ENVS 525: Advanced Environmental Pollution Water Pollution PDF

ENVS 525: Advanced Environmental Pollution Term : 241 Water Pollution Dr. Bassam Tawabini September, 2024 The Importance of Water ▪ water is essential...

ENVS 525: Advanced Environmental Pollution Term : 241 Water Pollution Dr. Bassam Tawabini September, 2024 The Importance of Water ▪ water is essential for all living organisms ▪ water shapes the continents of earth ▪ water moderates our climate ▪ water is the habitat for many species (aquatic life) ▪ water is a mean of transport ▪ water is a source of food (fish) ▪ water for source of power (hydropower) moinansari.files.wordpress.com/2008/07 /water 2 1  Hydrology 1. Hydrology: Study of water 2. Limnology: Study of fresh water 3. Oceanography: Science of the ocean and its physical and chemical characteristics. 3 Bodies of Water on Earth  Surface water: (streams, lakes, reservoirs)  Wetland: flooded areas, shallow water  Estuaries: arms of the ocean into which streams flow.  Icecaps: water in the north and south poles  Groundwater: water below ground surface  Seawater: water in the oceans and seas. 4 2  The Issue of Water Scarcity ❖ Water could be a renewable or non- renewable natural source ❖ The world is facing a drinking water crisis. The main reasons being: Continuous population growth Uneven distribution of water resources Periodic droughts Intensive water utilization Pollution Climate Change Conflict Destruction of catchment areas ❖ Water is depleting very fast and there is a great need for the development of suitable, inexpensive and rapid water and wastewater treatment and reuse or conservation methods. 5 Fresh Water Scarcity and Health issues (Source : UN reports) 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. 780 million people do not have access to potable water 2.8 billion live in water-scarce environments. More than 4 billion are expected to live under sever water stress by 2025 45 million in MENA do not have access to safe water Global warming could add 1.8 billion people in areas of high water-stress Inadequate sanitation is a problem for 2.4 billion people > 2 million people, mostly children, die each year from diarrheal diseases alone. 6 3  Uses of Water 1. Municipal Use Drinking Washing Cleaning 2. Industrial Use Cooling water Manufacturing Firefighting 3. Agriculture Use 4. Power Generation 5. Recreation 6. Wildlife habitat 7. Transportation 7 Hydrologic (Water) Cycle ❖ Evaporation ❖ Evapotranspiration ❖ Condensation (Cloud formation) ❖ Precipitation (Rainfall) ❖ Runoff ❖ Infiltration ❖ Groundwater flow 8 4  Surface Water ▪ Surface water is any body of water found on the Earth’s surface, including both the saltwater in the ocean and the freshwater in rivers, streams, and lakes. ▪ Surface water participates in the water cycle, which involves the movement of water to and from the Earth’s surface. ▪ Usually, surface water is more easily accessible than groundwater, it is relied on for many human uses including drinking , irrigation, industrial, recreational, transportation….etc.. ▪ Marine salty waters in seas and oceans can be made potable by desalination. 9 Surface Water – Surface Runoff ❖ Precipitation and water runoff feed bodies of surface water. Seepage and evaporation, on the other hand, cause water bodies to lose water. Water that seeps deep into the ground is called groundwater. ❖ Surface and subsurface runoff plays an important role as it replenish lakes, streams, and groundwater and creates the landscape by eroding topography and transporting the material elsewhere. 