Water Pollutant

Makarand Ghangrekar
Department of Civil Engineering

IIT Kharagpur
Sources of pollution

• Domestic wastewater
• Industrial wastewaters
• Agriculture runoff
• Storm water runoff
• Bathing, cloth washing, etc., in water bodies
Classification and Effect of water
pollutants
• The various types of water pollutants can be classified in to following
major categories:

• 1) Organic pollutants,
• 2) Pathogens,
• 3) Nutrients and agriculture runoff,
• 4) Suspended solids and sediments,
• 5) Inorganic pollutants (salts and metals),
• 6) Thermal Pollution
• 7) Radioactive pollutants.
Classification and Effect of water
pollutants
• ORGANIC POLLUTANTS:

– a) Oxygen Demanding wastes: The wastewaters such as, domestic

and municipal sewage, wastewaters from food processing industries,
canning industries, slaughter houses, paper and pulp mills, tanneries,
etc., have considerable concentration of biodegradable organic
compounds either in suspended, colloidal or dissolved form.

– These wastes undergo degradation and decomposition by bacterial

activity.

– The dissolved oxygen available in the water body will be consumed for
aerobic oxidation of organic matter present in the wastewater.

– Hence, depletion of the DO will be a serious problem adversely affecting

aquatic life, if the DO falls below 4.0 mg/L. This decrease of DO is an
index of pollution.
Classification and Effect of water
pollutants
b) Synthetic Organic Compounds
– Synthetic organic compounds are also likely to enter the ecosystem
through various manmade activities such as production of these
compounds, spillage during transportation, and their uses in different
applications.
– These include synthetic pesticides, synthetic detergents, food
additives, pharmaceuticals, insecticides, paints, synthetic fibers,
plastics, solvents and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
– Most of these compounds are toxic and biorefractory organics i.e.,
they are resistant to microbial degradation.
– Even concentration of some of these in traces may make water unfit for
different uses.
– The detergents can form foams and volatile substances may cause
explosion in sewers.
– Some of these compounds are exceedingly persistent and their stability
to chemical reagents is also high.
Classification and Effect of water
pollutants
c) Oil
– Oil is a natural product which results from the plant remains fossilized over
millions of years, under marine conditions. It is a complex mixture of
hydrocarbons and degradable under bacterial action.
– The biodegradation rate is different for different oils, tars being one of the
slowest.
– Oil enters in to water through oil spills, leak from oil pipes, and wastewater
from production and refineries.
– Being lighter than water it spreads over the surface of water, separating
the contact of water with air, hence resulting in reduction of DO.
– This pollutant is also responsible for endangering water birds and coastal
plants due to coating of oils and adversely affecting the normal activities.
– It also results in reduction of light transmission through surface waters,
thereby reducing the photosynthetic activity of the aquatic plants.
– Oil includes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), some of which are
known to be carcinogenic.
Classification and Effect of water
pollutants

Pelican covered with oil

Mexico Oil spill, 2010

Classification and Effect of water
pollutants
2) PATHOGENS
– The pathogenic microorganisms enter in to water body through
sewage discharge as a major source or through the wastewater
from industries like slaughterhouses.

