salam.. good morning. Guys this is a part of our group essay. I hope that all of you can give a comment about it.
Some people believe pollution is an inescapable result of human activity, they argue that if we want to have factories, cities, ships, cars, oil, and coastal resorts, some degree of pollution is almost certain to result. In other words, pollution is a necessary evil that people must put up with if they want to make progress. Fortunately, not everyone agrees with this view. One reason people have woken up to the problem of pollution is that it brings costs of its own that undermine any economic benefits that come about by polluting.
The effects of water pollution are varied and depend on what chemicals are dumped and in what locations. Klang Habour is a strong example of how badly pollution can damage bodies of water. The water is filled with toxic waste and sewage, and routinely receives more waste when rainfall pushes it into the harbor. Many bodies of water near urban areas are highly polluted. This is the result of both garbage dumped by individuals and dangerous chemicals legally or illegally dumped by industries.
Take oil spills, for example. They can happen if tankers are too poorly built to survive accidents at sea. But the economic benefit of compromising on tanker quality brings an economic cost when an oil spill occurs. The oil can wash up on nearby beaches, devastate the ecosystem, and severely affect tourism. The main problem is that the people who bear the cost of the spill (typically a small coastal community) are not the people who caused the problem in the first place (the people who operate the tanker). Yet, arguably, everyone who puts gasoline (petrol) into their car or uses almost any kind of petroleum-fueled transport contributes to the problem in some way. So oil spills are a problem for everyone, not just people who live by the coast and tanker operates.
Sewage is another good example of how pollution can affect us all. Sewage discharged into coastal waters can wash up on beaches and cause a health hazard. People who bathe or surf in the water can fall ill if they swallow polluted water yet sewage can have other harmful effects too, it can poison shellfish (such as cockles and mussels) that grow near the shore. People who eat poisoned shellfish risk suffering from an acute and sometimes fatal illness called paralytic shellfish poisoning. Shellfish is no longer caught along many shores because it is simply too polluted with sewage or toxic chemical wastes that have discharged from the land nearby.
The main problem caused by water pollution is that it kills life that inhabits water-based ecosystems. Dead fish, birds, dolphins, and many other animals often wind up on beaches, killed by pollutants in their habitat. Birds that get into oil-contaminated water die from exposure to cold water and air due to feather damage. Other animals are affected when they eat dead fish in contaminated streams. Pollution disrupts the natural food chain as well. Pollutants such as lead and cadmium are eaten by tiny animals. Later, these animals are consumed by fish and shellfish, and the food chain continues to be disrupted at all higher levels.
Eventually, humans are affected by this process as well. People can get diseases such as hepatitis by eating seafood that has been poisoned. Otherwise drinking polluted water can cause cholera or typhoid infections, along with diarrhea. It also can affects human body organs. The consumption of highly contaminated water can cause injury to the heart and kidneys.
Water pollutions also can causes algae in water. Urea, animal manure and vegetable peelings are food for algae. Algae grow according to how much waste is in a water source. Bacteria feed off the algae, decreasing the amount of oxygen in the water. The decreased oxygen causes harm to other organisms living in the water.
Flooding is also one of the effects of water pollution. The erosion of soil into waterways causes flooding, especially with heavy rainfall. Ecosystems can be severely changed or destroyed by water pollution. Many areas are now being affected by careless human pollution, and this pollution is coming back to hurt humans.
The effects of water pollution are not always immediate. They are not always seen at the point of contamination. They are sometimes never known by the person responsible for the pollution. However, water pollution has a huge impact on our lives. With knowledge, consideration and preparation, water pollution can be decreased. It doesn't take much effort, just a little thought.
post by; salawati sarip g72947
Friday, December 4, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Cause Of Water Pollution
1. INTRODUCTION
Water pollution is a major problem in the global context. It has been suggested that it is the leading worldwide cause of deaths and diseases, and that it accounts for the deaths of more than 14,000 people daily. An estimated 700 million Indians have no access to a proper toilet, and 1,000 Indian children die of diarrhoeal sickness every day. Some 90% of China's cities suffer from some degree of water pollution, and nearly 500 million people lack access to safe drinking water. In addition to the acute problems of water pollution in developing countries, industrialized countries continue to struggle with pollution problems as well. In the most recent national report on water quality in the United States, 45 percent of assessed stream miles, 47 percent of assessed lake acres, and 32 percent of assessed bay and estuarine square miles were classified as polluted.
Other than that, according to Department of Environment (DOE) research, dive two years about the level of pollution of rivers throughout the country, 91% of cases of river pollution is caused from man-made. This problem occurs because most people who use septic tanks refuse to cooperate with the parties involved to treat sewage waste. According to DOE of 16 categories as polluted rivers which are located mostly in the states of the rapidly developing as Penang, Johor and Selangor. Rivers in Selangor that have been identified pollution is Sungai Rephens, Sungai Tekala, Sungai Kundur, Sungai Gabai, Sungai Chenarek, Sungai Lepok and the Lowest is Sungai Congkak. Among these rivers, Sungai Rephens have a high number of koliform feces because there is a pen of cattle and sheep barn initiate by local residents.
That is related to our topic is Water Pollution. We choose this topic because some of the people not very concern about this issue and less of the cooperation. Besides that, the others purpose is increase the awareness to prevent the issue of the water pollution. Recently, water pollution become a big issue. In addition, we know that some of the glacier was become liquid. All of this are cause of global worming.
That’s why our group choose water pollution for our project topic. By the way, in recent years, water pollution issues felt very acute because many rivers and water catchment areas have experienced contamination. We feel necessary to increase awareness about the importance of being environmental pollution so that water does not Occur. We also feel that if this condition is not prevented from the beginning, future generations may not be able to view wildlife and river water is clear.
2. DEFINITION
Water is typically referred to as polluted when it is impaired by anthropogenic contaminants and either does not support a human use, like serving as drinking water, and/or undergoes a marked shift in its ability to support its constituent biotic communities, such as fish. Natural phenomena such as volcanoes, algae blooms, storms, and earthquakes also cause major changes in water quality and the ecological status of water. Water pollution has many causes and characteristics.
Water pollution to the addition of foreign substances (pollutants) to a water source. These impurities have a detrimental effect on water quality, and can be harmful to living organisms and aquatic life. Pollution can be introduced to water from both point sources and diffuse sources. Common sources of pollutants include man-made, industrial waste and domestic sewage and natural sources such as soil erosion and silt-bearing runoff.
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater. All water pollution affects organisms and plants that live in these water bodies and in almost all cases the effect is damaging either to individual species and populations but also to the natural biological communities. It occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful constituents.
The definition also includes any solid, liquid or gaseous waste and all other substances whose cause water pollution or a violation.
3. CAUSE OF WATER POLLUTION
The water pollution in Malaysia is originated from point sources and non-point sources. Point sources that have been identified include sewage treatment plants, manufacturing and agro-based industries and animal farms. Non-point sources are mainly diffused ones such as agricultural activities and surface runoffs. According to Malaysia Environment Quality Report 2004, the Department of Environment has recorded 17,991 water pollution point sources in 2004 comprising mainly sewage treatment plants (54%), manufacturing industries (38%), animal farms (5%) and agro-based industries (3%). The distribution of the water pollution sources is shown in Figure 1 below.
Water pollution is a major problem in the global context. It has been suggested that it is the leading worldwide cause of deaths and diseases, and that it accounts for the deaths of more than 14,000 people daily. An estimated 700 million Indians have no access to a proper toilet, and 1,000 Indian children die of diarrhoeal sickness every day. Some 90% of China's cities suffer from some degree of water pollution, and nearly 500 million people lack access to safe drinking water. In addition to the acute problems of water pollution in developing countries, industrialized countries continue to struggle with pollution problems as well. In the most recent national report on water quality in the United States, 45 percent of assessed stream miles, 47 percent of assessed lake acres, and 32 percent of assessed bay and estuarine square miles were classified as polluted.
Other than that, according to Department of Environment (DOE) research, dive two years about the level of pollution of rivers throughout the country, 91% of cases of river pollution is caused from man-made. This problem occurs because most people who use septic tanks refuse to cooperate with the parties involved to treat sewage waste. According to DOE of 16 categories as polluted rivers which are located mostly in the states of the rapidly developing as Penang, Johor and Selangor. Rivers in Selangor that have been identified pollution is Sungai Rephens, Sungai Tekala, Sungai Kundur, Sungai Gabai, Sungai Chenarek, Sungai Lepok and the Lowest is Sungai Congkak. Among these rivers, Sungai Rephens have a high number of koliform feces because there is a pen of cattle and sheep barn initiate by local residents.
That is related to our topic is Water Pollution. We choose this topic because some of the people not very concern about this issue and less of the cooperation. Besides that, the others purpose is increase the awareness to prevent the issue of the water pollution. Recently, water pollution become a big issue. In addition, we know that some of the glacier was become liquid. All of this are cause of global worming.
That’s why our group choose water pollution for our project topic. By the way, in recent years, water pollution issues felt very acute because many rivers and water catchment areas have experienced contamination. We feel necessary to increase awareness about the importance of being environmental pollution so that water does not Occur. We also feel that if this condition is not prevented from the beginning, future generations may not be able to view wildlife and river water is clear.
2. DEFINITION
Water is typically referred to as polluted when it is impaired by anthropogenic contaminants and either does not support a human use, like serving as drinking water, and/or undergoes a marked shift in its ability to support its constituent biotic communities, such as fish. Natural phenomena such as volcanoes, algae blooms, storms, and earthquakes also cause major changes in water quality and the ecological status of water. Water pollution has many causes and characteristics.