10 5  Groundwater ▪ Groundwater is the water found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand and rock. It is stored in and moves slowly through geologic formations of soil, sand and rocks called aquifers. ▪ Groundwater exists in zone of saturation below the ground surface in 3 forms: 1. Meteoric water = water in circulation (from precipitation) 2. Connate water = "fossil" water, often saline (trapped in the pores of rocks) 3. Juvenile water = magmatic water. water from the interior of the earth ❖ Groundwater (GW) can be fresh (TDS< 1000 ppm), brackish (1000 - 10000 ppm) or saline (TDS 10,000-100000 ppm) and brine > 100,000 ppm ❖ In some areas, groundwater could be the sole source of freshwater (i.e. Saudi Arabia). 11 Groundwater (GW) GW is stored underground in aquifers, and is highly vulnerable to pollution. Understanding groundwater processes and aquifers is crucial to the management and protection of this precious resource GW comes from precipitation by which water must filter down through the vadose zone to reach the zone of saturation, where groundwater flow occurs. The vadose zone has an important environmental role in groundwater systems. Surface pollutants must filter through the vadose zone before entering the zone of saturation. Subsurface monitoring of the vadose zone is used to locate plumes of contaminated water, tracking the direction and rate of plume movement. 12 6  Groundwater (GW) Utilization More than 50% of KSA population uses GW as a primary source for drinking water. GW for agriculture accounts for ~80% of all water withdrawn for consumption. In many locations GW withdrawal exceeds natural recharge rates. In such areas, the water table is drawn down "permanently"; therefore, GW is considered a nonrenewable resource. All major aquifers in KSA (Saq, Qassim, UER, Minjur, Wasia, Aruma, Dammam, Neogene) show serious overdraft) 13 Water Pollution Definitions ❖ Degradation of water quality, as measured by biological, chemical, or physical criteria. ❖ Any chemical, biological or physical change in water quality that has a harmful effect on living organisms or that makes water unsuitable for desired uses. 14 7  History of Water Pollution 1. 1831-Water-born Diseases (UK / Cholera) caused the deaths of 21,800 persons in England and Wales, and 9,600 in Scotland. 2. 1962 Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring ", wrote about a pesticide DDT contamination of rivers in the USA 3. On June 22, 1969, a spark flared from the train tracks down to the Cuyahoga river stoked the rest of the USA awareness of the environmental and health threats of river pollution and fueled a growing movement that lead to the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). 15 Chemical Water Pollution ❖ Toxic Chemical due to Industrial Revolution ▪ > 100 Hg poisoning and birth defects cases ▪ 70,000 inventoried chemical compounds ▪ 10,000 chemicals commonly used commercially ▪ 1,000 new chemicals are introduced each year 16 8  Water Classification in KSA Groundwater is Water located beneath the ground surface in A soil pore spaces and in the fractures of geologic formations. Fresh surface water is All fresh waters on the ground and Water B includes water within rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, wetlands, marshes, wadis and man made reservoirs. Coastal water and Marine Waters C Causes of Water Pollution There are 2 cause of pollution: 1. natural 2. man-made The main causes of man-made pollution are human population and technology (industry). 18 9  Sources of Water Pollution Natural Sources ▪ Volcanoes ▪ Animal Waste ▪ Algae: Eutrophication problem ▪ Floods : Soil erosion in water ▪ Acid rain ▪ Other sources 19 Sources of Water Pollution Anthropogenic (man-made) Sources ▪ Municipal Activities ▪ Industrial Activities ▪ Agriculture Activities ▪ Mining Activities ▪ Transportation Activities ▪ Military Activities ▪ Recreational Activities ▪ Other Activities 20 10  Pathways for water pollution ❖ Pollutants can be released to surface water through: ▪ Precipitation containing pollutants ▪ Overland flow ▪ Residential runoff ▪ Agriculture runoff ▪ Highway runoff ▪ Commercial runoff ▪ Industrial