Post 3- Biological, Chemical, Thermal, and Physical Water Pollution

Classifications
Biological:
Biological Pollution is when Bacteria such as Bacteria, Viruses, and Protozoa are in the water. They are known to enter by waste into the environment and cause disease.
Chemical:
Chemical Pollution is when heavy metals like Lead, Aluminum, and Mercury enter the water. Also, Oil spills and radioactive spills are considered Chemical Pollution They usually enter through metal pipes or other industrial material being placed into the water.

Physical:
Physical Pollution is when sediment is present in water and cannot be dissolved. It can be organic or inorganic material.
Thermal:
Thermal Pollution is when excessive heat is added to water, usually resulting from cooling an Electric Plant.
Repercussions of Each
Biological
Large amounts of this waste have dangerous pathogens in the waste at the time of disposal. This may be the result of the waste being from an individual that is infected. These pathogens can then breed in the waste and possibly infect animals that forage through the trash or contaminate the environment, including ground water and food sources. Another factor is the large quantities of grave pathogens present in hospitals and other health care facilities. When otherwise sanitary waste comes in contact with pathogens already in the environment, it may become a breeding ground for those pathogens.
Physical
Physical waste halts photosynthesis, corrupting food webs. It also can contain disease-causing bacteria.
Chemical
Due to chemical waste, the environment and nearby individuals are put at risk by its potentially corrosive, toxic, flammable or explosive nature.

Thermal
The heated water has a less percentage of oxygen, making more fish die. The fish are also more susceptible to disease. It can also result in thermal shock, where the temperature changes at rapid speeds when an organism has adapted to one average temperature.

Proactive Measures
One way to prevent Biological Pollution is by cleaning up after your pets and properly disposing of their wastes. Some ways to prevent Chemical Pollution are to recycle motor oil and check your vehicle for any leaks that could pollute waterways. Also, use cleaning products that are biodegradable.
Industrial units properly detoxifying and cooling the water they use before disposing it can prevent Thermal Pollution.
Picking up and properly disposing of litter found in streets and on beaches can prevent physical pollution.
Pollutants
Organic pollutants
Such organic pollutants include PCB’s (hydraulic fluid), insecticides, and detergents. If drinking water has a disagreeable taste or odor, it could be due to organic substances ranging from decaying vegetation or algae to hydrocarbons. Pesticides used in agriculture can show up in our drinking water as well. Lastly, chlorine, used to disinfect water supplies, can create toxic organic chemicals such as chloroform.
Biological Impurities
Waterborne microorganisms, found mostly in underdeveloped countries, can affect the host immediately and devastatingly. These include bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Parasites are the most frequent cause of waterborne diseases in the United States. Bacteria and viruses can spread just as easily.Known health risks of biological, chemical, physical, thermal waste
Chemical
• prostate cancer
• non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• disrupts human hormone activities
• affect and damage the nervous system
• liver damage
• damage DNA
• reproductive and endocrine damage
Biological
• typhoid fever
• polio
• cholera
• diarrhea
• hepatitis
• flu
• common cold
Thermal
• doesn’t directly affect human’s health
• affects fish population, which affects recreational activity
• also eating the contaminated fish may be negative
Physical
• doesn’t directly affect human’s health
• kills animals and plants in water
• contaminated animals may make us sick

Methods of detection, cause and effect
The best way to identify biological pollutants in your water and one of the most common methods of detection is to pour some water into a bacterial culture and then identify the pollutants in your water. This kind of pollution is often caused by the infestation of bacteria and microorganisms which probably travel through the air and reach a water source. They are a leading source of sickness to the surrounding environment. The common method to detect the amount of a chemical substance in water is you can use a variety of tests. These tests could be for example, the turbidity of the water or the total amount of dissolved oxygen present in the water. This is an example of what kind of tests that can be performed. Also, the amounts of a heavy metal, toxin, or nutrient can be measured. The cause of these pollutants entering the water is due to a variety of factors such as runoff from agricultural sources and from wastewater treatment plants. It can cause many different affects to the water including depletion of dissolved oxygen levels, changing of the pH level, and the turbidity of the water.
The most common and best way to detect physical changes in the water is by using your senses. If it changes its state of matter or if it changes its shape, color, taste, smell, etc… these are all ways to detect physical changes. The cause of a physical change in the water could be the change in temperature or the transfer of energy through the water.
Measuring the amount of thermal pollution is an easy method of detection. It can be done with a simple heat test in the water. Thermal pollution is caused by electric factories and from runoff. It can drastically change the environment of the water which will lead to a major disruption in the surrounding ecosystems.
Environment:
• Air quality affected by pollution
• Water quality due to contaminants
• Diseases

Cultural:
• Christianity=baptism, represents spirit of God/rejection of sin
• Buddhism=“as the rain fills the rivers and overflow into the ocean, so likewise may what is given here reach the departed” during funerals, a bowl filled overflowing
• Hinduism=believe water has power to purify spirit, bathe before entering temple. All Hindu temples situated near water source
• Islam=water for purification, perform 2 sorts of ablutions requiring water: washing whole body, washing head hands forearms and feet before prayer

Socioeconomic considerations:
• Economic status affects whether healthy water is obtainable. Higher population = worse economy = less clean water = more illness.