Water pollution to the addition of foreign substances (pollutants) to a water source. These impurities have a detrimental effect on water quality, and can be harmful to living organisms and aquatic life. Pollution can be introduced to water from both point sources and diffuse sources. Common sources of pollutants include man-made, industrial waste and domestic sewage and natural sources such as soil erosion and silt-bearing runoff.
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater. All water pollution affects organisms and plants that live in these water bodies and in almost all cases the effect is damaging either to individual species and populations but also to the natural biological communities. It occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful constituents.
The definition also includes any solid, liquid or gaseous waste and all other substances whose cause water pollution or a violation.
3. CAUSE OF WATER POLLUTION
The water pollution in Malaysia is originated from point sources and non-point sources. Point sources that have been identified include sewage treatment plants, manufacturing and agro-based industries and animal farms. Non-point sources are mainly diffused ones such as agricultural activities and surface runoffs. According to Malaysia Environment Quality Report 2004, the Department of Environment has recorded 17,991 water pollution point sources in 2004 comprising mainly sewage treatment plants (54%), manufacturing industries (38%), animal farms (5%) and agro-based industries (3%). The distribution of the water pollution sources is shown in Figure 1 below.
3.1. Industrial sewage
Industrial activities is a major source of increased discharge waste water containing heavy metals into the rivers. In 1995, industry contributed 65% of sewage pollution to the river in terms of BOD. Its followed by agricultural activities. Some irresponsible entrepreneur channeled the toxic waste direct to the river. They also deliberately throw the industrial like solid waste or toxic waste direct to the river. This will cause of death aquatic life. More than that, it will make healthy problem to human.
3.2. Livestock Animals
Unclean animal filth-channeled into the river without thought to the environment impact. This can be proved through the discovery TV3 journalist in the Islamic University College of Science, Kuala Sungai Baru Melaka. The pig farmers have continued to release pig droppings into the river that flows directly into the sea. This is causing water and air pollution.
3.3. Sacrificed Center
The operators also contributors to the central slaughtering of water pollution. They remove waste slaughter as blood, stool, stomach and other animals that are slaughtered in the rivers. This disrupt the ecosystem.
3.4. Restaurant and Food Outlets
Attitude of some owners restaurants and food outlets to remove the remaining food to their customers in the drains which flow directly into rivers also contribute to water pollution. This condition is mainly done by traders who trade on the sea.
3.5. Domestic Waste
There also some irresponsible resident removing trash into rivers. Rubbish such as empty bottles, plastic bags, and papers, and foods remaining, that are not used removed without thinking of the river aquatic life and the resident that use river as main source of water.
3.6. Wet Markets and Wholesale Markets.
Vendors at the wet markets and wholesale markets also contribute occurrence of water pollution. Traders remove their waste sales revenue down the drain where the duct directly into rivers. This directly led to the river became polluted.
3.7. Septic Tank Sewage
Cost saving for residential septic tanks and sewage treatment plant, there are some people who are not responsible to take the easy way with the filth of sewage into the channel rivers.
3.8. Thermal Pollution
Thermal pollution is the rise or fall in the temperature of a natural body of water caused by human influence. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. Elevated water temperatures decreases oxygen levels (which can kill fish) and affects ecosystem composition, such as invasion by new thermophilic species. Urban runoff may also elevate temperature in surface waters.
Thermal pollution can also be caused by the release of very cold water from the base of reservoirs into warmer rivers.
3.9. Soil Erosion
Water pollution can also occur naturally from the effects of soil erosion and sediment plants that have died and decay.
3.10. Sedimentation
Water pollution occur as a result of land development for housing exploration activities, industry, agriculture, logging, sand mining and others.
As a conclusion, the main causes of water pollution is man-made. Some greedy man only concerned about profit without thinking about the effects of environmental damage.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
solution of water pollution
To ensure our water source is clean, we must carry out the steps as follows. These steps can be divided according to several categories. Among the steps that need to be done by individuals, families, communities and government.
3.1 Individual
The first and fore most as an individual, each individual must discipline themselves. Before we ask others to do something to maintain the cleanliness of rivers, we first need to educate ourselves to love river. We must discipline ourselves in the cleanliness of rivers. Do not throw garbage into the river because the river is a major source of drinking water in Malaysia. This will cause the garbage and polluted river water does not flow smoothly.
In addition, the everyday uses in the home goods such as detergent that can not be dibiodegrasi, cooking oil, pesticides and chemicals should be reduced. Reduction of the use of these materials can reduce chemical waste directly into the home from water. With self-discipline in each individual, we will be more aware and responsible for the cleanliness of rivers and water sources in the country.
3.2 Family level
Secondly step is family level. Education about hygiene the river should start from home. Family or parents should teach their children to love the river or source of water for human consumption. They need to be educated importance of rivers as the main source of water to humans and living things in this world. Without clean water, human life will be destroyed.
With this upbringing, the children will maintain the water source and they will not be polluting water sources with rubbish and materials that can pollute water and cause harm to humans and living things in the water.
3.3 Society
Third step is what to do by society. As society, we must expand the campaign in love with the river through the mass media including explains backwash waste disposal and all types of waste into the river and also the fine will be imposed if the offense caught polluting river.
Industrial factories must use tools specific to trap the waste produced by industries, such as electrostatic ripper. With the tools to trap the waste industry, it can avoid the waste industry is channeled directly into the river or water source that is also used by humans and other living things.
In this way the river or water source in Malaysia will be protected from toxic waste pollution resulting from industrial factories. Habitat in the river will be safe and not extinct. People who made habitats in the river as a source of food will also be saved from diseases that can be spread by contaminated water. With this, all living things in the universe will be safe and can live in peace.
3.4 Government
Lastly step is government need to expand the scope of education in schools in an effort to educate the younger generation loves river. Schools should implement environmental education for students. The knowlegde can be applied in the teaching of science subjects. With this environmental education, students can learn how to maintain cleanliness of rivers or water sources.
Add up to this, law enforcement must be implemented so that offenders against river pollution can be taken and actions based on alleged errors committed. Law is not enforced will not educate people to appreciate the rivers.
The Department of Environment and Department of Irrigation and Drainage must improve the quality of river patrols to be maintained and monitored. Supervision of residents of squatter areas must be enhanced so that they do not remove the garbage or filth into the river indiscriminately.
In addition, contamination can be avoided by centralized industrial areas. Government should establish a special area for industrial. The area must be a distance far from the housing area or from water sources so it won’t cause any harm to human’s health.
Government should also establish the waste treatment industry. Government should provide a special area for treating industrial waste. With a special place to treat industrial waste, the river no longer a place for removing toxic materials from the factory. River or water source will be saved from toxic contaminants, as well as habitats that live in river.
4. Conclusion
In conclusion we must work together to maintain cleanliness of the river either as an individual, family, community or government. We also must discipline ourselves to keep the river clean. Parent must play a role for their children on how to take care the cleanliness of water. Community should be sensitive to the cleanliness of their environment. While nothing will be run in a transparent law. Then we can get a clean environment. Clean water is essential for the prosperity of our lives.
post by: zuraida zolkepeli (g72970)
3.1 Individual
The first and fore most as an individual, each individual must discipline themselves. Before we ask others to do something to maintain the cleanliness of rivers, we first need to educate ourselves to love river. We must discipline ourselves in the cleanliness of rivers. Do not throw garbage into the river because the river is a major source of drinking water in Malaysia. This will cause the garbage and polluted river water does not flow smoothly.
In addition, the everyday uses in the home goods such as detergent that can not be dibiodegrasi, cooking oil, pesticides and chemicals should be reduced. Reduction of the use of these materials can reduce chemical waste directly into the home from water. With self-discipline in each individual, we will be more aware and responsible for the cleanliness of rivers and water sources in the country.
3.2 Family level
Secondly step is family level. Education about hygiene the river should start from home. Family or parents should teach their children to love the river or source of water for human consumption. They need to be educated importance of rivers as the main source of water to humans and living things in this world. Without clean water, human life will be destroyed.
With this upbringing, the children will maintain the water source and they will not be polluting water sources with rubbish and materials that can pollute water and cause harm to humans and living things in the water.
3.3 Society
Third step is what to do by society. As society, we must expand the campaign in love with the river through the mass media including explains backwash waste disposal and all types of waste into the river and also the fine will be imposed if the offense caught polluting river.
Industrial factories must use tools specific to trap the waste produced by industries, such as electrostatic ripper. With the tools to trap the waste industry, it can avoid the waste industry is channeled directly into the river or water source that is also used by humans and other living things.
In this way the river or water source in Malaysia will be protected from toxic waste pollution resulting from industrial factories. Habitat in the river will be safe and not extinct. People who made habitats in the river as a source of food will also be saved from diseases that can be spread by contaminated water. With this, all living things in the universe will be safe and can live in peace.
3.4 Government
Lastly step is government need to expand the scope of education in schools in an effort to educate the younger generation loves river. Schools should implement environmental education for students. The knowlegde can be applied in the teaching of science subjects. With this environmental education, students can learn how to maintain cleanliness of rivers or water sources.
Add up to this, law enforcement must be implemented so that offenders against river pollution can be taken and actions based on alleged errors committed. Law is not enforced will not educate people to appreciate the rivers.
The Department of Environment and Department of Irrigation and Drainage must improve the quality of river patrols to be maintained and monitored. Supervision of residents of squatter areas must be enhanced so that they do not remove the garbage or filth into the river indiscriminately.
In addition, contamination can be avoided by centralized industrial areas. Government should establish a special area for industrial. The area must be a distance far from the housing area or from water sources so it won’t cause any harm to human’s health.
Government should also establish the waste treatment industry. Government should provide a special area for treating industrial waste. With a special place to treat industrial waste, the river no longer a place for removing toxic materials from the factory. River or water source will be saved from toxic contaminants, as well as habitats that live in river.