runoff ▪ Wastewater discharge ▪ Storm water discharge ▪ Spills…etc. 21 Pathways for water pollution… ❖ Pollutants can be released to groundwater through: ▪ Infiltration from retention bonds ▪ Infiltration of polluted rainfall ▪ Infiltration of runoff ▪ Infiltration from dry well ▪ Groundwater recharge from polluted stream ▪ Release from underground storage tank (UST) 22 11  Water Pollutants o Water Pollution involves the release of: o Pathogenic germs (bacteria and viruses) o Sewage (Oxygen-demanding waste) - High BOD o Toxic chemicals (inorganic/organic) substances o Industrial chemicals and solvents o Petroleum hydrocarbons o Pesticides and PCBs o Detergents o Radioactive materials (NORMs, Radon Gas) o Heavy metals (Hg, Pb, Ni, Cd, As, ….etc.) o Fertilizers, Nutrients, Salts, Acids & Bases o Sediments o Salts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h198sZXP7fU 23 Major Categories of Water Pollutants ❖ Infectious Agents ❖ Plant Nutrients ❖ Bacteria, Viruses, Protozoa, Parasitic Worms ▪ Nitrates, Phosphates, ❖ Source: Human and animal waste ▪ Source: Sewage, manure, agricultural and ❖ Oxygen-Demanding Waste landscaping runoff ❖ Organic debris & waste + aerobic bacteria ❖ Organic Chemicals ❖ Source: Sewage, feedlots, paper-mills, food ▪ Oil, Gasoline, Plastics, Pesticides, Solvents, processing detergents ❖ Inorganic Chemicals ▪ Sources: Industrial effluent, Household cleansers, runoff from farms and yards ❖ Acids, Metals, Salts ❖ Sources: Surface runoff, Industrial effluent, ❖ Eroded Sediment household cleansers ▪ Soil, Silt ❖ Radioactive Materials ❖ Heat/Thermal Pollution ❖ Iodine, radon, uranium, cesium, thorium ▪ Source: Power plants, Industrial ❖ Source: Coal & Nuclear Power plants, mining, weapons production, natural 12  Major Water Pollutants Have Harmful Effects ❖ Infectious disease organisms: contaminated drinking water (pathogens) ▪ >500 types of disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasites ❖ The World Health Organization (WHO): 1.6 million people die every year, mostly under the age of 5 ❖Pathogenic Organisms ▪ Pathogenic vs Non-pathogenic germs ▪ Harmful risks (diseases and death ) of E. coli which leads to disease and death in humans ▪ Outbreaks of waterborne diseases do occur in developed countries to millions of people. ▪ Epidemic risks of waterborne diseases during natural disasters (earthquake, flood, hurricane) 26 13  Disease-Causing Agents 27 Biological Water Quality o Water quality is monitored by using biological and chemical analysis o Biological analysis: Bacterial counts (e.g. Total Coliform, Fecal coliform bacteria – E. Coli) o To be considered safe for drinking, water should contain no colonies of coliform bacteria in a sample of 100 mm. o For swimming it should not be more than 200 colonies per 100mm. Most Probable Number (MPN) 28 14  Major Categories of Water Pollutants ❖Inorganic Pollutants Trace Elements – Heavy Metals – Organically-bound metals Excess salinity (Salts) , acidity, alkalinity, nutrients that cause eutrophication Asbestos 29 Organic Water Pollutants 1. Municipal and Industrial Sewage 4. Biorefractory Text Organic Pollutant Text Text 5. Chlorinated and 2. Soap, Brominated Detergent Compound and Builder Text 3. Pharmaceutical Text (Manahan, 2005) 15  Major Categories of Water Pollutants ❖Untreated Sewage (Biodegradable Waste) Excess Nutrients (N and P)>>>Eutrophication problem Biodegradable Food Ingredients >>>>High Biochemical Oxidation Demand (BOD) Pathogens >>>>>>Diseases Detergents >>>> Foaming and Hard water 31 Municipal and Industrial Sewage Biodegradable non-Biodegradable 16  Municipal and Industrial Wastewater ❖ Coming from domestic, commercial, food processing and industrial sources. ❖ Having a variety pollutants, including organic pollutant particularly oxygen-demanding substances (domestic and food processing wastes) and are removed by