Chemical and Biological Methods of Protecting the Groundwater - Essay Example

UNDERGROUND AND WATER TREATMENT and Environment at Stake with the New Scientist: In every healthy environment, there must be practices involved to remedy it. We all are the distinguished owners of this world we live and have an obligation to protect it. The environment is what surrounds us, the soil, water, animals and all the other things. We are the custodians of all the physical things around us. In order to achieve all these; we all need to treat, protect the water and soil, which are the most crucial elements in the human being lives. This essay will involve on the physical, chemical and also, biological methods of purifying underground water and soil. Physical, chemical and biological methods of protecting the groundwater; In the past, there have been methods enacted to treat the underground water, which in turn is used by the citizens after it gets treated. There have been many methods of treating this water for the benefit of the persons consumer; also, this water is used for irrigation of crops and also animals. Recently, there has been the physical method used to treat the water. Nevertheless, some people have been claiming that this is not appropriate water to use for consumption. The methods used, seems to be sufficient just like the biological methods too (Canadian petroleum products institute 1991, p. 88). I believe that all these methods are quite good, and many people believe that the use of the physical method is appropriate and commendable since there are not many chemicals used or none at all. Pump and rate have been the most commonly used method of treating the underground water. It has been the most globally used remediation technology. This method has been considered to be the most suitable among all and not expensive. It is not costly compared to other physical methods of the purifying underground water (Wheeler & Adams 1905, p. 55). This method involves the process of pumping the water from underground to the surface and later, the water gets treated using biological treatment. There is also another physical method that can be used, which is known as the air sparking method. It is a very interesting method whereby, the air is usually bowed directly to the ground water and as the bubbles rise, the impurities get removed from the water and the impunities are directed to the soil, which calls the to another work to treat the soil. There has been also another method that could be used as a physical method. The Dual vacuum extraction. To avoid people being infected with the deadly contamination, they can be used with the bioaugmentation method that increases the enzyme reactive concentration in the system to fight the germs rate in the water. The venting remedy increases the actual bacteria and also induces the oxygenated air. It also adds nutrients in the water, but the contaminants get into the soil, which is harmful to the environment and also the living organisms (Hijnen 2011, p. 102) However, when treating the underground water, it will help the people not to be infected with waterborne diseases. These diseases are very contagious and cause even death to small children; typhoid, cholera and other infections. The chemical technologies have been considered effective too. The chemical treatment of water helps the in the saving time for the chemical reaction is faster than the physical methods (Schiechtl 1985, p. 123). However, there has been the controversy between the uses of chemicals on the water with the health department arguing that the preservatives may cause some infections when accumulated in the body. Also, there has been issues with the chemicals affect human beings and animals. The water department corrected that by saying that the chemicals used induced only react with the contaminants and gentle to the human body. The environmental department has been using the methods such as, chemical precipitation process that involves the treatment of waste water to remove the heavy metals and also the hardest. Also, there has been the use of the ion exchange method that involves passing down the water under pressure through a certain bed of the granular medium or either through spherical beads. There is also a method of chemical oxidation that is also appropriate. The use of all the above remedies in the underground water treatment is significant in preventing the diseases that are associated with the water contamination to human and also organic living organisms. Soil treatment; When treating water, it is crucial to remember that the soil gets affected too. It is because in most cases when there is the activity of purifying underground water, most of the impurities are left on the soil. The contaminated soil loses its fertility; therefore, reducing its resistance to further distractions. In places whereby people practice farming, this soil can have so many effects on the plants and also the microorganis this prevent the reactions of oxygen,hydrogen and