– Viruses and bacteria can cause water borne diseases, such as

cholera, typhoid, dysentery, polio and infectious hepatitis in
human.
Classification and Effect of water
pollutants
3) NUTRIENTS
– The agriculture run-off, wastewater from fertilizer industry and sewage
contains substantial concentration of nutrients like nitrogen and
phosphorous.
– These wastewater supply nutrients to the plants and may stimulate the
growth of algae and other aquatic weeds in receiving waters.
– Thus, the value of the water body is degraded.
– In long run, water body reduces DO, leads to eutrophication and ends
up as a dead pool of water.
– People swimming in eutrophic waters containing blue-green algae can
have skin and eye irritation, gastroenteritis and vomiting.
– High nitrogen levels in the water supply, causes a potential risk,
especially to infants under six months. This is when the
methaemoglobin results in a decrease in the oxygen carrying capacity
of the blood as nitrate ions in the blood readily oxidize ferrous ions in
the hemoglobin.
Classification and Effect of water
pollutants
4) SUSPENDED SOLIDS AND SEDIMENTS
– These comprise of silt, sand and minerals eroded from land.
– These appear in the water through the surface runoff during rainy season
and through municipal sewers.
– This can lead to the siltation, reduces storage capacities of reservoirs.
– Presence of suspended solids can block the sunlight penetration in the
water, which is required for the photosynthesis by bottom vegetation.
– Deposition of the solids in the quiescent stretches of the stream or
ocean bottom can impair the normal aquatic life and affect the diversity
of the aquatic ecosystem.
– If the deposited solids are organic in nature, they will undergo
decomposition leading to development of anaerobic conditions.
– Finer suspended solids such as silt and coal dust may injure the gills of
fishes and cause asphyxiation.
Classification and Effect of water
pollutants
5) INORGANIC POLLUTANTS
– Apart from the organic matter discharged in the water body through
sewage and industrial wastes, high concentration of heavy metals and
other inorganic pollutants contaminate the water.
– These compounds are non-biodegradable and persist in the
environment.
– These pollutants include mineral acids, inorganic salts, trace
elements, metals, metals compounds, complexes of metals with
organic compounds, cyanides, sulphates, etc.
– The accumulation of heavy metals may have adverse effect on
aquatic flora and fauna and may constitute a public health problem
where contaminated organisms are used for food.
– Algal growth due to nitrogen and phosphorous compounds can be
observed.
– Metals in high concentration can be toxic to biota e.g. Hg, Cu, Cd, Pb,
As, and Se. Copper greater than 0.1 mg/L is toxic to microbes.
Classification and Effect of water
pollutants
6) THERMAL POLLUTION
– Considerable thermal pollution results due to discharge of hot
water from thermal power plants, nuclear power plants, and
industries where water is used as coolant.
– As a result of hot water discharge, the temperature of water body
increases, which reduces the DO content of the water.
– This alters the spectrum of organisms, which can adopt to live
at that temperature and DO level.
– When organic matter is also present, the bacterial action
increases due to rise in temperature, hence, resulting in rapid
decrease of DO.
– The discharge of hot water leads to the thermal stratification in
the water body, where hot water will remain on the top.
Classification and Effect of water
pollutants
7) RADIOACTIVE POLLUTANTS
– Radioactive materials originate from the following:
• Mining and processing of ores,
• Use in research, agriculture, medical and industrial activities, such
as I131, P32, Co60, Ca45, S35, C14, etc.
• Radioactive discharge from nuclear power plants and nuclear
reactors, e.g., Sr90, Cesium Cs137, Plutonium Pu248.
• Uses and testing of nuclear weapons
• These isotopes are toxic to the life forms; they accumulate in the
bones, teeth and can cause serious disorders.
• The safe concentration for lifetime consumption is 1 x 10-7
microcuries per ml.
Terminologies used in wastewater treatment
• Unit operations: Invloves contaminant removal by physical forces.

• Unit processes: Involves biological and/or chemical reactions.

• Reactor: Refers to the vessel or containment structure along with all of its
appurtenances, in which the unit operation or process takes place.
Although, unit operation or unit processes are natural phenomenon, they
may be accelerated, initiated or controlled by altering environment in the
reactor.

• Wastewater treatment System: Combination of unit operations or unit

processes designed to reduce certain constituents of wastewater to an
acceptable level. Many different combinations are possible depending upon
the type of pollutant present.
Terminologies used in wastewater treatment

• Municipal Wastewater treatment: Often divided into primary, secondary and tertiary
sub-systems.
– Primary treatment: Removal of solids materials from the incoming wastewater
(Screen, grit chamber, PST)
– Secondary treatment: Usually consists of biological conversion of dissolved and
colloidal organic matter into biomass that can subsequently be removed by
sedimentation.
– Sometimes primary and secondary treatment can be accomplished together, e.g.
oxidation pond and aerated lagoon.

• Tertiary treatment: Most often involves further removal of suspended solids, removal
of nutrients, pathogens, etc.
– Combinations of physical unit operation and biological and/or chemical
processes are used.
Unit operation, Unit processes, and Systems for Wastewater Treatment

Contaminant Unit operation, Unit process or treatment

Suspended Solids Sedimentation, Screening and Comminution, Filtration variations, Flotation,
Chemical-polymer addition, coagulation/ sedimentation, Land treatment system
Oil and grease Flotation, skimming tank, cross flow plate separator
Biodegradable organics Activated sludge process, Fixed film reactors (Trickling filter, RBC), Lagoon and
oxidation pond variations, Intermittent sand filtration, Land treatment systems,
Anaerobic processes (UASB reactor, Anaerobic filter, AFBR), Physical chemical
systems.