sewage treatment biological processes. ▪ Aeration tank (Activated Sludge) ▪ Membrane Bio Reactors (MBRs) ▪ Rotating Biological Contactors ▪ Sequential Batch Reactors Municipal Wastewater (Sewage) Dead organic matter decomposed and consumed by aerobic bacteria, which need oxygen to live. The level of dissolved oxygen is related to the amount of oxygen-demanding waste, the decomposition is done by bacteria BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) is the amount of oxygen used for bacterial decomposition High BOD, associated with a high level of decaying organic matter in water, reduces O for other healthy organisms ❖ Sources of oxygen-demanding waste: ▪ Natural processes ▪ agricultural applications ▪ urban sewage, and runoff Oxygen Sag Curve 34 17  35 Nutrients ▪ Two important nutrients: Nitrogen (N), and Phosphorus (P), from fertilizers, detergent, and sewage-treatment products ▪ Major sources for nutrients: Fertilizer, feedlots, and discharge from agriculture and wastewater treatment plant ▪ Major problems caused by high concentrations of nutrients: Cultural eutrophication (well-fed by nutrient) - which leads to growth of algae bloom, triggering biological oxygen demand (BOD) problem ▪ Algae covering the surface of water, block sunlight to plant below and consuming oxygen, killing the underlying plants. ▪ Algae kill coral in tropical areas 36 18  Eutrophication 37 Major Categories of Water Pollutants ❖Organic Chemical Pollutants Petroleum products (TPH, BTEX, PAHs…etc) Pesticides, herbicides Industrial chemical byproducts and Organic Solvents Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) Other organic chemicals 38 19  Oil-Hydrocarbons ▪ Major sources: Oil spills from tankers and pipelines, on- or offshore oil production, war (Gulf ware, Exxon Valdez) ▪ Major problems: Polluted water, ecosystem damage, interrupted socioeconomic conditions of a community 39 Examples of Organic Pollutants 20  Toxic Substances ▪ Are synthetic hazardous chemicals, (i) organic or (ii) inorganic compounds that are toxic to living organisms ▪ Organic compounds are compounds of carbon that are produced naturally by living organisms or synthetically by industrial processes. Up to 100,000 new chemicals are being used or have been used in the past. ▪ Serious pollution problems occur when these are introduced accidentally into surface/subsurface waters ▪ Organic Pollutants may include ▪ Hydrocarbons (PAHs, TPH, BTEX ) ▪ Pesticides (organochlorine pesticides) ▪ Organic solvents 41 Toxic Substances… Heavy Metals ▪ Heavy Metals: Pb, Hg, Zn, Cd – often deposited at the bottom of stream channels ▪ If deposited in floodplains will be incorporated into plants, Mercury in the environment Input and changes of mercury in aquatic ecosystems. crops and animals ▪ Examples: ▪ Mercury, Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead are toxic 42 21  Emerging Contaminants ❖ A term used by water quality professionals to describe pollutants that have been detected in environmental monitoring samples, that may cause ecological or human health impacts, and typically are not regulated under current environmental laws. ❖ They are a group of different contaminants, such as hormones, pesticides, heavy metals, and drugs, usually found in concentrations between ng and µg per liter. Pharmaceutically Active and Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals ❖ PhACs ❖ EDCs - Used for treatment or prevention of - Human endocrine system which includes illness, antibiotic, pain killer (aspirin and variety of glands(thyroid, etc) ibuprofen) - Have reported to have variety of effect on - Most of them are “lipophilic” and their human and wildlife, such as development activity is slow to decay by microorganism. of abnormality. - Coming from urine and feces as - Can include in several pesticides, metabolism and flowing with grey water. organochlorine, etc. 