4. Conclusion
In conclusion we must work together to maintain cleanliness of the river either as an individual, family, community or government. We also must discipline ourselves to keep the river clean. Parent must play a role for their children on how to take care the cleanliness of water. Community should be sensitive to the cleanliness of their environment. While nothing will be run in a transparent law. Then we can get a clean environment. Clean water is essential for the prosperity of our lives.
post by: zuraida zolkepeli (g72970)
outline report
Topic: Water pollution
1. Introduction
-our topic is water pollution.
-we choose this topic because some people not very concern about this issue and less of the
cooperation.
2. Body
-definition- water pollution refers to the addition of foreign substances (pollutants) to a water
source.
-These impurities have a detrimental effect on water quality and can be harmful
to living organisms and aquatic life.
-pollution can be introduced to water from both point sources and diffuse sources.
-Common sources of pollutants include man-made industrial waste and domestic
sewage and natural sources such as soil erosion and silt-bearing runoff.
* Causes
a) rubbish dump - the river will be polluted, will be shallow ,
b) dumping of toxic waste – The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a
wide spectrum of chemicals, pathogens, and physical or sensory
changes such as elevated temperature and discoloration.
- Many of the chemical substances are toxic. Pathogens can produce
waterborne diseases in either human or animal hosts.
c) oil expression in the sea – from the ship
*Effect
a)River pollution
b)Effect on water quality and can be harmful to living organisms and aquatic life.
c)The main problem caused by water pollution is that it kills life that inhabits water-based
ecosystems. Dead fish, birds, dolphins, and many other animals often wind up on beaches,
killed by pollutants in their habitat.
d) Pollution disrupts the natural food chain as well. Pollutants such as lead and cadmium are
eaten by tiny animals.
e) Eventually, humans are affected by this process as well. People can get diseases such as
hepatitis by eating seafood that has been poisoned.
f) Ecosystems can be severely changed or destroyed by water pollution. Many areas are now
being affected by careless human pollution, and this pollution is coming back to hurt
humans.
*solutions
a) individual -each individual must disipline themselves
b) family level -education about hygiene the river should start from home.
c) society -campaign through mass media.
-using equipment to trap the waste industry.
d) government-government need to expand the scope of education in schools in an effort to
educate the younger generation loves river.
-The control of water pollution is the responsibility of the Department of
Environment (DOE), which is empowered to enforce compliance with effluent
standards for point sources of pollution.
-Department of Environment and department of Irrigation and Drainage must
improve the quality of river patrols to be maintained and monitored.
-Centralized industrial areas.
-Establishing the waste treatment industry.
3. Conclusion
-Water pollution is very dangerous to us and the world.
-Parent must be role to their children about how to take care the cleanliness water.
-The clean water to assume our peaceful life.
post by: zuraida zolkepeli (g72970)
1. Introduction
-our topic is water pollution.
-we choose this topic because some people not very concern about this issue and less of the
cooperation.
2. Body
-definition- water pollution refers to the addition of foreign substances (pollutants) to a water
source.
-These impurities have a detrimental effect on water quality and can be harmful
to living organisms and aquatic life.
-pollution can be introduced to water from both point sources and diffuse sources.
-Common sources of pollutants include man-made industrial waste and domestic
sewage and natural sources such as soil erosion and silt-bearing runoff.
* Causes
a) rubbish dump - the river will be polluted, will be shallow ,
b) dumping of toxic waste – The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a
wide spectrum of chemicals, pathogens, and physical or sensory
changes such as elevated temperature and discoloration.
- Many of the chemical substances are toxic. Pathogens can produce
waterborne diseases in either human or animal hosts.
c) oil expression in the sea – from the ship
*Effect
a)River pollution
b)Effect on water quality and can be harmful to living organisms and aquatic life.
c)The main problem caused by water pollution is that it kills life that inhabits water-based
ecosystems. Dead fish, birds, dolphins, and many other animals often wind up on beaches,
killed by pollutants in their habitat.
d) Pollution disrupts the natural food chain as well. Pollutants such as lead and cadmium are
eaten by tiny animals.
e) Eventually, humans are affected by this process as well. People can get diseases such as
hepatitis by eating seafood that has been poisoned.
f) Ecosystems can be severely changed or destroyed by water pollution. Many areas are now
being affected by careless human pollution, and this pollution is coming back to hurt
humans.
*solutions
a) individual -each individual must disipline themselves
b) family level -education about hygiene the river should start from home.
c) society -campaign through mass media.
-using equipment to trap the waste industry.
d) government-government need to expand the scope of education in schools in an effort to
educate the younger generation loves river.
-The control of water pollution is the responsibility of the Department of
Environment (DOE), which is empowered to enforce compliance with effluent
standards for point sources of pollution.
-Department of Environment and department of Irrigation and Drainage must
improve the quality of river patrols to be maintained and monitored.
-Centralized industrial areas.
-Establishing the waste treatment industry.
3. Conclusion
-Water pollution is very dangerous to us and the world.
-Parent must be role to their children about how to take care the cleanliness water.
-The clean water to assume our peaceful life.
post by: zuraida zolkepeli (g72970)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
cause of water pollution
Without healthy water for drinking, cooking, fishing, and farming, the human race would perish. Clean water is also necessary for recreational interests such as swimming, boating, and water skiing. Yet, when Congress began assessing national water quality during the early 1970s, it found that much of the country's groundwater and surface water was contaminated or severely compromised. Studies revealed that the nation's three primary sources of water pollution—industry, agriculture, and municipalities—had been regularly discharging harmful materials into water supplies throughout the country over a number of years.
These harmful materials included organic wastes, sediments, minerals, nutrients, thermal pollutants, toxic chemicals, and other hazardous substances. Organic wastes are produced by animals and humans, and include such things as fecal matter, crop debris, yard clippings, food wastes, rubber, plastic, wood, and disposable diapers. Such wastes require oxygen to decompose. When they are dumped into streams and lakes and begin to break down, they can deprive aquatic life of the oxygen it needs to survive.
Sediments may be deposited into lakes and streams through soil erosion caused by the clearing, excavating, grading, transporting, and filling of land. Minerals, such as iron, copper, chromium, platinum, nickel, zinc, and tin, can be discharged into streams and lakes as a result of various mining activities. Excessive levels of sediments and minerals in water can inhibit the penetration of sunlight, which reduces the production of photosynthetic organisms.
Nutrients, like phosphorus and nitrogen, support the growth of algae and other plants forming the lower levels of the food chain. However, excessive levels of nutrients from sources such as fertilizer can cause eutrophication, which is the overgrowth of aquatic vegetation. This overgrowth clouds the water and smothers some plants. Over time, excessive nutrient levels can accelerate the natural process by which bodies of water evolve into dry land.
Thermal pollution results from the release of heated water into lakes and streams. Most thermal pollution is generated by power plant cooling systems. Power plants use water to cool their reactors and turbines, and discharge it into lakes and tributaries after it has become heated. Higher water temperatures accelerate biological and chemical processes in rivers and streams, reducing the water's ability to retain dissolved oxygen. This can hasten the growth of algae and disrupt the reproduction of fish.
Toxic chemicals and other hazardous materials present the most imminent threat to water quality. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified 582 highly toxic chemicals, which are produced, manufactured, and stored in locations across the United States. Some chemical plants incinerate toxic waste, which produces dangerous by-products like furans and chlorinated dioxins, two of the most deadly carcinogens known to the human race. Other hazardous materials are produced or stored by households (motor oil, antifreeze, paints, and pesticides), dry cleaners (chlorinated solvents), farms (insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, and herbicides), and gas stations and airports (fuel).
Water pollution regulation consists of a labyrinth of state and federal statutes, administrative rules, and common-law principles.
post by: zuraida zolkepeli (G72970)
These harmful materials included organic wastes, sediments, minerals, nutrients, thermal pollutants, toxic chemicals, and other hazardous substances. Organic wastes are produced by animals and humans, and include such things as fecal matter, crop debris, yard clippings, food wastes, rubber, plastic, wood, and disposable diapers. Such wastes require oxygen to decompose. When they are dumped into streams and lakes and begin to break down, they can deprive aquatic life of the oxygen it needs to survive.
Sediments may be deposited into lakes and streams through soil erosion caused by the clearing, excavating, grading, transporting, and filling of land. Minerals, such as iron, copper, chromium, platinum, nickel, zinc, and tin, can be discharged into streams and lakes as a result of various mining activities. Excessive levels of sediments and minerals in water can inhibit the penetration of sunlight, which reduces the production of photosynthetic organisms.
Nutrients, like phosphorus and nitrogen, support the growth of algae and other plants forming the lower levels of the food chain. However, excessive levels of nutrients from sources such as fertilizer can cause eutrophication, which is the overgrowth of aquatic vegetation. This overgrowth clouds the water and smothers some plants. Over time, excessive nutrient levels can accelerate the natural process by which bodies of water evolve into dry land.
Thermal pollution results from the release of heated water into lakes and streams. Most thermal pollution is generated by power plant cooling systems. Power plants use water to cool their reactors and turbines, and discharge it into lakes and tributaries after it has become heated. Higher water temperatures accelerate biological and chemical processes in rivers and streams, reducing the water's ability to retain dissolved oxygen. This can hasten the growth of algae and disrupt the reproduction of fish.
Toxic chemicals and other hazardous materials present the most imminent threat to water quality. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified 582 highly toxic chemicals, which are produced, manufactured, and stored in locations across the United States. Some chemical plants incinerate toxic waste, which produces dangerous by-products like furans and chlorinated dioxins, two of the most deadly carcinogens known to the human race. Other hazardous materials are produced or stored by households (motor oil, antifreeze, paints, and pesticides), dry cleaners (chlorinated solvents), farms (insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, and herbicides), and gas stations and airports (fuel).