Pathogens Chlorination, Hypochlorination, Ozonation, Land treatment systems

Nutrients: Nitrogen Biochemical nitrification and denitrification (either suspended or fixed film),
Ammonia stripping, Ion exchange, Breakpoint chlorination, Land treatment system

Phosphorous Metal-salt addition, Lime coagulation / sedimentation, Biological-chemical

phosphorous removal, Land treatment systems.
Refractory organics Carbon adsorption, Tertiary ozonation, Photocatalytic conversion and biological
treatment, Land treatment systems, electrochemical coagulation
Heavy metals Chemical precipitation, Ion exchange, phytoremediation
Dissolved inorganic solids Ion exchange, Reverse osmosis, Electrodialysis, Membrane filtration (UF, NF, RO)
Summary of industrial wastewater, origin,
characteristics and treatment
Industries Origin of major wastes Major Major treatment and
characteristics disposal
Canning Trimming, juicing, High SS, Colloidal & Screening, lagooning,
blenching of fruits & dissolved organic soil absorption or
vegetables matter spray irrigation
Dairy Dilution of whole milk, High dissolved Biological treatment,
separated milk, butter milk organic matter, UASB reactor,
& whey mainly protein fat & aeration, TF, ASP
lactose, high SS
Brewery & Steeping & pressing of High dissolved Netralization,
distillery (spent grains, residue from organic matter, equalization, Methane
wash) distillation of alcohol, colour, high Recovery, Anaerobic
condensate from stillage sulphate, high treatment, ASP,
evaporation chloride biological treatments,
ponds and lagoon
Sugar (Black strap Transfer, screening & High in SS, organic Biological treatment
molasses) juicing waters, drainage matter and reuse of treated
from lime sludge, water, UASB, ASP,
condensates after Ponds/Lagoon, etc.
evaporators, juice,
extracted sugar
Summary of industrial wastewater, origin,
characteristics and treatment
Industries Origin of major wastes Major Major treatment and
characteristics disposal
Pharma- Mycelium (fungus High in SS, TDS, Chemical, biological
ceuticals filaments), spent filtrate High COD/BOD, treatment
and wash water acidic or alkaline
Textile Cooking of fibers, desizing High alkalinity, High Neutralization,
of fabric, bleaching, dying BOD, colour, high flotation, Chemical
(hypochlorite or peroxide) SS and biological
treatment
Tannery or Washing, Unhairing, High total solids, Equalization,
leather goods soaking, liming, deliming, salts, sulphides, sedimentation or
bating, pickling, chromium, BOD, chemical
degreesing, tanning, strong colour precipitation,
dyeing and stuffing biological treatment
Pulp and Cooking, refining, washing High or low pH, Settling, Chemical
paper (Black of fibers, screening of colour, high SS, high recovery, lime
liquor) paper pulp BOD, high treatment for colour,
(Kraft process using Na2SO4, NaOH, COD/BOD ratio, biological treatment
Na2S; Sulphite process using Mg &
Ca bisulphite and acid; alkali high TDS &
process using NaOH or lime) inorganic fillers
Summary of industrial wastewater, origin,
characteristics and treatment
Industries Origin of major wastes Major Major treatment and
characteristics disposal
Steel Coking of coal, washing of Low pH, phenol, ore Neutralization,
blast furnace flue gases, coke, limestone, recovery & reuse,
pickling of steel oils, low ss, high chemical
cyanide, high coagulation,
nitrogen Biological treatment
Fertilizer Synthesis of ammonia & High nitrogen Biological treatment
urea content
Oil refineries Drilling muds, salt, oil, High TDS, high Oil separation,
misc. oil from refining BOD, phenol, chemical treatment,
sulphur compounds, biological treatment
emulsified oil
Nuclear Processing of ores, Radioactive Concentration and
power plant laundering of contaminated elements. acidic containment or
and cloths, research lab dilution and
radioactive wastes, processing fuels, dispersion
materials power plant cooling water

More than 104 industrial category identified by CPCB http://www.cpcb.nic.in

Toxic chemicals from some selected industries

• Industry : Toxic polluents

• Fertilisers: Ammonia, arsenic
• Coke ovens: Phenols, cyanide, thiocyanate, ammonia
• Metullurgicals: Heavy metals, e.g. Cu, Cd, Zn
• Electroplating: Hexavulent chromium, cadmium, copper, zinc
• Synthetic wool: Acrylonitrile, acetonitrile, HCN
• Petrochemicals: Phenol, Heavy metals, cyanide