22  Major Categories of Water Pollutants ❖ Substances Causes Reduction to Water Quality Sediments : Erosion of silts, sands, soils…etc Thermal : Discharge of cooling water Taste & Odor ❖ Radionuclides Alpha (α) , Beta (β) , and Gamma (γ) 45 Pollution of Various Water Bodies 1. Surface water Pollution 2. Groundwater Pollution 3. Marine Pollution 46 23  Surface Water Pollution ❖ Point sources: discharge pollutants at specific locations (factories, sewage treatment plants, underground mines and oil tankers) through drain pipes, ditches, or sewers lines into bodies of surface water. ▪ Easy to identify sources ▪ on-site treatment and mitigation, prevention ❖ Non-point sources of pollution ▪ Nonpoint sources are scattered and diffused, intermittent, and hard to specifically identify ▪ Nonpoint sources: (acid deposition, runoff) from cropland, feedlots, logged forest, urban streets, lawns, golf course and parking lots) and cannot be traced to any single site of discharge (difficult to control) ▪ Causes of nonpoint pollutions often regional and cumulative ▪ Multiple factors: Land-use, climatic, hydrologic, topographic, geologic ▪ Pollution reduction needs comprehensive and regional studies 47 Pollution of Rivers A river is defined as a large natural stream of water emptying into an ocean, lake, or other body of water and usually fed along its course by converging tributaries. Ganges River, India Rivers and streams drain water that falls in upland areas. Moving water dilutes and decomposes pollutants more rapidly than standing water, but many rivers and streams are significantly polluted all around the world Sources of river pollution include: sewage chemicals and other waste from industry Oil hydrocarbons pesticides and fertilizers Litter and garbage detergents from households and workplaces large amounts of hot water animal waste (slurry) dense or decaying plant growth 48 24  Lake Pollution ❖ Dilution less effective than with streams ❖ Stratification in lakes and relatively little flow hinder rapid dilution of pollutants ❖ Lakes more vulnerable to pollutants than streams ❖ How pollutants enter lakes ❖ Eutrophication: causes and effects ❖ Oligotrophic and eutrophic lakes ❖ Cultural eutrophication ❖ Preventing or removing eutrophication Coastal Water Pollution Industry Cities Urban sprawl Construction sites Nitrogen oxides from Toxic metals and Bacteria and viruses from sewers Sediments are washed into waterways, autos and smokestacks; oil from streets and and septic tanks contaminate choking fish and plants, clouding toxic parking lots pollute shellfish beds and close beaches; waters, and blocking sunlight. chemicals, and heavy waters; sewage runoff of fertilization from lawns metals in effluents flow adds nitrogen and adds nitrogen and phosphorus. Farms into bays and estuaries. phosphorus. Run off of pesticides, manure, and fertilizers adds toxins and excess nitrogen and phosphorus. Red tides Closed Excess nitrogen causes shellfish beds explosive growth of toxic microscopic algae, poisoning Closed fish and marine mammals. beach Oxygen-depleted zone Toxic sediments Chemicals and toxic metals contaminate shellfish beds, kill spawning fish, and accumulate in the tissues of bottom feeders. Healthy zone Clear, oxygen-rich waters promote growth of plankton Oxygen-depleted zone and sea grasses, and support fish. Sedimentation and algae overgrowth reduce sunlight, kill beneficial sea grasses, use up oxygen, and degrade habitat. 