Water pollution regulation consists of a labyrinth of state and federal statutes, administrative rules, and common-law principles.
post by: zuraida zolkepeli (G72970)
Definition of water pollution
Water pollution to the addition of foreign substances (pollutants) to a water source. These impurities have a detrimental effect on water quality, and can be harmful to living organisms and aquatic life. Pollution can be introduced to water from both point sources and diffuse sources. Common sources of pollutants include man-made industrial waste and domestic sewage and natural sources such as soil errosion and silt-bearing runoff.
post by: zuraida zolkepeli (G72970)
post by: zuraida zolkepeli (G72970)
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
framework of water pollution
Assalamualaikum...
I think all of us have made more contents of water pollution. But we didn't discuss about the framework of this title. I would like to give my opinion about the framework.
1. Definition - from dictionary
- from Malaysia academician opinion
- academician opinion from foreigner
2. Source of water pollution
3. Why did this happened
4. step of determent
5. ending - How we feel about water pollution
What will happen if water pollution non-stop
As a parent, what must we do
As a teacher, what must we do
As a leader, what must they do
Post by: Rukiah binti A. Kadir G72944
I think all of us have made more contents of water pollution. But we didn't discuss about the framework of this title. I would like to give my opinion about the framework.
1. Definition - from dictionary
- from Malaysia academician opinion
- academician opinion from foreigner
2. Source of water pollution
3. Why did this happened
4. step of determent
5. ending - How we feel about water pollution
What will happen if water pollution non-stop
As a parent, what must we do
As a teacher, what must we do
As a leader, what must they do
Post by: Rukiah binti A. Kadir G72944
Monday, November 9, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater. All water pollution affects organisms and plants that live in these water bodies and in almost all cases the effect is damaging either to individual species and populations but also to the natural biological communities. It occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful constituents.
Causes of water pollution
The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a wide spectrum of chemicals, pathogens, and physical or sensory changes such as elevated temperature and discoloration. While many of the chemicals and substances that are regulated may be naturally occurring (calcium, sodium, iron, manganese, etc.) the concentration is often the key in determining what is a natural component of water, and what is a contaminant.
Oxygen-depleting substances may be natural materials, such as plant matter (e.g. leaves and grass) as well as man-made chemicals. Other natural and anthropogenic substances may cause turbidity (cloudiness) which blocks light and disrupts plant growth, and clogs the gills of some fish species.
Many of the chemical substances are toxic. Pathogens can produce waterborne diseases in either human or animal hosts. Alteration of water's physical chemistry include acidity (change in pH), electrical conductivity, temperature, and eutrophication. Eutrophication is the fertilization of surface water by nutrients that were previously scarce.
effects of water pollution
The effects of water pollution are varied and depend on what chemicals are dumped and in what locations.
Boston Harbor is a strong example of how badly pollution can damage bodies of water. The water is filled with toxic waste and sewage, and routinely receives more waste when rainfall pushes it into the harbor.
Many bodies of water near urban areas are highly polluted. This is the result of both garbage dumped by individuals and dangerous chemicals legally or illegally dumped by industries.
The main problem caused by water pollution is that it kills life that inhabits water-based ecosystems. Dead fish, birds, dolphins, and many other animals often wind up on beaches, killed by pollutants in their habitat.
Pollution disrupts the natural food chain as well. Pollutants such as lead and cadmium are eaten by tiny animals. Later, these animals are consumed by fish and shellfish, and the food chain continues to be disrupted at all higher levels.
Eventually, humans are affected by this process as well. People can get diseases such as hepatitis by eating seafood that has been poisoned.
Ecosystems can be severely changed or destroyed by water pollution. Many areas are now being affected by careless human pollution, and this pollution is coming back to hurt humans.
control of water pollution
Control of water pollution[edit] Domestic sewage
Main article: Sewage treatmentDeer Island Waste Water Treatment Plant serving Boston, Massachusetts and vicinity.In urban areas, domestic sewage is typically treated by centralized sewage treatment plants. In the U.S., most of these plants are operated by local government agencies. Municipal treatment plants are designed to control conventional pollutants: BOD and suspended solids. Well-designed and operated systems (i.e., secondary treatment or better) can remove 90 percent or more of these pollutants. Some plants have additional sub-systems to treat nutrients and pathogens. Most municipal plants are not designed to treat toxic pollutants found in industrial wastewater.[16]
Cities with sanitary sewer overflows or combined sewer overflows employ one or more engineering approaches to reduce discharges of untreated sewage, including:
utilizing a green infrastructure approach to improve stormwater management capacity throughout the system[17] repair and replacement of leaking and malfunctioning equipment[11] increasing overall hydraulic capacity of the sewage collection system (often a very expensive option). A household or business not served by a municipal treatment plant may have an individual septic tank, which treats the wastewater on site and discharges into the soil. Alternatively, domestic wastewater may be sent to a nearby privately-owned treatment system (e.g. in a rural community).[edit] Industrial wastewaterMain article: Industrial wastewater treatmentDissolved air flotation system for treating industrial wastewater.Some industrial facilities generate ordinary domestic sewage that can be treated by municipal facilities. Industries that generate wastewater with high concentrations of conventional pollutants (e.g. oil and grease), toxic pollutants (e.g. heavy metals, volatile organic compounds) or other nonconventional pollutants such as ammonia, need specialized treatment systems. Some of these facilities can install a pre-treatment system
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_pollu…
post by: zuraida zolkepeli (G72970)
Causes of water pollution
The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a wide spectrum of chemicals, pathogens, and physical or sensory changes such as elevated temperature and discoloration. While many of the chemicals and substances that are regulated may be naturally occurring (calcium, sodium, iron, manganese, etc.) the concentration is often the key in determining what is a natural component of water, and what is a contaminant.
Oxygen-depleting substances may be natural materials, such as plant matter (e.g. leaves and grass) as well as man-made chemicals. Other natural and anthropogenic substances may cause turbidity (cloudiness) which blocks light and disrupts plant growth, and clogs the gills of some fish species.
Many of the chemical substances are toxic. Pathogens can produce waterborne diseases in either human or animal hosts. Alteration of water's physical chemistry include acidity (change in pH), electrical conductivity, temperature, and eutrophication. Eutrophication is the fertilization of surface water by nutrients that were previously scarce.
effects of water pollution
The effects of water pollution are varied and depend on what chemicals are dumped and in what locations.
Boston Harbor is a strong example of how badly pollution can damage bodies of water. The water is filled with toxic waste and sewage, and routinely receives more waste when rainfall pushes it into the harbor.
Many bodies of water near urban areas are highly polluted. This is the result of both garbage dumped by individuals and dangerous chemicals legally or illegally dumped by industries.
The main problem caused by water pollution is that it kills life that inhabits water-based ecosystems. Dead fish, birds, dolphins, and many other animals often wind up on beaches, killed by pollutants in their habitat.
Pollution disrupts the natural food chain as well. Pollutants such as lead and cadmium are eaten by tiny animals. Later, these animals are consumed by fish and shellfish, and the food chain continues to be disrupted at all higher levels.
Eventually, humans are affected by this process as well. People can get diseases such as hepatitis by eating seafood that has been poisoned.
Ecosystems can be severely changed or destroyed by water pollution. Many areas are now being affected by careless human pollution, and this pollution is coming back to hurt humans.
control of water pollution
Control of water pollution[edit] Domestic sewage
Main article: Sewage treatmentDeer Island Waste Water Treatment Plant serving Boston, Massachusetts and vicinity.In urban areas, domestic sewage is typically treated by centralized sewage treatment plants. In the U.S., most of these plants are operated by local government agencies. Municipal treatment plants are designed to control conventional pollutants: BOD and suspended solids. Well-designed and operated systems (i.e., secondary treatment or better) can remove 90 percent or more of these pollutants. Some plants have additional sub-systems to treat nutrients and pathogens. Most municipal plants are not designed to treat toxic pollutants found in industrial wastewater.[16]
Cities with sanitary sewer overflows or combined sewer overflows employ one or more engineering approaches to reduce discharges of untreated sewage, including:
utilizing a green infrastructure approach to improve stormwater management capacity throughout the system[17] repair and replacement of leaking and malfunctioning equipment[11] increasing overall hydraulic capacity of the sewage collection system (often a very expensive option). A household or business not served by a municipal treatment plant may have an individual septic tank, which treats the wastewater on site and discharges into the soil. Alternatively, domestic wastewater may be sent to a nearby privately-owned treatment system (e.g. in a rural community).[edit] Industrial wastewaterMain article: Industrial wastewater treatmentDissolved air flotation system for treating industrial wastewater.Some industrial facilities generate ordinary domestic sewage that can be treated by municipal facilities. Industries that generate wastewater with high concentrations of conventional pollutants (e.g. oil and grease), toxic pollutants (e.g. heavy metals, volatile organic compounds) or other nonconventional pollutants such as ammonia, need specialized treatment systems. Some of these facilities can install a pre-treatment system
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_pollu…
post by: zuraida zolkepeli (G72970)
water pollution in malaysia
Water pollution:
As Malaysia is fast becoming an industrial country, many of her rivers have become polluted due to the many wastes that have been poured out into her rivers. Such as the paper making industry, it requires chemicals, often poisonous in its production. The rivers are used as an outlet for the chemicals to drain away, in turn harming the waters and the lives that revolve around them.
There are many ethnic aboriginal groups that still exist in Malaysia and the people depend on the rivers and streams to survive. They depend on the river for food, water supply for drinking, bathing and for their crops. the river happens to be the main centre of their livelihood and without the rivers the whole tribes cannot survive as their ancestors had done generations before them, all of them depending on the rivers.
