraquaticorganismsincludingplants,releasingoffensive
smellandmakesthewaterunfitforhumanuse.
Thesuddenandexplosivegrowthofphytoplanktonandalgae
impartgreencolourtothewaterisknownaswaterbloom,or
algalblooms.
Thesephytoplanktonreleasetoxicsubstancesinwaterthat
causessuddendeathoflargepopulationoffishes.

Thisphenomenonofnutrientenrichmentofawaterbodyis
calledeutrophication.
Humanactivitiesaremainlyresponsiblefortheeutrophicationof
agrowingnumberoflakesandwaterbodiesinthecountry.

Methodsforcontrolofwaterpollutionandwaterrecycling
Controlwaterpollution
Wastewaterfromdomesticorindustrialsourcesorfromgarbage
dumpsisgenerallyknownassewage.
Itmayalsocontainrainwaterandsurfacerunoff.
Thesewagewatercanbetreatedtomakeitsafefordisposalinto
waterbodieslikerivers,lakesetc.
Thetreatmentinvolvesthreestages:primary,secondaryand

tertiary.
Thisincludes:
1.sedimentation,
2.coagulation/flocculation,
3.filtration,
4.disinfection,
5.softeningand
6.aeration.

Thefirstfourstepsareofprimarytreatment.
Thefirstthreestepsareinvolvedinprimarytreatmentremove
suspendedparticulatematter.
Secondarytreatmentremovesorganicsolids,leftoutafter
primarytreatment,throughtheirmicrobialdecomposition.
Effluentsaftersecondarytreatmentmaybecleanbutcontain
largeamountsofnitrogen,informofammonia,nitratesand

phosphorouswhichcancauseproblemofeutrophicationupon
theirdischargeintoareceivingwaterbodysuchasriver,lakeor
pond.
Thetertiarytreatmentismeanttoremovenutrients,disinfectfor
removingpathogenicbacteria,and
aerationremoveshydrogensulphideandreducetheamountof
carbondioxideandmakewaterhealthyandfitforaquatic
organisms.
Thistreatmentofwastewaterorsewageiscarriedoutineffluent
treatmentplantsespeciallybuiltforthispurpose.
Theresidueobtainedfromprimarytreatmentoneknownas
sludge.
Waterrecycling:
Itisessentialtoutilizetheavailablewaterwithmaximum
economy.
Thisinvolvesrecyclingofwastewaterforcertainuseswithor
withouttreatment.
Recyclingreferstotheuseofwastewaterbytheoriginaluser
priortothedischargeeithertoatreatmentsystemortoa
receivingwaterbody.
Controlofwaterpollution:
Thefollowingmeasurescanbeadoptedtocontrolwater
pollution:
(a)Thewaterrequirementshouldbeminimizedbyalteringthe
techniquesinvolved.
(b)Watershouldbereusedwithorwithouttreatment.
(c)Recyclingofwateraftertreatmentshouldbepracticedtothe
maximumextentpossible.
(d)Thequantityofwastewaterdischargeshouldbeminimized.
SOILPOLLUTION:

Additionofsubstanceswhichadverselyaffectthequalityofsoil
oritsfertilityisknownassoilpollution.Generallypollutedwater
alsopollutesoil.
Solidwasteisamixtureofplastics,cloth,glass,metaland
organicmatter,sewage,sewagesludge,buildingdebris,
generatedfromhouseholds,commercialandindustries
establishmentsaddtosoilpollution.
Flyash,ironandsteelslag,medicalandindustrialwastes
disposedonlandareimportantsourcesofsoilpollution.
Inaddition,fertilizersandpesticidesfromagriculturalusewhich
reachsoil
asrunoffandlandfillingbymunicipalwastearegrowingcause
ofsoilpollution.

