Sources of Water Pollution - Research Paper Example

Water pollution in New Delhi, India and San Francisco, in the United s Population in U.S and India India is a nation that is found in the Southern Asia. Its official languages are Hindi and English. The capital city is New Delhi, but the largest city is Mumbai (Ali and Aitchison, 171). It has been found to be the seventh largest nation by area. After China, India is the second most populous nation having a population of over 1.24 billion people (1,237,193,422 as of the 2011 census) and the World Bank. Besides, it is the most popular democracy in the entire world. In relation to its territorial waters, it is bounded by the Arabian Sea to the south-west and the Indian Ocean to the south, as well as the Bay of Bengal to the south-east (Ali and Aitchison, 172). On the other hand, the United States of America is a federal republic made of fifty (50) states and a federal district; the federal district of Washington, D.C and the 48 contiguous states. The capital is Washington, D.C. The nation has 5 populated and 9 unpopulated territories in the Caribbean, as well as the Pacific. It has a population of 317 million people living in the 3.79 million square miles. The US is regarded as fourth largest nation by total area, and third largest by population (Berkin et al., 2013). Economic status of India and America The Indian economy is the eleventh largest in the world basing on the nominal gross domestic product. In relation to purchasing power parity, it is the third largest in the entire globe (Government of India, 9). In 2014, the purchasing power parity has been estimated to $5.302 trillion with per capita income being $4, 209, while the nominal GDP has been estimated to be $1.842 trillion with per capita being $1,389 according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). As of 2011, the 486.6-million Indian labor force is considered as the globe’s second largest. The service sector makes up of 55.7 percent, agricultural sector 18.2 percent and the industrial sector 262 percent of the total economy. Following the 1991 market-based economic reforms, the republic of India has become one of the fastest growing major economies. It is regarded as a developing nation on the verge of being industrialized. However, the nation is still faced with challenges of corruption, poverty, inadequate public healthcare and malnutrition. India has the largest number of individuals that live below the World Banks international poverty line of $1.25 per day. Besides, an estimated 44% of Indias children who are under the age of 5 years, with half of them suffering from chronic malnutrition in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Mandhya Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Chhattisgarh, as well Jharkand (Government of India, 2012). With regard to American economy, the U.S had a nominal GDP of $16.799 as of 2012. The US has a capitalist mixed economy that is driven by numerous natural resources as well as high productivity (Walton and Rockoff 45). According to the IMF, the United States’ GDP of $16.9 trillion comprises of 22 percent of the gross world product at the market exchange rates, as well over 20% of the gross world product at purchasing power parity. America is the second largest exporter and largest importer of goods in the entire world. However, the exports per capita are a bit low. The US trade deficit was $634 billion in 2010. The American labor force is approximated to comprise of 154.1 million people as of 2010... However, about 16.8 million children lived in food-insecure households in 2011. Sources of water pollution Water pollution is defined by Chiras and Reganold (16) as the contamination of water bodies such as oceans, lakes, aquifers, rivers, and ground water. Water pollution usually occurs when the pollutants are either indirectly or directly discharged into the eater bodies without the proper removal of harmful elements (Goel, 25). Pollution of water is regarded as a global menace that needs revision and evaluation at all levels. It has been found to be the global cause of deaths and diseases (Chiras and Reganold, 16), accounting for about 14,000 persons every day. An approximated 590 people in India die of water pollution related diseases daily. Besides, the adverse problems of water pollution in the developing nations such as India, the developed nations like the United States continue to struggle with pollution related problems too. In the recently released national report on water quality in America, 32% of assessed bays, 45% of the assessed stream miles, 47% of assessed lake acres, and estuarine square miles were categorized as polluted. Typically, water is considered to be polluted when it is found to be impaired by anthropogenic contaminants and either, does not support human use like drinking, or it looses its ability to support its constituent biotic communities (Newton, 33-34). In both the U.S. and India natural phenomena, for instance, algae, volcanoes, earthquakes, and storms also cause major alterations in the quality of water and its ecological status. Sources of surface water pollutions Point sources: the point source water pollution refers to those water contaminants that enter a waterway through a single identifiable source like a ditch or pipe. In New Delhi, due to its poor drainage discharge channels, most of the city’s effluents are channeled to the nearest waterways. Besides, discharges from factories, sewage treatment plants and city storm drain usually find their way into the water bodies thus contaminating them. In India, the major source of water pollution is the untreated sewage. The other sources comprise of agricultural runoff as well as the unregulated small industry. Unlike America where there exist numerous environmental regulations, India has minimal environmental regulations leading to the pollution of most ground and surface water sources such as lakes and