The rivers have become a tourist attraction and this has prompted the construction of hotels and resorts around the area. As a result, many of the forests surrounding the river areas have been chopped down. The surrounding soil have no roots to hold on to and soon erode when the rains come. The soil runs into the rivers and soon the rivers become murky and shut out all the sunlight from reaching the aquatic life in the rivers and streams. This causes them to die.
A good example is the construction of a new golf course near the waterfall at tourist attraction Fraser’s Hill in the state of Pahang, causing it to become extremely murky and dirty due to the silt and sand that comes from the construction. The waterfall which has been the centrepoint of the hill has now lost all its attraction just because of the overwhelming need to attract more tourists to the place by building more facilities.
Main Pain:
Another example of the tourist industry in being the cause of pollution is the water area. At Chini Lake (Tasik Chini), just so that 'eco-tourists' don't have to get their feet wet, the Government built a dam at the river draining Pahang's Tasik Chini. But now the dam has drowned thousands of trees surrounding the lake, threatening fisheries as well. In a cautionary tale of the times, Andrew Sia who won the ICI-CCM Environmental Journalism Award (Honourable Mention) for his 1994 story, Damming the Lotus Lake, revisits Tasik Chini to seek out the real picture behind the ostensible 'tourist pampering' rationale of the dam.
post by: zuraida zolkepeli (G72970)
As Malaysia is fast becoming an industrial country, many of her rivers have become polluted due to the many wastes that have been poured out into her rivers. Such as the paper making industry, it requires chemicals, often poisonous in its production. The rivers are used as an outlet for the chemicals to drain away, in turn harming the waters and the lives that revolve around them.
There are many ethnic aboriginal groups that still exist in Malaysia and the people depend on the rivers and streams to survive. They depend on the river for food, water supply for drinking, bathing and for their crops. the river happens to be the main centre of their livelihood and without the rivers the whole tribes cannot survive as their ancestors had done generations before them, all of them depending on the rivers.
The rivers have become a tourist attraction and this has prompted the construction of hotels and resorts around the area. As a result, many of the forests surrounding the river areas have been chopped down. The surrounding soil have no roots to hold on to and soon erode when the rains come. The soil runs into the rivers and soon the rivers become murky and shut out all the sunlight from reaching the aquatic life in the rivers and streams. This causes them to die.
A good example is the construction of a new golf course near the waterfall at tourist attraction Fraser’s Hill in the state of Pahang, causing it to become extremely murky and dirty due to the silt and sand that comes from the construction. The waterfall which has been the centrepoint of the hill has now lost all its attraction just because of the overwhelming need to attract more tourists to the place by building more facilities.
Main Pain:
Another example of the tourist industry in being the cause of pollution is the water area. At Chini Lake (Tasik Chini), just so that 'eco-tourists' don't have to get their feet wet, the Government built a dam at the river draining Pahang's Tasik Chini. But now the dam has drowned thousands of trees surrounding the lake, threatening fisheries as well. In a cautionary tale of the times, Andrew Sia who won the ICI-CCM Environmental Journalism Award (Honourable Mention) for his 1994 story, Damming the Lotus Lake, revisits Tasik Chini to seek out the real picture behind the ostensible 'tourist pampering' rationale of the dam.
post by: zuraida zolkepeli (G72970)
water pollution categori
] Water pollution categories
Surface water and groundwater have often been studied and managed as separate resources, although they are interrelated.[7] Sources of surface water pollution are generally grouped into two categories based on their origin.
[edit] Point source pollution
Point source pollution - Shipyard - Rio de Janeiro.
Point source pollution refers to contaminants that enter a waterway through a discrete conveyance, such as a pipe or ditch. Examples of sources in this category include discharges from a sewage treatment plant, a factory, or a city storm drain. The U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA) defines point source for regulatory enforcement purposes.[8] The CWA definition of point source was amended in 1987 to include municipal storm sewer systems, as well as industrial stormwater, such as from construction sites.[9]
[edit] Non-point source pollution
Non-point source (NPS) pollution refers to diffuse contamination that does not originate from a single discrete source. NPS pollution is often accumulative effect of small amounts of contaminants gathered from a large area. The leaching out of nitrogen compounds from agricultural land which has been fertilized is a typical example. Nutrient runoff in stormwater from "sheet flow" over an agricultural field or a forest are also cited as examples of NPS pollution.
Contaminated storm water washed off of parking lots, roads and highways, called urban runoff, is sometimes included under the category of NPS pollution. However, this runoff is typically channeled into storm drain systems and discharged through pipes to local surface waters, and is a point source. However where such water is not channeled and drains directly to ground it is a non point source.
[edit] Groundwater pollution
Interactions between groundwater and surface water are complex. Consequently, groundwater pollution, sometimes referred to as groundwater contamination, is not as easily classified as surface water pollution.[7] By its very nature, groundwater aquifers are susceptible to contamination from sources that may not directly affect surface water bodies, and the distinction of point vs. nonpoint source may be irrelevant. A spill of a chemical contaminant on soil, located away from a surface water body, may not necessarily create point source or non-point source pollution, but nonetheless may contaminate the aquifer below. Analysis of groundwater contamination may focus on soil characteristics and hydrology, as well as the nature of the contaminant itself. See Hydrogeology.
[edit] Causes of water pollution
The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a wide spectrum of chemicals, pathogens, and physical or sensory changes such as elevated temperature and discoloration. While many of the chemicals and substances that are regulated may be naturally occurring (calcium, sodium, iron, manganese, etc.) the concentration is often the key in determining what is a natural component of water, and what is a contaminant.
Oxygen-depleting substances may be natural materials, such as plant matter (e.g. leaves and grass) as well as man-made chemicals. Other natural and anthropogenic substances may cause turbidity (cloudiness) which blocks light and disrupts plant growth, and clogs the gills of some fish species.[10]
Many of the chemical substances are toxic. Pathogens can produce waterborne diseases in either human or animal hosts. Alteration of water's physical chemistry include acidity (change in pH), electrical conductivity, temperature, and eutrophication. Eutrophication is the fertilization of surface water by nutrients that were previously scarce.
[edit] Pathogens
A manhole cover blown off by a sanitary sewer overflow.
Coliform bacteria are a commonly-used bacterial indicator of water pollution, although not an actual cause of disease. Other microorganisms sometimes found in surface waters which have caused human health problems include:
Burkholderia pseudomallei
Cryptosporidium parvum
Giardia lamblia
Salmonella
Novovirus and other viruses
Parasitic worms (helminths).[11][12]
High levels of pathogens may result from inadequately treated sewage discharges.[13] This can be caused by a sewage plant designed with less than secondary treatment (more typical in less-developed countries). In developed countries, older cities with aging infrastructure may have leaky sewage collection systems (pipes, pumps, valves), which can cause sanitary sewer overflows. Some cities also have combined sewers, which may discharge untreated sewage during rain storms.[14]
Pathogen discharges may also be caused by poorly-managed livestock operations.
[edit] Chemical and other contaminants
Muddy river polluted by sediment. Photo courtesy of United States Geological Survey.
Contaminants may include organic and inorganic substances.
Organic water pollutants include:
Detergents
Disinfection by-products found in chemically disinfected drinking water, such as chloroform
Food processing waste, which can include oxygen-demanding substances, fats and grease
Insecticides and herbicides, a huge range of organohalides and other chemical compounds
Petroleum hydrocarbons, including fuels (gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuels, and fuel oil) and lubricants (motor oil), and fuel combustion byproducts, from stormwater runoff[15]
Tree and bush debris from logging operations
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as industrial solvents, from improper storage. Chlorinated solvents, which are dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs), may fall to the bottom of reservoirs, since they don't mix well with water and are denser.
Various chemical compounds found in personal hygiene and cosmetic products
Inorganic water pollutants include:
Acidity caused by industrial discharges (especially sulfur dioxide from power plants)
Ammonia from food processing waste
Chemical waste as industrial by-products
Fertilizers containing nutrients--nitrates and phosphates--which are found in stormwater runoff from agriculture, as well as commercial and residential use[15]
Heavy metals from motor vehicles (via urban stormwater runoff)[15][16] and acid mine drainage
Silt (sediment) in runoff from construction sites, logging, slash and burn practices or land clearing sites
Macroscopic pollution—large visible items polluting the water—may be termed "floatables" in an urban stormwater context, or marine debris when found on the open seas, and can include such items as:
Trash (e.g. paper, plastic, or food waste) discarded by people on the ground, and that are washed by rainfall into storm drains and eventually discharged into surface waters
Nurdles, small ubiquitous waterborne plastic pellets
Shipwrecks, large derelict ships
Potrero Generating Station discharges heated water into San Francisco Bay.[17]
[edit] Thermal pollution
Thermal pollution is the rise or fall in the temperature of a natural body of water caused by human influence. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. Elevated water temperatures decreases oxygen levels (which can kill fish) and affects ecosystem composition, such as invasion by new thermophilic species. Urban runoff may also elevate temperature in surface waters.
Thermal pollution can also be caused by the release of very cold water from the base of reservoirs into warmer rivers.