Acidrainanddrydepositionofpollutantsonlandsurfacealso
contributetosoilpollution.
Sourcesofsoilpollution:
Plasticbags:
Plasticbagsmadefromlowdensitypolyethylene(LDPE),is
virtuallyindestructible,createcolossalenvironmentalhazard.
Thediscardedbagsblockdrainsandsewagesystems.
Leftoverfood,vegetablewasteetc.onwhichcowsanddogsfeed
maydieduetothechokingbyplasticbags.
Plasticisnonbiodegradableandburningofplasticingarbage
dumpsreleasehighlytoxicandpoisonousgaseslikecarbon
monoxide,carbondioxide,phosgene,dioxineandother
poisonouschlorinatedcompounds.
Industrialsources:
Itincludesflyash,chemicalresidues,metallicandnuclear
wastes.
Largenumberofindustrialchemicals,dyes,acids,etc.findtheir
wayintothesoilandareknowntocreatemanyhealthhazards
includingcancer.
Agriculturalsources:
Agriculturalchemicalsespeciallyfertilizersandpesticidespollute
thesoil.
Fertilizersintherunoffwaterfromthesefieldscancause
eutrophicationinwater
bodies.
Pesticidesarehighlytoxicchemicalswhichaffecthumansand
otheranimalsadverselycausingrespiratoryproblems,cancer
anddeath.
Controlofsoilpollution
Indiscriminatedisposalofsolidwasteshouldbeavoided.

Tocontrolsoilpollution,itisessentialtostoptheuseofplastic
bagsandinsteadusebagsofdegradablematerialslikepaper
andcloth.
Sewageshouldbetreatedproperlybeforeusingasfertilizerand
aslandfills.
Theorganicmatterfromdomestic,agriculturalandotherwaste
shouldbesegregatedandsubjectedtovermicompostingwhich
generatesusefulmanureasabyproduct.
Theindustrialwastespriortodisposalshouldbeproperlytreated
forremovinghazardousmaterials.
Biomedicalwasteshouldbeseparatelycollectedandincinerated
inproperincinerators.

RADIATIONPOLLUTION:SOURCESANDHAZARDS

Radiationpollutionistheincreaseinoverthenaturalbackground
radiation.
Therearemanysourcesofradiationpollutionsuchasnuclear
wastesfromnuclearpowerplants,miningandprocessingof
nuclearmaterialetc.
Theworsecaseofnuclearpollutionwasthechernboyldisasterin
Russiaoccuredin1986buttheeffectsstilllongertoday.
Radiation:
Radiationisaformofenergytravellingthroughspace.
Theradiationemanatingfromthedecayofradioactivenuclides
areamajorsourcesofradiationpollution.
Radiationscanbecategorizedintotwogroupsnamelythenon
ionizingradiationsandtheionizingradiations.
Nonionizingradiations:
Nonionizingradiationsareconstitutedbytheelectromagnetic
wavesatthelongerwavelengthofthespectrumrangingfrom
nearinfraredraystoradiowaves.
Thesewaveshaveenergiesenoughtoexcitetheatomsand
moleculesofthemediumthroughwhichtheypass,causingthem

tovibratefasterbutnotstrongenoughtoionizethem.
Inamicrowaveoventheradiationcauseswatermoleculesinthe
cookingmediumtovibratefasterandthusraisingits
temperature.
Ionizingradiations:
Ionizingradiationscauseionizationofatomsandmoleculesof
themediumthroughwhichtheypass.
Electromagneticradiationssuchasshortwavelengthultraviolet
radiations(UV),Xraysandgammaraysandenergeticparticles
producedinnuclearprocesses,electricallychargedparticles
likealphaandbetaparticlesproducedinradioactivedecayand
neutronsproducedinnuclearfission,arehighlydamagingto
livingorganisms.
Electricallychargedparticlesproducedinthenuclearprocesses
canhavesufficientenergytoknockelectronsoutoftheatomsor
moleculesofthemedium,therebyproducingions.
Theionsproducedinwatermolecules,forexample,caninduce
reactionsthatcanbreakbondsinproteinsandotherimportant
molecules.
Anexampleofthiswouldbewhenagammaraypassesthrough
acell,thewatermoleculesneartheDNAmightbeionizedand
theionsmightreactwiththeDNAcausingittobreak.
Theycanalsocausechemicalchangesbybreakingthechemical
bonds,whichcandamagelivingtissues.
Theionizingradiationscausedamagetobiologicalsystemsand
are,therefore,pollutants.
Radiationdamage:
Thebiologicaldamageresultingfromionizingradiationsis
generallytermedasradiationdamage.
Largeamountsofradiationcankillcellsthatcandramatically
affecttheexposed
organismaswellaspossiblyitsoffspring.

