WATER POLLUTIONWater & Solution

Teammates :

1. Amira Alya Binti Razali2. Afifah Binti Ishak

Class : 2 Damar 2013Teacher’s Name : Puan Norrehan

DEFINITION OF WATER POLLUTION

• Contamination of water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceansand groundwater caused by human activities which can beharmful to organisms and plants which live in these waterbodies.

• Water pollution is any chemical, physical or biological changein the quality of water that has a harmful effect on any livingthings that drink, use or live (in) it. When humans drinkpolluted water, it oftens has serious effects on their health.Water pollution can also make water unsuited for desired use.

TYPES OF WATER POLLUTANTS AND THEIR SOURCES

1. Nutrients pollution

Some waste water, fertilizers and sewage contain highlevels of nutrient. If they end up in water bodies, theyencourage algae and weed growth in the water which canmake the water undrinkable and even clog filters. Toomuch algae will also use up all the oxygen in the water andother water organisms in the water will die out of oxygenfrom starvation.

2. Surface water pollution

Surface water includes natural water found on the earth’ssurface like rivers, lakes, lagoons and oceans. Hazardoussubstances coming into contact with this surface waterdissolving or missing physically with the water can becalled surface water pollution.

TYPES OF WATER POLLUTANTS AND THEIR SOURCES

3. Oxygen depleting

Water bodies have microorganisms. These include aerobicand anaerobic organisms. When too much biodegradablematter (things that easily decay) end up in water, itencourages more microorganism growth and they use upmore oxygen in the water. If oxygen is depleted, aerobicorganisms die and anaerobic organism grow more toproduce harmful toxins such as ammonia and sulfides.

4. Ground water pollution

When humans apply pesticides and chemicals to soils,they are washed up deep into the ground by rain water.This gets to underground water, causing pollutionunderground. This means when we dig wells and boreholes to get water from underground, it needs to bechecked for ground water pollution.

TYPES OF WATER POLLUTANTS AND THEIR SOURCES

5. Microbiological

In many communities in the world, people drink untreatedwater (straight from a river or stream). Sometimes there isnatural pollution caused by microorganisms like viruses,bacteria and protozoa. This natural pollution can causefishes and other water life to die. They can also causeserious illness to humans who drink from such waters.

6. Suspended matter

Some pollutants (substances, particles and chemicals) donot easily dissolve in water. This kind of material is calledparticulate matter. Some suspended pollutants later settleunder the water body. This can harm and even kill aquaticlife that live at the floor of water bodies.

TYPES OF WATER POLLUTANTS AND THEIR SOURCES

7. Chemical water pollutionMany industries and famers work with chemicals that endup in water. These include chemicals that are used tocontrol weeds, insects and pests. Metals and solventsfrom industries can pollute water bodies. These arepoisonous to many forms of aquatic life and may slowtheir development to make them interfile and kill them.6. Oil spillageOil spills usually have only a localized affect on wildlife butcan spread for miles. The oil can cause death of many fishand stick to the feathers of seabirds causing them to losethe ability to fly. Do you remember the BP Oil Spill in2010? Over 1000 animals (birds, turtles, mammals) werereported dead including many already on the endangeredspecies list. Of the animals affected by the spill that arestill alive only about 6% have been reported cleaned butmany biologists and other scientists predict they will dietoo from the stress caused by pollution.

EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION ON LIVING THINGS

Death of aquatic (water) animalsThe main problem caused by water pollution is that it kills life that depends onthese water bodies. Dead fish, crabs, birds and sea gulls, dolphins and many otheranimals often wind up on beaches, killed by pollutants in their habitat (livingenvironment. Disruption of food-chainsPollution disrupts the natural food chain as well. Pollutants such as lead andcadmium are eaten by tiny animals. Later, these animals are consumed by fish andshellfish, and the food chain continues to be disrupted at all higher levels. DiseasesEventually, humans are affected by this process as well. People can get diseasessuch as hepatitis by eating seafood that has been poisoned. In many poornations, there is always outbreak of cholera and diseases as a result of poordrinking water treatment from contaminated waters. Destruction of ecosystemsEcosystems (the interaction of living things in a place depending on each other forlife) can be severely changed or destroyed by water pollution. Many areas are nowbeing affected by careless human pollution, and this pollution is coming back tohurt humans in many ways.

WAYS TO CONTROL WATER POLLUTION

1. STEPS TO BE TAKEN BY INDIVIDUALS

- Never throw rubbish away anyhow. Always look for the correct waste bins. If thereis none around, please take it home and put it in your trash can. This includesplaces like the beach, riverside and water bodies.

- Use water wisely. Do not keep the tap running when not in use. Also, you canreduce the amount of water you use in washing and bathing. If we all do this, wecan significantly prevent water shortages and reduces the amount of dirty waterthat needs treatment.

- Do not throw chemicals, oils, paints and medicines down the sink drain or thetoilet. In many cities, your local environment office can help with the disposal ofmedicines and chemicals.

- Buy more environmentally safe cleaning liquids for the use at home and otherpublic places.

- Be mindful not to overuse pesticides and fertilizers. This will reduce runoffs of thematerial into nearby water sources.

- If you live close to a water body, try to plant lots of trees and flowers around youhome so that when it rains, chemicals form your home does not easily drain intothe water.

WAYS TO CONTROL WATER POLLUTION

2. STEPS TO BE TAKEN BY GOVERNMENT

- Many governments have very strict laws that can help minimize waterpollution. These laws are usually directed to industries, hospitals, schools andmarket areas on how to dispose, treat and manage sewage.

- In many developed cities, waste or sewage treatment is very efficient anddesigned to minimize pollution of water bodies.