[edit] Transport and chemical reactions of water pollutants
Most water pollutants are eventually carried by rivers into the oceans. In some areas of the world the influence can be traced hundred miles from the mouth by studies using hydrology transport models. Advanced computer models such as SWMM or the DSSAM Model have been used in many locations worldwide to examine the fate of pollutants in aquatic systems. Indicator filter feeding species such as copepods have also been used to study pollutant fates in the New York Bight, for example. The highest toxin loads are not directly at the mouth of the Hudson River, but 100 kilometers south, since several days are required for incorporation into planktonic tissue. The Hudson discharge flows south along the coast due to coriolis force. Further south then are areas of oxygen depletion, caused by chemicals using up oxygen and by algae blooms, caused by excess nutrients from algal cell death and decomposition. Fish and shellfish kills have been reported, because toxins climb the food chain after small fish consume copepods, then large fish eat smaller fish, etc. Each successive step up the food chain causes a stepwise concentration of pollutants such as heavy metals (e.g. mercury) and persistent organic pollutants such as DDT. This is known as biomagnification, which is occasionally used interchangeably with bioaccumulation.
Large gyres (vortexes) in the oceans trap floating plastic debris. The North Pacific Gyre for example has collected the so-called "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" that is now estimated at 100 times the size of Texas. Many of these long-lasting pieces wind up in the stomachs of marine birds and animals. This results in obstruction of digestive pathways which leads to reduced appetite or even starvation.
Many chemicals undergo reactive decay or chemically change especially over long periods of time in groundwater reservoirs. A noteworthy class of such chemicals is the chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene (used in industrial metal degreasing and electronics manufacturing) and tetrachloroethylene used in the dry cleaning industry (note latest advances in liquid carbon dioxide in dry cleaning that avoids all use of chemicals). Both of these chemicals, which are carcinogens themselves, undergo partial decomposition reactions, leading to new hazardous chemicals (including dichloroethylene and vinyl chloride).
Groundwater pollution is much more difficult to abate than surface pollution because groundwater can move great distances through unseen aquifers. Non-porous aquifers such as clays partially purify water of bacteria by simple filtration (adsorption and absorption), dilution, and, in some cases, chemical reactions and biological activity: however, in some cases, the pollutants merely transform to soil contaminants. Groundwater that moves through cracks and caverns is not filtered and can be transported as easily as surface water. In fact, this can be aggravated by the human tendency to use natural sinkholes as dumps in areas of Karst topography.
There are a variety of secondary effects stemming not from the original pollutant, but a derivative condition. An example is silt-bearing surface runoff, which can inhibit the penetration of sunlight through the water column, hampering photosynthesis in aquatic plants.
[edit] Measurement of water pollution
Environmental Scientists preparing water autosamplers.
Water pollution may be analyzed through several broad categories of methods: physical, chemical and biological. Most involve collection of samples, followed by specialized analytical tests. Some methods may be conducted in situ, without sampling, such as temperature. Government agencies and research organizations have published standardized, validated analytical test methods to facilitate the comparability of results from disparate testing events.[18]
[edit] Sampling
Sampling of water for physical or chemical testing can be done by several methods, depending on the accuracy needed and the characteristics of the contaminant. Many contamination events are sharply restricted in time, most commonly in association with rain events. For this reason "grab" samples are often inadequate for fully quantifying contaminant levels. Scientists gathering this type of data often employ auto-sampler devices that pump increments of water at either time or discharge intervals.
Sampling for biological testing involves collection of plants and/or animals from the surface water body. Depending on the type of assessment, the organisms may be identified for biosurveys (population counts) and returned to the water body, or they may be dissected for bioassays to determine toxicity.
[edit] Physical testing
Common physical tests of water include temperature, solids concentration and turbidity.
[edit] Chemical testing
Water samples may be examined using the principles of analytical chemistry. Many published test methods are available for both organic and inorganic compounds. Frequently-used methods include pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nutrients (nitrate and phosphorus compounds), metals (including copper, zinc, cadmium, lead and mercury), oil and grease, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), and pesticides.
See also: Environmental chemistry
[edit] Biological testing
Main article: Bioindicator
Biological testing involves the use of plant, animal, and/or microbial indicators to monitor the health of an aquatic ecosystem.
For microbial testing of drinking water, see Bacteriological water analysis.
[edit] Control of water pollution
[edit] Domestic sewage
Main article: Sewage treatment
Deer Island Waste Water Treatment Plant serving Boston, Massachusetts and vicinity.
Domestic sewage is 99.9% pure water, the other 1% are pollutants. These pollutants although small, pose risk on a large scale.[19]In urban areas, domestic sewage is typically treated by centralized sewage treatment plants. In the U.S., most of these plants are operated by local government agencies. Municipal treatment plants are designed to control conventional pollutants: BOD and suspended solids. Well-designed and operated systems (i.e., secondary treatment or better) can remove 90 percent or more of these pollutants. Some plants have additional sub-systems to treat nutrients and pathogens. Most municipal plants are not designed to treat toxic pollutants found in industrial wastewater.[20]
Cities with sanitary sewer overflows or combined sewer overflows employ one or more engineering approaches to reduce discharges of untreated sewage, including:
utilizing a green infrastructure approach to improve stormwater management capacity throughout the system[21]
repair and replacement of leaking and malfunctioning equipment[14]
increasing overall hydraulic capacity of the sewage collection system (often a very expensive option).
A household or business not served by a municipal treatment plant may have an individual septic tank, which treats the wastewater on site and discharges into the soil. Alternatively, domestic wastewater may be sent to a nearby privately-owned treatment system (e.g. in a rural community).
[edit] Industrial wastewater
Main article: Industrial wastewater treatment
Dissolved air flotation system for treating industrial wastewater.
Some industrial facilities generate ordinary domestic sewage that can be treated by municipal facilities. Industries that generate wastewater with high concentrations of conventional pollutants (e.g. oil and grease), toxic pollutants (e.g. heavy metals, volatile organic compounds) or other nonconventional pollutants such as ammonia, need specialized treatment systems. Some of these facilities can install a pre-treatment system to remove the toxic components, and then send the partially-treated wastewater to the municipal system. Industries generating large volumes of wastewater typically operate their own complete on-site treatment systems.
Some industries have been successful at redesigning their manufacturing processes to reduce or eliminate pollutants, through a process called pollution prevention.
Heated water generated by power plants or manufacturing plants may be controlled with:
cooling ponds, man-made bodies of water designed for cooling by evaporation, convection, and radiation
cooling towers, which transfer waste heat to the atmosphere through evaporation and/or heat transfer
cogeneration, a process where waste heat is recycled for domestic and/or industrial heating purposes.
[edit] Agricultural wastewater
Main article: Agricultural wastewater treatment
Riparian buffer lining a creek in Iowa
Nonpoint source controlsSediment (loose soil) washed off fields is the largest source of agricultural pollution in the United States.[10] Farmers may utilize erosion controls to reduce runoff flows and retain soil on their fields. Common techniques include contour plowing, crop mulching, crop rotation, planting perennial crops and installing riparian buffers.[22][23]:pp. 4-95–4-96
Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) are typically applied to farmland as commercial fertilizer; animal manure; or spraying of municipal or industrial wastewater (effluent) or sludge. Nutrients may also enter runoff from crop residues, irrigation water, wildlife, and atmospheric deposition.[23]:p. 2-9 Farmers can develop and implement nutrient management plans to reduce excess application of nutrients.[22][23]:pp. 4-37–4-38
To minimize pesticide impacts, farmers may use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques (which can include biological pest control) to maintain control over pests, reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, and protect water quality.[24]
Confined Animal Feeding Operation in the United States
Point source wastewater treatmentFarms with large livestock and poultry operations, such as factory farms, are called concentrated animal feeding operations or confined animal feeding operations in the U.S. and are being subject to increasing government regulation.[25][26] Animal slurries are usually treated by containment in lagoons before disposal by spray or trickle application to grassland. Constructed wetlands are sometimes used to facilitate treatment of animal wastes, as are anaerobic lagoons. Some animal slurries are treated by mixing with straw and composted at high temperature to produce a bacteriologically sterile and friable manure for soil improvement.
[edit] Construction site stormwater
Silt fence installed on a construction site.
Sediment from construction sites is managed by installation of:
erosion controls, such as mulching and hydroseeding, and
sediment controls, such as sediment basins and silt fences.[27]
Discharge of toxic chemicals such as motor fuels and concrete washout is prevented by use of:
spill prevention and control plans, and
specially-designed containers (e.g. for concrete washout) and structures such as overflow controls and diversion berms.[28]
[edit] Urban runoff (stormwater)
Main article: Urban runoff
Retention basin for controlling urban runoff
Effective control of urban runoff involves reducing the velocity and flow of stormwater, as well as reducing pollutant discharges. Local governments use a variety of stormwater management techniques to reduce the effects of urban runoff. These techniques, called best management practices (BMPs) in the U.S., may focus on water quantity control, while others focus on improving water quality, and some perform both functions.[29]
Pollution prevention practices include low impact development techniques, installation of green roofs and improved chemical handling (e.g. management of motor fuels & oil, fertilizers and pesticides).[30] Runoff mitigation systems include infiltration basins, bioretention systems, constructed wetlands, retention basins and similar devices.[31][32]Thermal pollution from runoff can be controlled by stormwater management facilities that absorb the runoff or direct it into groundwater, such as bioretention systems and infiltration basins. Retention basins tend to be less effective at reducing temperature, as the water may be heated by the sun before being discharged to a receiving
posted by: zuraida zolkepeli (G72970)
Surface water and groundwater have often been studied and managed as separate resources, although they are interrelated.[7] Sources of surface water pollution are generally grouped into two categories based on their origin.
[edit] Point source pollution
Point source pollution - Shipyard - Rio de Janeiro.
Point source pollution refers to contaminants that enter a waterway through a discrete conveyance, such as a pipe or ditch. Examples of sources in this category include discharges from a sewage treatment plant, a factory, or a city storm drain. The U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA) defines point source for regulatory enforcement purposes.[8] The CWA definition of point source was amended in 1987 to include municipal storm sewer systems, as well as industrial stormwater, such as from construction sites.[9]
[edit] Non-point source pollution
Non-point source (NPS) pollution refers to diffuse contamination that does not originate from a single discrete source. NPS pollution is often accumulative effect of small amounts of contaminants gathered from a large area. The leaching out of nitrogen compounds from agricultural land which has been fertilized is a typical example. Nutrient runoff in stormwater from "sheet flow" over an agricultural field or a forest are also cited as examples of NPS pollution.
