Water Pollution

1

• Water Pollution
• Terminology
• Contamination
• Elevated concentrations of substances in water
  but with no measurable damaging effects
• Pollution
• Measurable damaging effects
• Some definitions require human agency
• Source
• Origin of contaminant/pollutant
• Receiving Waters
• Waters into which contaminant/pollutant is
  discharged
• Mixing Zone
• Area where contaminant/pollutant from source
  mixes with receiving waters

2

• Water Pollution
• Sources
• Point sources
• Discharge directly into receiving waters
• Easier to characterize and regulate than NPSs
• Non-point sources
• Pollutants from diffuse sources
• Ex Agricultural waste (manure, fertilizer,
  cides)
• May vary regionally and seasonally
• Ex Runoff from streets during SoCal winter
• May be difficult to distinguish anthropogenic
  from natural effects
• Ex Arsenic in groundwater in Bangladesh
• Ex Coliform bacteria in Mission Bay

3

• Water Pollution
• Types
• Degradable
• Organic material can be decomposed by bacteria
• Decomposition depletes oxygen (measured by BOD)
• Ex Urban sewage, agricultural animal waste
• Dissipating
• Disperse/Diffuse in water
• Effects usually local
• Ex Heat, acids, chemicals, nutrients (esp.
  phosphorus in FW)
• Particulate
• Usually inert (non-reactive)
• Affects turbidity, may be abrasive, clogs
  gills/filters
• Ex Sediments, airborne particles (e.g. ash)
• Conservative
• Diverse pollutants, many toxic
• Persistent may facilitate oxygen depletion
• Ex Heavy metals, halogenated hydrocarbons
  (cides), radioactive materials
• Biological

4

• Water Pollution
• Effects
• Ecosystem
• Loss of biodiversity (Ex spp. sensitive to low
  DO)
• Shift of species composition
• Human
• Interference with designated beneficial uses
• Human Response
• The solution to pollution is dilution
• Solutions
• Reduce inputs (volume, concentration)
• Increase flow (volume, rate)
• Ganges River
• Major input Sewage
• Ganges Action Plan (1985)

5
www.uwec.edu
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Mean Monthly Rainfall (mm) from 1993-2007,
Uppangala, Western Ghats
Pèlissier et al. 2011
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moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/Status20
Paper20-Ganga.pdf
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FCC EPA Bathing Std 126 MPN/100 ml GAP Bathing
Std 500-2500 Range 12,000-43,000,000 BOD GAP
Bathing Std 3 mg/l Range 3.6-44
www.friendsofganges.org
9
moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/Status20
Paper20-Ganga.pdf
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The River Ganges
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Ganga Devi / Ganga Ma
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Varanasi / Banaras
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Ganga Arati Banaras
14

• PURITY AND POLLUTION IN HINDUISM
• sacred / pure / auspicious
• profane / impure polluting / inauspicious
• ?
• physically clean (saf/svaccha) /
• ritually-spiritually pure (shuddha/pavitra)
• ?
• physically polluted (ganda/asvaccha)
• ritually-spiritually impure (ashuddha/apavitra)

15

• Satya Yuga ? Age of Truth, Golden Age of
  PurityTreta Yuga ? Silver AgeDvapara Yuga ?
  Copper AgeKali Yuga ? Iron Age, Dark Age