Affectedcellscanmutateandresultincancer.
Alargeenoughdoseofradiationcankilltheorganism.
Radiationdamagecanbedividedintotwotypes:
(a)somaticdamage(alsocalledradiationsickness)
Somaticdamagereferstodamagetocellsthatarenot
associatedwithreproduction.
Effectsofsomaticradiationdamageincludereddeningofthe
skin,lossofhair,ulceration,fibrosisofthelungs,theformationof
holesintissue,areductionofwhitebloodcells,andtheinduction
ofcataractintheeyes.
Thisdamagecanalsoresultincanceranddeath.
(b)geneticdamage
Geneticdamagereferstodamagetocellsassociatedwith
reproduction.
Thisdamagecansubsequentlycausegeneticdamagefrom
genemutation
resultinginabnormalities.
Geneticdamagesarepassedontonextgeneration.

Radiationdose:
Thebiologicaldamagecausedbytheradiationisdeterminedby
theintensityofradiationanddurationoftheexposure.
Itdependsontheamountofenergydepositedbytheradiationin
thebiologicalsystem.
Instudyingtheeffectsofradiationexposureinhumans,itis
importanttorealizethatthebiologicaldamagecausedbya
particledependsnotonlyonthetotalenergydepositedbutalso
ontherateofenergylossperunitdistancetraversedbythe
particle(orlinearenergytransfer).
Forexample,alphaparticlesdomuchmoredamageperunit
energydepositedthandoelectrons.

Radiationeffectsandradiationdoses:
Atraditionalunitofhumanequivalentdoseistherem,which
standsforradiationequivalentinman.
Atlowdoses,suchaswhatwereceiveeverydayfrom
backgroundradiation(<1mrem),thecellsrepairthedamage
rapidly.
Athigherdoses(upto100rem),thecellsmightnotbeableto
repairthedamage,andthecellsmayeitherbechanged
permanentlyordie.
Cellschangedpermanentlymaygoontoproduceabnormalcells
when
theydivideandmaybecomecancerous.
Atevenhigherdoses,thecellscannotbereplacedfastenough
andtissuesfailtofunction.
Anexampleofthiswouldberadiationsickness.Thisisa
conditionthatresultsafterhighdosesisgiventothewholebody
(>100rem).
Nuclearexplosionsandaccidentsinnuclearreactorsarea
serioussourceofradiationhazard.
TheeffectsofatomicexplosionsinNagasakiandHiroshimaare
stillnotforgotten.
ThenuclearreactoraccidentatChernobylin1986ledtodeaths
ofmanyreactorpersonnelandaverylargereleaseof
radionuclidetotheenvironmentcausingalongtermradiation
damagetothepeoplelivingintheneighboringregions.
Accidentsatnuclearpowerplants:
Nuclearfissioninthereactorcoreproduceslotofheatwhichif
notcontrolledcan
leadtoameltdownoffuelrodsinthereactorcore.
Ifameltdownhappensbyaccident,itwillreleaselargequantities
ofhighlydangerousradioactivematerialsintheenvironmentwith
disastrousconsequencestothehumans,animalsandplants.
Topreventthistypeofaccidentsandreactorblowup,the

reactorsaredesignedtohaveanumberofsafetyfeatures.
Inspiteofthesesafetymeasurestwodisastersinthenuclear
powerplantsare
noteworthynamelyatThreeMileIslandinMiddletown(U.S.A.)
in1979,atChernobyl(U.S.S.R.)in1986.
Inboththesecasesaseriesofmishapsanderrorsresulted
inoverheatingofthereactorcoreandlotofradiationwas
releasedintotheenvironment.
TheleakagefromThreeMileIslandreactorwasapparentlylow
andnoonewasinjuredimmediately.However,incaseof
Chernobyltheleakagewasveryheavycausingdeathofsome
workersandradiationspreadoverlargeareasscatteredallover
Europe.
Peopleofthecityhadtobeevacuatedtosaferplacesandthe
planthadtobecloseddown.
Thesetwodisastersareareminderthatnuclearpowerreactors
requireaconstantupgradationofsafetymeasures.
Accidentswithnuclearsubmarinesalsopointstothesame.