rivers. Rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Gomti, Mahi, Vardha, Chambal, and Ghaggar are amongst the most polluted water sources in India (Hyde, 2010). River Yamuna, the reason for New Delhi’s existence, has been heavily polluted. Half of the city’s raw sewage is usually sent straight into the river (Barrow, 29). A 1992 World Health Organization (WHO) study found out that out of Indias 3,119 towns and cities, 210 have partial sewage treatment facilities, while only 8 have full wastewater treatment facilities. Downstream, the polluted river water is used for drinking, washing and bathing. Inadequate sanitation and toilets facilities cause open defecation in rural and urban areas of India such as New Delhi, like many developing nations. At the San Francisco Bay, the major pollutants include sediments, inorganic and organic compounds, agricultural and industrial discharges. An estimated 40% of the California effluents from San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland are drained at the San Francisco bay. Nonpoint sources: the non-point source pollution refers to the diffuse contamination that does not emanate from sole discrete source (Newton, 78). The most common source both in India and America is leaching of the nitrogen compounds from the fertilized agricultural lands, besides the nutrient run-off in storm water over a forest or agricultural field. Groundwater contamination Groundwater pollution cannot be easily detected as surface water pollution. The groundwater aquifers in both San Francisco and New Delhi are susceptible to contaminants that directly do not affect surface water bodies. For instance, a spill or ongoing releases of radionuclide or contaminants into the soil usually contaminate the aquifer below. Even though much of the water utilized in India and the U.S. are obtained from surface water sources, majority of families continue to utilize wells in order to draw water from the ground. In fact, as cited by Schueler (23) that groundwater is the major source of drinking water for an estimated 46 percent of the American population. The specific contaminants that lead to pollution of water comprise of pathogens, chemicals and the physical or the sensory changes like increased discoloration. Chiras and Reganold (46) claims that high concentrations of the naturally occurring substances can have deleterious impacts on the aquatic fauna and flora. Natural materials such as leaves and grass can deplete oxygen in the water. Other anthropogenic cause cloudiness blocking light thus disrupting plant growth. The chemical substances are usually very toxic. The pathogens usually produce waterborne illnesses in either animal or human hosts. The change of the waters physical chemistry includes acidity, temperature, electrical conductivity and eutrophication. Eutrophication is described as the rise in the chemical nutrient’s concentration in an ecosystem to the level that it increases the ecosystem’s primary productivity. Depending on the level of eutrophication, the subsequent negative environmental effects, for example, anoxia and rigorous reductions in the quality of water may occur, affecting fish as well as other animal populations. In San Francisco, the major pollutant for water is dioxin. The refinery effluent discharges are the core sources of dioxin and dioxin-like PCBs. Besides, studies have shown the presence of acetaminophen in San Francisco Bay water. This pharmaceutical toxin inhibits fish reproduction (Natural Resources Defense Council, 36-40). Other contaminants include the inorganic and organic substances. First, the organic water pollutants in New Delhi and San Francisco comprise of the following: detergents; disinfection by-products that are found in chemically disinfected water; food processing waste; petroleum hydrocarbons from stormwater runoff; tree and bush debris from the logging operations; volatile organic compounds from improper storage such as industrial solvents; several chemical compounds that are found in cosmetic and personal hygiene products. Contributing to underground water degradation are the increasing Delhi’s landfill sites. The waste materials from these sites leeches underground and contaminate aquifers. Second, the inorganic water pollutants that have been found in both cities include: acidity caused by the industrial effluents; ammonia from the food processing plants in New Delhi and San Francisco; chemical wastes as industrial by-products; fertilizer containing compounds that is found in the stormwater runoff from commercial, agricultural and commercial use (Clescerl, 102-105). Macroscopic pollution entails large visible items polluting the water termed as "floatables" in an urban stormwater context. They include trash or garbage such as plastic, paper, or food waste that are discarded by people on the ground, along with intentionally or accidentally dumped rubbish, which are washed by rainfall into stormdrains and eventually discharged into surface waters (Chiras and Reganold, 23). Impacts of water pollution on the environment and human health (pubic health) Pollution of water with chemical and other foreign materials have been found to have detrimental effects to the human and plant health. These pollutants comprise of pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural runoff, mercury, lead and other heavy metals, sewage and food processing waste, and chemicals from hazardous waste sites. Globally, about 2.5 billion people drink contaminated water, which can be harmful to their health. In San Francisco, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are a group of chemicals that occur naturally in crude oil, coal and gasoline, and enter the environment from incomplete burning of oil, wood, garbage or coal, where they can persist for months of years. