Water Pollution: Pollutants and Control Measures

by Yuvi K - December 16, 2023

Introduction to Water Pollution

Water is an essential and most important component of our natural environment. Water pollution, therefore, has become a major concern in our society and needs to be addressed seriously. Water pollution is the intentional or unintentional addition of substances or energy into water bodies, negatively affecting its quality and depleting its resources. It is caused due to human activities such as industrial, agricultural, chemical and sewage waste pollution. It leads to contamination of water bodies leading to disruption in the natural ecosystem and aquatic life.

Types of Water Pollutants and Effects

Water pollutants can be classified into three groups:

Physical pollutants: These pollutants affect the physical properties of water, altering the color, transparency, temperature, taste, and the presence of odor. (ये प्रदूषक जल के भौतिक गुणों को प्रभावित करते हैं, जैसे रंग, पारदर्शिता, तापमान, स्वाद, और कोहरे की उपस्थिति।)
Chemical pollutants: These pollutants are mainly caused by various industrial and agricultural activities such as fertilizer runoff and the disposal of sewage and chemicals. (ये प्रदूषक मुख्यतः विभिन्न औद्योगिक और कृषि गतिविधियों जैसे उर्वरक भिंडनी और सीमाओं के निर्माण से होते हैं।)
Biological pollutants: These pollutants are mainly in the form of sewage, digested byproducts and oxygen-consuming material, suspended solids or organic matter released by living organisms such as plankton, algae, and bacteria. (ये प्रदूषक मुख्यतः सीमाओं, पचन के उत्पन्न और ऑक्सीजन खपतकर्ता पदार्थ, निकृष्ट पदार्थ या जीवों जैसे प्लैंक्टन, एल्जिया और बैक्टीरिया के द्वारा जारी की गई आम मात्रा के रूप में होते हैं।)

Physical pollutants affect the physical properties of water, changing its physical properties including its color, transparency, temperature and condition of its surface. Chemical pollutants mainly originate from industrial and agricultural activities that cause water pollution. This pollutants mainly come in the form of fertilizers, sewage, plastic, detergents, and toxic waste materials like mercury, arsenic, and cadmium. And lastly, biological pollutants are mainly in the form of sewage, digested byproducts, oxygen-consuming material, suspended solids or organic matter released by living organisms. All of these pollutants have an adverse effect on the quality of water and its habitats.

Effects of Water Pollution on Environment

Water pollution affects the entire environment including plants, animals, and human beings. Following are the detrimental effects of water pollution on environment:

Loss of biodiversity: Contamination of water bodies due to pollution degrades habitats, reducing the number of species of aquatic life, birds, mammals, and other animals. (प्रदूषण के कारण जल परिस्थितियों का अवैध हो जाना, जैसे जलीय जीव, पक्षियों, मैमलों और अन्य जानवरों की संख्या को कम करता है ।)
Health hazards: Water pollutants can cause serious health problems in humans as these pollutants contain toxic and carcinogenic substances. (जल प्रदूषक मानवों में गंभीर स्वास्थ्य समस्याओं का कारण बन सकते हैं, क्योंकि ये प्रदूषक घातक विष्कलनीय पदार्थ शामिल होते हैं।)
Eutrophication: It is a process wherein nitrogen and phosphorus from the agricultural runoff leads to excessive growth of algae and other aquatic flora, thus, depleting the oxygen levels in water and leading to the death of aquatic life. (यह प्रक्रिया एक प्रकार की होती है, जब कृषि उत्पन्न की गई नाइट्रोजन और फॉस्फरस से एल्जिया और अन्य जलीय वृक्षों का अत्याधुनिक वृद्धि होता है, जिससे जल में ऑक्सीजन स्तर को घटाते हुए जीवों की मौत हो जाती है ।)