also,peroxide;H2O2(l)----->H2O(l)+O2(g) 2H2O2(l)------>2H2O(l)+O2(g)  4-H-4  4-O-4,H2O2(l)----->H2O(l)+O2(g) The harvest has the chances of reducing (Schepart 1995, p. 84). As a result, the environmental organization has gone a step ahead to treat the soils. American environmental agency is a step further to impose the methods of treating the soils. The engineering group has been developing the remedies in the saturated and also vadose zones. The treatment of contaminated soil has been involving the chemical, biological and also, the physical methods. These methods include the purification of the soil without removing the bulk of the soil. Use of the physical methods have also been appropriate, though some of some individuals have been arguing that the method does not fully purify the soil thus leaving some impurities still in the soil. Use of the extraction of vapor in the soil; this involves the digging of some wells to allow air to get into the soil. Afterwards, the instrument of the vacuum is then used to suck up the dangerous particles of the soil. Solidification has also been used to purify the soil; on my own perspective, these physical methods are the best since there no use of chemical agents. Oxidation of chemical has also been used to purify the soil this method just involve the reduction reactions that in turn changes the hazardous elements to non-hazardous (Shelley, Rayment & Lyons 2004, p. 34) Elements and also the toxic compounds also converted to be non-toxic elements. In this way the soil is usually fitted for use and cannot harm the plants, neither the living organisms. Soil flushing is also another method whereby a certain liquid of the solution that is usually spread along the contaminated part and then it is simply retrieved when it bonds with the contaminating compounds. For instance: 2H2O2 + MnO2 -> MnO2 + 2H2O + O2  2H2O->2H2+O2 For instance, the corrosion of magnesium metals this can be a problem to the soil. There are usually the heavy metals in the soil that is very harmful to the soil; the metals can cause corrosion in the soil that being a problem to the environment. In this case, the electro kinetic separation method is basically used to separate the available heavy methods from the soil. The current usually spread on the contaminated soil. This method is very essential to prevent the effects caused by the heavy metals such as the magnesium, potassium and many others (Stegmann 2011, p. 23). Additionally, there are the other methods used to purify the soil; the chemical methods. The thermal treatment has been as a result of the modern technology era. These methods include the electrical resistance heating, conductive heating, situ vitrification and also, the steam injection and extraction. In addition, the biological methods are also applicable, such as the phytoremediation and the pivoting methods. All these can be very crucial in making sure that the environment we are living is free from hazardous elements (Naddeo, Rizzo & Belgiorno, 2011 p. 76) In conclusion, though all these methods are to be used, they can be very expensive. The environmental department requires to have enough funds to purchase the required machinery for the purification of both water and soil. The activities also require skilled personnel to conduct the work. In the purification activities, not everyone can afford it, thus, posing a problem to the environment and the people in it (Hijnen 2011, p. 45). I believe that it carries life in it, and without clean and purified water, there cannot be being life since contamination of water can cause even death. Soil and water are the core things that satisfied human beings and also, the other living organisms and plants too. A nation with clean water and purified soil will definitely create a healthy country. We all live in this same world; let us make it a better place free from contamination. Bibliography Hijnen, W. A. M. (2011). Quantitative methods to assess capacity of water treatment to eliminate micro-organisms. London, Iwa publishing. Shelley, B., Rayment, G., & lyons, D. (2004). Soil chemical methods: a laboratory handbook. Collingwood, vic, csiro. Naddeo, V., Rizzo, l., & Belgiorno, V. (2011). Water, wastewater and soil treatment by aops. Fisciano (SA), seed, sanitary environmental engineering division. Schepart, B. S. (1995). Bioremediation of pollutants in soil and water. Stegmann, R. (2001). Treatment of contaminated soil: fundamentals, analysis, applications; with 83 tables. Berlin [u.a.], springer. Schiechtl, H. M. (1985). FAO watershed management field manual: vegetative and soil treatment measures. Rome, Italy, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Wheeler, H. J., & Adams, G. E. (1905). Soil treatment in greenhouse culture. Kingston, R.I., Agricultural Experiment Station of the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. Canadian petroleum products institute. (1991). Manual of petroleum contaminated soil treatment technologies: cppi report no. 91-9. Ottawa, ont, the institute. Read More