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Post 2 : Industrial, Agricultural, and Domestic Waste

Classification of water pollution sources


Agricultural waste is a non-point source of pollution. It is mostly caused from runoff and leaching of nitrogen-based fertilizers from farms. This runs off into streams, lakes, oceans, rivers, and groundwater, contaminating it and can cause serious damage to or destroy ecosystems. It is also point source because animals on farms produce a large amount of waste which directly pollutes the environment.



Industrial waste is a point source of pollution. Its common source of this type is from factories and manufacturing plants. The waste from these factories is disposed of and discharged into streams, lakes, or oceans, which spreads the pollutants. Also, they dump hot water, causing thermal pollution, which disrupts ecosystems and kills off some plant and animal species while overgrowing others. Much of the pollution is dumped directly into waters.



Domestic waste is a point source pollution because wastewater from homes is usually disposed of directly in bodies of water. Domestic waste can be from cleaning products to garbage. It also includes materials that can be recycled or biodegradable. It is household items that pollute the environment.

Repercussions of Each
Fertilizer runoff from farms and agriculture business run into streams and waters and cause algae blooms and dead zones in the waterways. The algae in the water feed off the nitrogen in the fertilizer and reproduce rapidly. This causes the algae to deplete the oxygen in the water, killing all animal marine life.
These wastes when not properly disposed, effect the atmosphere and can lead to the destruction of the ozone layer resulting in diseases such as cancer. Global warming, acid rain also effect the life on earth.
Domestic waste also affects drainage. When solid wastes are dumped in drainage channels and gutters, it blocks the flow of the sewerage. This may cause flooding. At the same time, solid wastes also affect soil drainage, which hinders the growing crops.
Indusrial waste causes changes in the landscape and visual discomfort, air pollution, pollution of surface waters, changes in soil fertility.


Prevenative Measures
Agricultural preventative measures
MEFRA (The Ministry of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) produced in 1991 a “Code of Good Agricultural Practice” to give farmers detailed advice on the treating, storing, and applying of animal livestock waste, the disposal of used and dirty water, fertilizers, fuel oil, pesticides, the disposal of animal carcasses, etc. Other things that are considered good practice are: reducing plowing in autumn, reducing the amount of fertilizers, and careful management of disposal of farm waste.
Domestic preventative measures
To begin, toxic products such as paint, automobile oil, polishes, and cleaning products should be stored and disposed of correctly. To clean the house, non-toxic products should be used. Dispose all trash in a proper manner and try to incorporate recycling into everyday life. Non-degradable products like tampons and sanitary napkins should not be flushed down the toilet, for these usually end up as litter on beaches. Refrain from throwing litter in streams, lakes, rivers, or seas. Try to use environmentally safe household products and natural fertilizers and pesticides. Lastly, conserve water by doing such things as turning off the tap when you don’t need running water, such as while brushing teeth.
Industrial Preventative measures
In the United States, the industries contribute to more than half of all water pollution. The cause of such drastic pollution is that many countries don’t treat the used water adequately before discharging it into local rivers and lakes. The harmful pollutants can then cause any of a list of grave diseases, such as diarrhea, cholera, hepatitis, dysentery, and salmonellosis. To prevent these harmful diseases from reaching people through polluted water, industries need to clean and treat water more effectively before releasing it.

Methods of detection, cause, and effect
Domestic Water Pollution
Run-off water carries dirt and silt that settle into bodies of water. These sediments prevent sunlight from reaching the aquatic plants below, and as a result, they perish. The sediment also smothers the marine life along the bottom, and clogs fishes’ gills. The cause of this is sewage is dumped into lakes and rivers without being properly treated.
Industrial Water Pollution
When released into drinking water, causes diseases such as diarrhea, cholrea, hepatitis, dysentery, and salmonellosis. The cause of this is industries dumping used water that is not treated correctly or enough.
Agricultural Water Pollution
Agricultural water pollution can cause such diseases as methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby syndrome,” where blood cannot deliver enough oxygen to the body. This disease is caused by the nitrate used as fertilizer to enhance the growth of crops, sometimes using animal wastes (also filled with nitrate) as well.

Proactive Measures
We can cut down on water pollution by taking just a few simple measures everyday. We can start by properly storing and disposing of toxic paints, automobile oil, cleaning chemicals, and polishes- and never throwing them out in the garbage can or pouring them down the sink. In fact, it is better to just use non-toxic or eco-friendly products as much as possible.
Also, trash should be disposed of properly, and incorporate recycling as a habit as much as possible. Refrain from littering, and dispose of non-degradable products properly.
Another proactive measure to preventing water pollution is to keep your car well maintained. Re-use automobile oil as much as you can, and check up on your car to make sure toxic chemicals, such as anti-freeze, are not leaking.
One of the ways to prevent water pollution is to not waste tap water. Turn off the sink as while you brush your teeth, and shorten your showers. This not only prevents water pollution, but it also lessens the amount of water that needs to be treated.