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been found to cause cancer and adverse reproductive and developmental effects (The Bay Institute). The effects of pollution of water are varied. Pollution of the water sources affects the organisms that reside in these aquatic environments as well as the plants. The effect is deleterious both to the species and populations, in addition to the natural biological communities. The environmental effects of water pollution include poisonous food animals since they have accumulated toxins from the environment in the lifetime, poisonous drinking water, unbalanced lake and river ecosystems, which can no longer support full biological diversity. Water pollution that occurs from the industrial farms originates from the disposal and storage of animal waste. The industrial livestock firms usually store manure and other farm wastes in huge tanks that are known as lagoons. These lagoons usually hold gallons of urine and manure. As a result, during large storms, these lagoons often leak and they may also rupture or overflow. When this occurs, the environmental damage that is caused can be enormous. For instance, Zito asserts that at the San Franciscos ocean beach, the contamination levels at Sloat exceeded the federal’s health standards by 3 %, while at Balboa St., the level were 7%. Livestock manure has very high concentrations of ammonia. The dissolved ammonia in water is toxic to the aquatic environment, in addition to being converted to dangerous nitrates. The high levels of nitrate in drinking water is extremely poisonous to human beings, this is because it causes cancer, spontaneous abortions and fatal oxygen levels in babies that is commonly known as ‘blue-baby-syndrome.’ This disease has been mainly reported in New Delhi, India as well as other adjacent cities around the river courses. McLendon notes that studies have linked a broad spectrum of unregulated chemicals to cancer and hormonal changes as well as other health problems. Manure also contains much enhanced levels of pathogens that can cause diseases in humans. When this waste is applied in the fields, the pathogens are usually transported to the local water supplies during run off either by rainfall or irrigation. Since in India, most states rely on agriculture for a living, the impact of pathogens from manure are often reported in the local health facilities. Relation or effect water pollution on climate change As climate change warms the atmosphere, it alters the hydrological cycle including changes to the amount, form, timing, and intensity of precipitation. It also alters water flow in watersheds, and the quality of aquatic environments (Goel, 132). The effects of water pollution are also related to climate change. Majority of the profound and immediate climate change impacts relate to water, from severe drought to unprecedented flooding. In the United States, more than a third of all the counties in the lower 48 states will face increased risks of shortages of water by the mid-century due to global warming. The changing climatic patterns due to climate change threatens the river ad lakes both in the US and India. When melting snow, especially in the US, runs off the roofs and roads into the rivers, it usually picks up trash, dirt, and toxic chemicals, as well as disease causing agents along the way. This results to pollution of the water sources making them unsafe for human consumption and supporting aquatic biodiversity (Singer and John, 67-68). As a result of global warming, the water temperatures rise. This increase in water temperature leads to the death of aquatic animals and plants. These plants die in the water polluting it. Besides, increase in temperature also results bleaching of coral reefs in the water. Besides, climatic changes lead to shifts in precipitation patterns. Increase in severe storms degrade water quality and enhance the risk of catastrophic floods. Consequently, it strains the ecosystem and threatens the survival of aquatic biodiversity. Since climate change leads to severe water shortages, it encourages the use irrigation thus increasing surface runoff and leaching of materials (Chiras and Reganold, 89). Effects and relation to Agriculture Agricultural pollution of ground water, surface water, and marine water relates to the contamination of drinking water, increasing costs for recreational activities, and cultural values, as well as commercial fisheries (Parris 33). Industrial agriculture is considered as the leading causes of water pollution in America. The national Water Quality Inventory that was done by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2005, agricultural activity was found to be the core source of pollution for 49 percent river and stream water and for 40 percent of lake water. Agricultural water pollution has various negative influences. Water pollution from the industrial farms in San Francisco and New Delhi not only kills wildlife and damages the environment, but it also sickens and kills human beings. Besides, these firms have poor mechanisms when it comes to water usage, they usually waste huge amounts of water thus rendering the neighboring communities devoid of water due to shortages. Besides, a majority of the pollutants that are produced by farms such as chemicals, minerals, heavy metals, and pathogens. These compounds contaminate water sources making them unsafe for human consumption. When crop fields are over fertilized, some of the nutrients are removed by the surface run off while the others leach into the ground water sources. Excessive nutrients in the water causes harmful plant growth that is commonly known as ‘algal bloom’ that can cause fish kills (Parris 35-36). In addition to the biodegradable organic matter that is naturally present in animal bedding, manure, wasted feed, dust, soil, and hair as well as feathers are usually mixed with manure in storage and can end up in the waterways.  