Contaminated storm water washed off of parking lots, roads and highways, called urban runoff, is sometimes included under the category of NPS pollution. However, this runoff is typically channeled into storm drain systems and discharged through pipes to local surface waters, and is a point source. However where such water is not channeled and drains directly to ground it is a non point source.
[edit] Groundwater pollution
Interactions between groundwater and surface water are complex. Consequently, groundwater pollution, sometimes referred to as groundwater contamination, is not as easily classified as surface water pollution.[7] By its very nature, groundwater aquifers are susceptible to contamination from sources that may not directly affect surface water bodies, and the distinction of point vs. nonpoint source may be irrelevant. A spill of a chemical contaminant on soil, located away from a surface water body, may not necessarily create point source or non-point source pollution, but nonetheless may contaminate the aquifer below. Analysis of groundwater contamination may focus on soil characteristics and hydrology, as well as the nature of the contaminant itself. See Hydrogeology.
[edit] Causes of water pollution
The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a wide spectrum of chemicals, pathogens, and physical or sensory changes such as elevated temperature and discoloration. While many of the chemicals and substances that are regulated may be naturally occurring (calcium, sodium, iron, manganese, etc.) the concentration is often the key in determining what is a natural component of water, and what is a contaminant.
Oxygen-depleting substances may be natural materials, such as plant matter (e.g. leaves and grass) as well as man-made chemicals. Other natural and anthropogenic substances may cause turbidity (cloudiness) which blocks light and disrupts plant growth, and clogs the gills of some fish species.[10]
Many of the chemical substances are toxic. Pathogens can produce waterborne diseases in either human or animal hosts. Alteration of water's physical chemistry include acidity (change in pH), electrical conductivity, temperature, and eutrophication. Eutrophication is the fertilization of surface water by nutrients that were previously scarce.
[edit] Pathogens
A manhole cover blown off by a sanitary sewer overflow.
Coliform bacteria are a commonly-used bacterial indicator of water pollution, although not an actual cause of disease. Other microorganisms sometimes found in surface waters which have caused human health problems include:
Burkholderia pseudomallei
Cryptosporidium parvum
Giardia lamblia
Salmonella
Novovirus and other viruses
Parasitic worms (helminths).[11][12]
High levels of pathogens may result from inadequately treated sewage discharges.[13] This can be caused by a sewage plant designed with less than secondary treatment (more typical in less-developed countries). In developed countries, older cities with aging infrastructure may have leaky sewage collection systems (pipes, pumps, valves), which can cause sanitary sewer overflows. Some cities also have combined sewers, which may discharge untreated sewage during rain storms.[14]
Pathogen discharges may also be caused by poorly-managed livestock operations.
[edit] Chemical and other contaminants
Muddy river polluted by sediment. Photo courtesy of United States Geological Survey.
Contaminants may include organic and inorganic substances.
Organic water pollutants include:
Detergents
Disinfection by-products found in chemically disinfected drinking water, such as chloroform
Food processing waste, which can include oxygen-demanding substances, fats and grease
Insecticides and herbicides, a huge range of organohalides and other chemical compounds
Petroleum hydrocarbons, including fuels (gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuels, and fuel oil) and lubricants (motor oil), and fuel combustion byproducts, from stormwater runoff[15]
Tree and bush debris from logging operations
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as industrial solvents, from improper storage. Chlorinated solvents, which are dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs), may fall to the bottom of reservoirs, since they don't mix well with water and are denser.
Various chemical compounds found in personal hygiene and cosmetic products
Inorganic water pollutants include:
Acidity caused by industrial discharges (especially sulfur dioxide from power plants)
Ammonia from food processing waste
Chemical waste as industrial by-products
Fertilizers containing nutrients--nitrates and phosphates--which are found in stormwater runoff from agriculture, as well as commercial and residential use[15]
Heavy metals from motor vehicles (via urban stormwater runoff)[15][16] and acid mine drainage
Silt (sediment) in runoff from construction sites, logging, slash and burn practices or land clearing sites
Macroscopic pollution—large visible items polluting the water—may be termed "floatables" in an urban stormwater context, or marine debris when found on the open seas, and can include such items as:
Trash (e.g. paper, plastic, or food waste) discarded by people on the ground, and that are washed by rainfall into storm drains and eventually discharged into surface waters
Nurdles, small ubiquitous waterborne plastic pellets
Shipwrecks, large derelict ships
Potrero Generating Station discharges heated water into San Francisco Bay.[17]
[edit] Thermal pollution
Thermal pollution is the rise or fall in the temperature of a natural body of water caused by human influence. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. Elevated water temperatures decreases oxygen levels (which can kill fish) and affects ecosystem composition, such as invasion by new thermophilic species. Urban runoff may also elevate temperature in surface waters.
Thermal pollution can also be caused by the release of very cold water from the base of reservoirs into warmer rivers.
[edit] Transport and chemical reactions of water pollutants
Most water pollutants are eventually carried by rivers into the oceans. In some areas of the world the influence can be traced hundred miles from the mouth by studies using hydrology transport models. Advanced computer models such as SWMM or the DSSAM Model have been used in many locations worldwide to examine the fate of pollutants in aquatic systems. Indicator filter feeding species such as copepods have also been used to study pollutant fates in the New York Bight, for example. The highest toxin loads are not directly at the mouth of the Hudson River, but 100 kilometers south, since several days are required for incorporation into planktonic tissue. The Hudson discharge flows south along the coast due to coriolis force. Further south then are areas of oxygen depletion, caused by chemicals using up oxygen and by algae blooms, caused by excess nutrients from algal cell death and decomposition. Fish and shellfish kills have been reported, because toxins climb the food chain after small fish consume copepods, then large fish eat smaller fish, etc. Each successive step up the food chain causes a stepwise concentration of pollutants such as heavy metals (e.g. mercury) and persistent organic pollutants such as DDT. This is known as biomagnification, which is occasionally used interchangeably with bioaccumulation.
Large gyres (vortexes) in the oceans trap floating plastic debris. The North Pacific Gyre for example has collected the so-called "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" that is now estimated at 100 times the size of Texas. Many of these long-lasting pieces wind up in the stomachs of marine birds and animals. This results in obstruction of digestive pathways which leads to reduced appetite or even starvation.
Many chemicals undergo reactive decay or chemically change especially over long periods of time in groundwater reservoirs. A noteworthy class of such chemicals is the chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene (used in industrial metal degreasing and electronics manufacturing) and tetrachloroethylene used in the dry cleaning industry (note latest advances in liquid carbon dioxide in dry cleaning that avoids all use of chemicals). Both of these chemicals, which are carcinogens themselves, undergo partial decomposition reactions, leading to new hazardous chemicals (including dichloroethylene and vinyl chloride).
Groundwater pollution is much more difficult to abate than surface pollution because groundwater can move great distances through unseen aquifers. Non-porous aquifers such as clays partially purify water of bacteria by simple filtration (adsorption and absorption), dilution, and, in some cases, chemical reactions and biological activity: however, in some cases, the pollutants merely transform to soil contaminants. Groundwater that moves through cracks and caverns is not filtered and can be transported as easily as surface water. In fact, this can be aggravated by the human tendency to use natural sinkholes as dumps in areas of Karst topography.
There are a variety of secondary effects stemming not from the original pollutant, but a derivative condition. An example is silt-bearing surface runoff, which can inhibit the penetration of sunlight through the water column, hampering photosynthesis in aquatic plants.
[edit] Measurement of water pollution
Environmental Scientists preparing water autosamplers.
Water pollution may be analyzed through several broad categories of methods: physical, chemical and biological. Most involve collection of samples, followed by specialized analytical tests. Some methods may be conducted in situ, without sampling, such as temperature. Government agencies and research organizations have published standardized, validated analytical test methods to facilitate the comparability of results from disparate testing events.[18]
[edit] Sampling
Sampling of water for physical or chemical testing can be done by several methods, depending on the accuracy needed and the characteristics of the contaminant. Many contamination events are sharply restricted in time, most commonly in association with rain events. For this reason "grab" samples are often inadequate for fully quantifying contaminant levels. Scientists gathering this type of data often employ auto-sampler devices that pump increments of water at either time or discharge intervals.
Sampling for biological testing involves collection of plants and/or animals from the surface water body. Depending on the type of assessment, the organisms may be identified for biosurveys (population counts) and returned to the water body, or they may be dissected for bioassays to determine toxicity.
[edit] Physical testing
Common physical tests of water include temperature, solids concentration and turbidity.
[edit] Chemical testing
Water samples may be examined using the principles of analytical chemistry. Many published test methods are available for both organic and inorganic compounds. Frequently-used methods include pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nutrients (nitrate and phosphorus compounds), metals (including copper, zinc, cadmium, lead and mercury), oil and grease, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), and pesticides.
See also: Environmental chemistry
[edit] Biological testing
Main article: Bioindicator
Biological testing involves the use of plant, animal, and/or microbial indicators to monitor the health of an aquatic ecosystem.
For microbial testing of drinking water, see Bacteriological water analysis.
[edit] Control of water pollution
[edit] Domestic sewage
Main article: Sewage treatment
Deer Island Waste Water Treatment Plant serving Boston, Massachusetts and vicinity.