25  Marine Pollution ❖ Ocean Pollution is a growing and poorly understood problem ❖ UNEP 2006: State of the Marine Environment ▪ 80-90% of marine pollution originates on land ▪ Sewage: By 2050 > 80% is dumped untreated ▪ Coastal areas most affected Coral reefs, mangrove areas ▪ Sewage: nutrients & pathogens 25% of swimmers in US develop health problems Harmful algal blooms (red, brown, green algae) Oxygen-depleted zones Marine Pollution ❖ It is the introduction by man, directly or indirectly, of substances or energy into the marine environment, which results or is likely to result in major effects or impacts on the marine as a natural capital (ecological resource and ecological service) ❖ The great majority of ocean pollution originates on land and includes oil and other toxic chemicals and solid waste, which threaten fish and wildlife and disrupt marine ecosystems 52 9/16/2024 26  Types of Marine Pollutants o Oil (petroleum Hydrocarbons) o Oil Spills o Drilling wastes o Produced waters o Agricultural runoff (nutrients, herbicides, pesticides) o Energy (thermal and light) o Sewage o Solid Waste (i.e. plastics and other debris) o Chemical waste (i.e. metals) o Radioactive waste (i.e. nuclear waste) o Atmospheric Deposition (i.e. acid rain) o Sedimentation 53 Karenia brevis Algal Bloom 100 miles along Florida's Gulf Arabian Gulf/ Iran coast coastline 27  Groundwater Pollution ▪ G.W. is the practically the only freshwater sources in Saudi Arabia ▪ Renewable vs no-renewable source. ▪ We are concerned about the introduction into aquifers of chemical elements, compounds, and microorganisms that do not occur naturally in-water. ▪ Sources of ground water pollution 56 28  GROUNDWATER POLLUTION Input of untreated domestic wastewater (BOD, Suspended solids, nutrients, bacteria and viruses, etc.) Industrial spills; mining (BOD, SS, micropollutants) Agriculture (NO3- , pesticides, Cl-....) Pit latrines and other on-site sanitation systems Waste dumps (domestic and hazardous wastes) Treatment: slow, difficult and very expensive --> prevention! 57 Groundwater Pollution… ▪ Saltwater intrusion ▪ Migration of salt water into nearby freshwater aquifers. ▪ Saltwater intrusion mechanism ▪ Water table is inclined oceanward ▪ Wedge of saltwater is inclined land ward ▪ Over pumping of GW ▪ Severe drawdown of GW 58 29  59 Groundwater Pollution… ▪ Types of GW Contaminants ▪ Inorganic ▪ Ammonia ▪ Nitrate/nitrite ▪ Heavy metals (As, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Hg..etc) ▪ Organic ▪ Pesticides ▪ Gasoline Additives: MTBE ▪ Petroleum hydrocarbons: BTEX, Phenols, Cresol ▪ Chlorinated Organics (PCE, TCE, DCE, VC, PCBs..etc) ▪ Biological ▪ Bacteria ▪ Viruses 60 30  Natural inorganic constituents Arsenic, fluoride, selenium, radon and uranium are examples of health-relevant naturally occurring groundwater constituents. Their concentrations in groundwater are strongly dependent on hydrogeological conditions. Parameter Guideline Value Arsenic 10 µg/l Fluoride 1.5 mg/l Selenium 0.01 mg/l Radon 100 Bg/l Uranium 15 µg/l Nitrate (as NO3) 50 mg/l Nitrite (as NO2) 3 mg/l 61 Aromatic hydrocarbons: BTEX Health aspects: ◼ benzene = highly carcinogenic!! Occurrence: ◼ Primary contaminants of concern associated with point sources of fuels and fuel related contamination from petroleum production; Transport and attenuation: ◼ Most petroleum products are LNAPLs; ◼ Natural attenuation of BTEX is highly significant due to biodegradation; Parameter (BTEX) Guideline Value Benzene 10 µg/l Toluene 700 µg/l Ethylbenzene 300 µg/l Xylene 500 µg/l 62 31  Classical contaminant conceptual model 63 LNAPL (light non-aqueous phase liquid; e.g. petrol, benzene) 64 32  DNAPL (Dense non-aqueous phase liquid, e.g. heavy oils) 65 Thermal Pollution ▪ Hot-water emission from industrial operations and power plants and abnormal ocean currents ▪ Heated water causes several problems: ▪ Heated water contains less Oxygen than cold water ▪ leads to adverse changes to the habitats of organisms ▪ favors growth rate of undesirable organisms (algae) 66 33  Sediment pollution ▪ Sand and smaller particles ▪ Polluted streams, lakes, reservoirs, even ocean water ▪ Major sources: ▪ Soil erosion ▪ dust storms ▪ floods ▪ mudflows ▪ Greatest pollutant by volume 67 Summary 34  69 35