Organic matter decomposition can cause increased levels of bacteria that have been found to reduce the oxygen levels in water and kills fish and other aquatic animals. Possible controls, mitigations and solutions for water pollution Adoption of sensible standards for efficient buildings, appliances and irrigation The other mitigation is coming up with new pollution limits for the top problem areas, for instance, sources of sewage overflows and runoff. Both India and the United States need to install water treatment plants for the industrial wastewater and domestic sewage that have the following steps (McLendon): Coagulation: the untreated water is first mixed with alum and other chemicals forming small sticky particles that attract dirt and other related debris. Sedimentation: when the combined weight of the dirt and the sticky particles becomes heavy enough, they sink to the tank’s bottom settling as sediment. Filtration: larger dirt particles are removed; the water is then passed through various filters designed to clean out smaller stowaways such as some microbes. These filters are made of gravel, sand and charcoal, mimicking the natural soil filtration process. Disinfection: in the modern times, disinfectants are added to eliminate any microorganisms that passed through the filters by adding a small amount of chlorine to the filtered water. Storage: the water is placed in a reservoir or closed tank, and other disinfectants are added. Ultimately, the water then flows from its storage area for consumption and other uses. Denitrification-It is the conversion of nitrates into gas. It is an ecological approach that prevents leaching of nitrates into the soil. This method stops groundwater from getting contaminated. Since sewage discharge is the most common pollutant in New Delhi, it needs to install septic tanks at the place of location instead of waiting to treat it in a plant or sewage system. This system is often utilized at the individual building level. The septic tanks separate the sewage into solid and liquid and treated separately (Chiras and Reganold, 78). There is need to recycle materials whose production leads to pollution. Besides, citizens need to be educated on the importance of handling responsibly household chemicals and their disposal. This mitigation is feasible both in India and the United States. The major source of agricultural pollution in the US is sediments that are washed off on the fields. Farmers ought to use erosion control so as to reduce runoff and retain soil in the fields through crop mulching, contour ploughing, installing riparian buffers, and planting perennial crops. Besides, farmers can develop nutrient management plans in order to reduce excess application of nutrients (Goel, 109), and decrease the potential for nutrient pollution. Effective control of urban runoff includes reduction of flow velocity of the stormwater and pollutant discharges. In San Francisco, these techniques are known as best management practices, and usually focus on improving and controlling water quantity. The runoff mitigation systems comprise of the following: bioretention systems, infiltration basins, and retention basins (Goel, 165-167). Sewage discharged from cities such New Delhi is the major cause of water pollution in India. In 2011, India’s national government announced an Rs 1,358 crore drain interceptor plan; all waste water is to be cleaned and treated before it reaches river Yamuna in New Delhi. As cited by Kaur, the other steps to clean river Yamuna include awareness campaigns, installation of sewage treatment plants, and installation of common effluent treatment plants, besides the water being checked regularly for its quality. The water quality for drinking in the U.S is usually regulated by the federal and state codes and laws that has set maximum contaminant levels for the naturally occurring constituents and some pollutants, need for public notification for violation of standards, and establish several operational requirements, as well as requiring utilities to publish consumer confidence reports (NRDC, 19-20). Lastly, McLendon argues that the Safe Drinking Water that was passed in 1974 set the American national limits on particular contaminants in tap water. The Act covers over 91 contaminants. Works Cited Ali, J. R., and Aitchison, J. C. "Greater India", Earth-Science Reviews 72 (3–4): 170–173, 2005. Barrow, C. J., 2009. Environment Management and Development, London: Routledge. Berkin, Carol; Miller, Christopher L.; Cherny, Robert W.; Gormly, James L. (2013). Making America: A History of the United States, Volume I: To 1877. New York: Cengage Learning. p. 75. Chiras, D., D. and Reganold, J., P. 2010. Natural Resource Conservation: management for a sustainable future. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc. Clescerl, Leonore S.(Editor), Greenberg, Arnold E.(Editor), Eaton, Andrew D. (Editor). Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (20th ed.) American Public Health Association, Washington, DC. Goel, P.K. (2006). Water Pollution - Causes, Effects and Control. New Delhi: New Age International. p. 179. Government of India. 2012. Social Statistics Division. "Children in India 2012: A Statistical Appraisal". Central Statistics Office, pp. 10–11. Hyde, Natalie (2010). Population patterns : what factors determine the location and growth of human settlements?. New York: Crabtree Publishers. Kaur, Ramandeep. 7 January 2014. The most polluted river Yamuna. .[Acessed 2 May 2014]. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), (2011). "Whats on Tap? Grading Drinking Water in U.S. Cities. New York: Sage Publications. McLendon, Russell. "Mother Nature Network." 18 February 2011. How polluted is U.S. drinking water? .[acessed 2 May 2014]. Newton, David (2008). Chemistry of the Environment. New York: Checkmark Books. Parris, Kevin. "Impact of Agriculture on Water Pollution in OECD Countries: Recent Trends and Future Prospects." International Journal of Water Resources Development 27.1 (2011): 33-52. Schueler, Thomas R. "Microbes and Urban Watersheds: Concentrations, Sources, & Pathways." Reprinted in The Practice of Watershed Protection. 2000. Center for Watershed Protection. Ellicott City, MD. 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