Cultural Beliefs and Facts
Asian rivers are the most polluted in the world. They have three times as many bacteria from human waste as the global average and 20 times more lead than rivers in industrialized countries. Thirty percent of Ireland's rivers are polluted with sewage or fertilizer. The King River is Australia's most polluted river, suffering from a severe acidic condition related to mining operations.100, 000 marine mammals, 1 million sea birds and other aquatic lives are killed due to plastic waste in water and coastal area. Bangladesh has some of the most polluted groundwater in the world. In this case, the contaminant is arsenic, which occurs naturally in the sediments. Around 85% of the total area of the country has contaminated groundwater, with at least 1.2 million Bangladeshis exposed to arsenic poisoning and with millions more at risk. Pollution of freshwater (drinking water) is a problem for about half of the world's population. Each year there are about 250 million cases of water-related diseases, with roughly 5 to 10 million deaths.

With over 70 percent of the planet covered by oceans, people have long acted as if these very bodies of water could serve as a limitless dumping ground for wastes. Raw sewage, garbage, and oil spills have begun to overwhelm the diluting capabilities of the oceans, and most coastal waters are now polluted. Beaches around the world are closed regularly, often because of high amounts of bacteria from sewage disposal, and marine wildlife is beginning to suffer. Water! From drinking a glass of cold water to power generation, water has so much utilitarian value that perhaps it would not be an understatement to say that when God thought about life probably he thought of water first. If we do not pay attention to these facts about water pollution, time is not far when from "blue planet" our earth will become "dirty blue planet."

Socioeconomic Considerations
Agricultural:
Agricultural waste can either hurt or help a society and the economy of a society. Without causing wastes, farmers could potentially lose their farms. The crops location and method of harvesting must be chosen properly and performed with perfection.
Industrial:
Small scale oilseed processing technology is used with many common foods such as pultry. It is sometimes costly to clean it completely.
Oil spills can pollute water and anything surrounding the spill. The oil loss must be reimbursed, and whatever is polluted must be cleaned or removed, using more money.


Domestic:
Waste management can be costly. Many people are needed to manage it. Running water for toilets is a basic economic problem for removing domestic waste. It costs money every flush of a toilet.


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Water Pollution Overview

2 classifications of water pollution
The two classifications of water pollution are point and non-point water sources.

Causes and Effects
Some causes of point sources would be factories, sewage treatment plants, underground mines, oil wells, oil tankers, and agriculture. Some causes of non-point sources are acid deposition from air, traffic, pollutants spread through rivers, and pollutants that enter through groundwater. Non-point is harder to control because the perpetrators cannot be traced.
Some effects of point sources are water pollution that cause harm to humans, plants, and animals in the water. Dangerous gasses are released from underground oil spills in water. An effect of nonpoint sources is acids infusing into the water. Once the water and acid combine, that water mixes with more freshwater, contaminating it.

Common methods of water detection
Water can be detected in laboratories, where small samples of water are analyzed for different contaminants. Living organisms like fish can also be used for the detection of water pollution. Changes in their behavior or growth show us that the water they live in is polluted. Different properties can tell us what kind of water pollution it is. Laboratories also show what dangers there might be in certain waters.

What to do once pollution is detected
Tertiary treatments are one of the actions to take once pollution is detected. To treat water, there is a series of three stages involving physicochemical and biological processes. It’s the third and final process that makes the water clean enough to put into the sea. The process is complex, requiring a combination of bioreactor, chemical coagulation, and granulated activated carbon or sorption technologies.


Common health risks of water pollution
Some common diseases related to water pollution include the following:
• Ringworm










• Lead Poisoning
• Anemia
• Diarrhea
• Scabies









• Hepatitis
• Malaria
• Methaemoglobinemia
• Trachoma


Common methods of prevention
There are many ways to reduce the amount of increasing water pollution. Turn off the tap when running water isn’t necessary. Be careful what you throw down the sink or toilet. Don’t throw paint, oils, or other litter. Use environmentally safe household products and cleaning agents. Don’t overuse pesticides and fertilizers. Don’t throw litter into rivers, lakes or oceans. If we all keep these precautions in mind, we can prevent further pollution of water.

Environmental Factors
Due to water pollution, our air quality and water quality are affected negatively, along with a rise in water related diseases.

Cultural beliefs
Water plays a key role in the beliefs of many of the world's religions. Its two main symbolic qualities, rebirth and purification, have given the liquid a sacred role in many religious ceremonies and rights. For example, in Christianity, through baptism, water represents the spirit of God and rejection of sin. In Buddhism, during funerals, a bowl is filled overflowing with water. Hindu people believe that water has power to purify spirit, and they bathe before entering a temple. All Hindu temples are situated near a water source. In Islam, water is also used for purification. They perform 2 sorts of ablutions requiring water: washing the whole body and washing the head, hands, forearms, and feet before prayer.

Socioeconomic considerations:
Economic status affects whether healthy water is obtainable.
Higher population = worse economy = less clean water = more illness


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