- There are also lots of organizations and groups that help educate people onthe dangers of water pollution. It is always great to join these groups becausethey regularly encourage other members of their communities to have betterattitude towards water.

WAYS TO CONSERVE AND PRESERVE WATER AND ITS QUALITY

• Industries have policies and the technology to achieve their businessobjectives. At the same time, these policies should also preserve the quality ofwater.

• A factory that has caused water pollution must be responsible for its actions. Itmust pay compensation for the damages brought about by its activities.

• Projects such as building hotels and rest houses along beach areas to attracttourists may cause pollution of the seas and beaches. Therefore, a carefullyplanned construction strategy should be followed.

• To control pests, biological control methods can be used. For example, owlscan be used to control rats which eat the oil palm fruit.

• In the agricultural sector, steps should be taken to reduce the use ofpesticides, fungicides and fertilizers. These chemicals pollute the water.

WAYS TO CONSERVE AND PRESERVE WATER AND ITS QUALITY

• In the education sector, environmental education should be incorporated intothe school curriculum. This will make students aware of the water pollutionproblem. Students will know the effects and consequences of water pollution.They will learn about ways to control this problem.

• Education programmes for the community should be carried out. This increasethe public awareness of conserving water, reducing dangerous wastes andrecycling to preserve water quality.

• As part of the efforts to preserve water quality, recycling should be carried out.Wastes which can be recycled include old newspapers, glass, aluminium tins,old tyres and plastics.

• Cleaning agents that are used in homes are mostly petrochemical-based. Thesecleaning agents contain substances that can pollute the rivers and lakes. Today,cleaning agents without petrochemicals are available. The public shoulf beencouraged to use these new cleaning agents.

METHODS OF WATER PURIFICATION

1. FILTRATION

a. Filtration removes the suspended solid particles such as clay and sand in thewater

b. The filtration process can be carried out by using sand particles as the filter.

- This system uses layer of fine sand, coarse sand, small stones and pebbles.

- The liquid that goes through the filter is called the filtrate and solid material leftbehind in the filter is called the residue.

c. This method of purification does not remove microorganisms and dissolvedsubstances.

d. Therefore, filtered water is unsafe for drinking.

2. DISTILLATION

a. Distillation of water produces pure water. This water is free from microorganisms,dissolved substances and suspended particles.

b. Pure water that is produced through distillation is called distilled water.

c. Distilled water is used to prepare chemical solutions in laboratories and liquidmedicines in pharmacies. It is also used widely in food industries and as batterywater in car batteries.

METHODS OF WATER PURIFICATION

3. BOILING

a. Water from natural sources may contain microorganisms. These microorganismscan cause diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and typhoid.

b. Boiling can kill most of the microorganisms in the water.

c. This method can only supply a small amount of water safe for drinking at home.

d. However, boiling does not remove suspended particles and dissolved substancesin the water.

4. CHLORINATION

a. Adding chlorine to water also kills microorganisms in it.

b. This method is used to treat large quantities of water.

c. The chlorination process is usually used in water purification plants andswimming pools.

d. However, too much chlorine in water gives the water an unpleasant smell and isbad for our health.

WHY SHOULD WE SAVE WATER ?

• Water conservation is very important since it will ensure that water supply isfinite in the near future. It is also very essential because water is relied on bymillions of humans and creatures in the world.

• We should save and conserve our water. Water is essential to all living things.No living person or thing can survive without it. We depend on water for somany things in our lives.

• Saving water normally reduces energy use and cost of pumping anddistributing water. It also allows regions to plan for more efficient use of thewater resources and ensures availability of water in the future.

• We will never run out of water, but we will deplete the fresh water lakes andrivers and underground aquifers. Then we will only be left with ocean water.Ocean water is very expensive to desalinate. Also, when we use waterwisely, we save energy.

HOW DO WE WASTE WATER ?

Here’s a list of things people don’t normally pay attention to, but you should for amore eco-friendly household.

• Dishwasher - Dishwashers can waste so much water if you run it when it is notfull. A way to prevent this is to wash your dishes without use of thedishwasher. If you do need to use a dishwasher, make sure it is completely fullbefore you turn it on.

• Brushing Teeth / Washing Dishes WITH the Water Running - Do not keepwater running while brushing your teeth / doing the dishes. When you brushyour teeth, wet the toothbrush first and turn the water off immediately. Onlyuse the water to rinse. Same for dish washing. Scrub the dishes without thewater on, and then turn the water on to rinse off the soap.

• Hot Water - Only use hot water when absolutely necessary. Hot water uses alot more energy, and it isn’t always necessary.

• Leaky Toilets / Leaky Faucets - If you notice a leaky pipe, faucet, or toilet, get itfixed immediately. A leaky toilet, for example, can waste up to 200 gallons ofwater a day.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO SAVE WATER ?

• Buy recycled-paper products - Products made from 100 percent recycled paperrequire much less water in their manufacturing than do those made from virginpaper. If your family goes through four rolls of paper towels a week, choosingrecycled reduces waste significantly.

• Water your lawn early in the morning or evening - If you irrigate in the middle ofthe day, evaporation prevents 14 percent of the water from reaching the plants’roots. Watering the lawn in the early morning or evening can save the typical homeowner 87 gallons a week.

• Uses a lower setting on your dishwasher - Contrary to popular belief, it’s almostnever necessary to use the normal setting on a dishwasher or to rinse platesbeforehand. The light-wash setting cleans just as well while reducing water use upto 55 percent.

• Install faucet aerators - Faucets account for 15 percent of indoor water use andtypically flow at twice the rate they should. Installing aerators in kitchen andbathroom sinks fixes this problem for only a dollar or two per sink.

• Bring your water with you - Buying a daily bottle of water may quench your thirst,