Domestic sewage is 99.9% pure water, the other 1% are pollutants. These pollutants although small, pose risk on a large scale.[19]In urban areas, domestic sewage is typically treated by centralized sewage treatment plants. In the U.S., most of these plants are operated by local government agencies. Municipal treatment plants are designed to control conventional pollutants: BOD and suspended solids. Well-designed and operated systems (i.e., secondary treatment or better) can remove 90 percent or more of these pollutants. Some plants have additional sub-systems to treat nutrients and pathogens. Most municipal plants are not designed to treat toxic pollutants found in industrial wastewater.[20]
Cities with sanitary sewer overflows or combined sewer overflows employ one or more engineering approaches to reduce discharges of untreated sewage, including:
utilizing a green infrastructure approach to improve stormwater management capacity throughout the system[21]
repair and replacement of leaking and malfunctioning equipment[14]
increasing overall hydraulic capacity of the sewage collection system (often a very expensive option).
A household or business not served by a municipal treatment plant may have an individual septic tank, which treats the wastewater on site and discharges into the soil. Alternatively, domestic wastewater may be sent to a nearby privately-owned treatment system (e.g. in a rural community).
[edit] Industrial wastewater
Main article: Industrial wastewater treatment
Dissolved air flotation system for treating industrial wastewater.
Some industrial facilities generate ordinary domestic sewage that can be treated by municipal facilities. Industries that generate wastewater with high concentrations of conventional pollutants (e.g. oil and grease), toxic pollutants (e.g. heavy metals, volatile organic compounds) or other nonconventional pollutants such as ammonia, need specialized treatment systems. Some of these facilities can install a pre-treatment system to remove the toxic components, and then send the partially-treated wastewater to the municipal system. Industries generating large volumes of wastewater typically operate their own complete on-site treatment systems.
Some industries have been successful at redesigning their manufacturing processes to reduce or eliminate pollutants, through a process called pollution prevention.
Heated water generated by power plants or manufacturing plants may be controlled with:
cooling ponds, man-made bodies of water designed for cooling by evaporation, convection, and radiation
cooling towers, which transfer waste heat to the atmosphere through evaporation and/or heat transfer
cogeneration, a process where waste heat is recycled for domestic and/or industrial heating purposes.
[edit] Agricultural wastewater
Main article: Agricultural wastewater treatment
Riparian buffer lining a creek in Iowa
Nonpoint source controlsSediment (loose soil) washed off fields is the largest source of agricultural pollution in the United States.[10] Farmers may utilize erosion controls to reduce runoff flows and retain soil on their fields. Common techniques include contour plowing, crop mulching, crop rotation, planting perennial crops and installing riparian buffers.[22][23]:pp. 4-95–4-96
Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) are typically applied to farmland as commercial fertilizer; animal manure; or spraying of municipal or industrial wastewater (effluent) or sludge. Nutrients may also enter runoff from crop residues, irrigation water, wildlife, and atmospheric deposition.[23]:p. 2-9 Farmers can develop and implement nutrient management plans to reduce excess application of nutrients.[22][23]:pp. 4-37–4-38
To minimize pesticide impacts, farmers may use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques (which can include biological pest control) to maintain control over pests, reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, and protect water quality.[24]
Confined Animal Feeding Operation in the United States
Point source wastewater treatmentFarms with large livestock and poultry operations, such as factory farms, are called concentrated animal feeding operations or confined animal feeding operations in the U.S. and are being subject to increasing government regulation.[25][26] Animal slurries are usually treated by containment in lagoons before disposal by spray or trickle application to grassland. Constructed wetlands are sometimes used to facilitate treatment of animal wastes, as are anaerobic lagoons. Some animal slurries are treated by mixing with straw and composted at high temperature to produce a bacteriologically sterile and friable manure for soil improvement.
[edit] Construction site stormwater
Silt fence installed on a construction site.
Sediment from construction sites is managed by installation of:
erosion controls, such as mulching and hydroseeding, and
sediment controls, such as sediment basins and silt fences.[27]
Discharge of toxic chemicals such as motor fuels and concrete washout is prevented by use of:
spill prevention and control plans, and
specially-designed containers (e.g. for concrete washout) and structures such as overflow controls and diversion berms.[28]
[edit] Urban runoff (stormwater)
Main article: Urban runoff
Retention basin for controlling urban runoff
Effective control of urban runoff involves reducing the velocity and flow of stormwater, as well as reducing pollutant discharges. Local governments use a variety of stormwater management techniques to reduce the effects of urban runoff. These techniques, called best management practices (BMPs) in the U.S., may focus on water quantity control, while others focus on improving water quality, and some perform both functions.[29]
Pollution prevention practices include low impact development techniques, installation of green roofs and improved chemical handling (e.g. management of motor fuels & oil, fertilizers and pesticides).[30] Runoff mitigation systems include infiltration basins, bioretention systems, constructed wetlands, retention basins and similar devices.[31][32]Thermal pollution from runoff can be controlled by stormwater management facilities that absorb the runoff or direct it into groundwater, such as bioretention systems and infiltration basins. Retention basins tend to be less effective at reducing temperature, as the water may be heated by the sun before being discharged to a receiving
posted by: zuraida zolkepeli (G72970)
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
About water polution in Malaysia
post by Salawati Sarip
Assalamualaikum guys. I got something 2 read. I hope u all enjoys 2 read it.
Overview water polution in Malaysia
The water pollution in Malaysia is originated from point sources and non-point sources. Point sources that have been identified include sewage treatment plants, manufacturing and agro-based industries and animal farms. Non-point sources are mainly diffused ones such as agricultural activities and surface runoffs. According to Malaysia Environment Quality Report 2004, the Department of Environment has recorded 17,991 water pollution point sources in 2004 comprising mainly sewage treatment plants (54%), manufacturing industries (38%), animal farms (5%) and agro-based industries (3%). The distribution of the water pollution sources is shown in Figure 1 below.
Assalamualaikum guys. I got something 2 read. I hope u all enjoys 2 read it.
Overview water polution in Malaysia
The water pollution in Malaysia is originated from point sources and non-point sources. Point sources that have been identified include sewage treatment plants, manufacturing and agro-based industries and animal farms. Non-point sources are mainly diffused ones such as agricultural activities and surface runoffs. According to Malaysia Environment Quality Report 2004, the Department of Environment has recorded 17,991 water pollution point sources in 2004 comprising mainly sewage treatment plants (54%), manufacturing industries (38%), animal farms (5%) and agro-based industries (3%). The distribution of the water pollution sources is shown in Figure 1 below.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Water pollution
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Raw sewage and industrial waste flows into the U.S. from Mexico as the New River passes from Mexicali, Baja California to Calexico, California.
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater. All water pollution affects organisms and plants that live in these water bodies and in almost all cases the effect is damaging either to individual species and populations but also to the natural biological communities. It occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful constituents.
post by: zuraida zolkepeli (G72970)
Jump to: navigation, search
Raw sewage and industrial waste flows into the U.S. from Mexico as the New River passes from Mexicali, Baja California to Calexico, California.
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater. All water pollution affects organisms and plants that live in these water bodies and in almost all cases the effect is damaging either to individual species and populations but also to the natural biological communities. It occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful constituents.
post by: zuraida zolkepeli (G72970)
Type of Water Polution
POST BY SALAWATI SARIP
Despite the many types of water pollution many people still see this as a single source issue, usually blaming big business for the depletion of many natural bodies of water and the life within it. While big business is partially to blame, homeowners, recreational and professional boaters, and even farmers can contribute to the condition of the planet’s water. Something as simple as flicking a cigarette butt out the window, which is often carried away by storm drains that may eventually empty out into bays, rivers, or oceans, leads to rather basic but contributing pollutants in the waters of the world. We can all contribute to cleaning up the planet when we all realize that we have a shared culpability in its health.
Various types of water pollution point to the different sources that can cause pollutants that affect the waterways.
Point—source pollution is generally a single element caused by one main source. An industrial spill into a river would be an example of point—source pollution.
Alternatively, nonpoint—source pollution is the result of numerous causes of contaminants that create pollution. These pollutants can travel great distances in the form of runoff or through storm drains.
Surface water pollution is the most recognizable form of water contamination. This is the pollution that can be visibly seen floating on the top of the water. While surface water pollution is often in the form of trash it can also be chemically based, such as gasoline or oil slicks floating on the water’s surface.
Groundwater pollution refers to the effects of chemicals (such as pesticides) that seep through the ground and enter water sources that originate underground. Well water is groundwater, thus groundwater pollution can be extremely dangerous to the health of humans as well as to the health of the planet.
Some types of water pollution are derived from an imbalance within the ecosystem which can be caused by natural and unnatural sources. When an ecosystem is out of balance, oxygen depletion can occur. A water based ecosystem is made up a multitude of living organisms, including microorganisms.
A natural balance of “healthy” and “unhealthy” microorganisms keeps the water based ecosystem thriving. When that ecosystem is thrown off balance, the “healthy” microorganisms are outnumbered by the “unhealthy” microorganisms, which cause a depletion of oxygen within the water and releases gasses such as sulfides or ammonia.
With a wide variety of types of water pollution, a single action will not be enough to ward off more pollutants. Prevention starts with awareness and continues with a dedicated effort to not only prevent further contamination but also clean up the present pollutants.
Everyone from the bosses of large production companies to the cigarette butt flicker has to do their share in order to prevent water pollution.
As research becomes more accurate and the data can help indicate which types of water pollution are doing the most destruction to our natural resources, focused projects and laws can become a bigger part of the solution.
Related Posts:
http://scipeeps.com/types-of-water-pollution/
Monday, October 12, 2009
This Is Our Group Blog
hi everybody i'm Salawati, i'm the blogger. I hope you're enjoy'ed with our blog
this is our group members, Zuraida
and Rukiah
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