IMPACT OF UNTREATED

WASTEWATER ON BIODIVERSITY

“Man despite his artistic pretensions ,

his extreme sophistication &
many accomplishments, owes
the basic fact of his existence to
the 6 inches of topsoil & water Presented by

present in the rivers , oceans and Manpreet kaur

Naini Burman
lakes”
Pushpa Mishra
Priya Dahliya
GARGI COLLEGE ,
D.U.
Contents
WASTEWATER –sources , components , link to
humans
BIODIVERSITY -definition,its importance & its
relevance to humans
HOW WASTEWATER EFFECTS BIODIVERSITY
MAJOR EFFECT ON – Wetlands , Mangroves ,Coral
reeves , Human beings
WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES
 Wastewater
Wastewater is any water that has been effected adversely by
anthropogenic factors.
It comprises of liquid waste
discharges containing-
1. Living organisms,
2. Pathogens,
3. Organic matter
4. Inorganic Nutrients,
5. Some solid waste particles
6. Wastewater also includes
storm runoff.
 Wastewater ( CONTD )
The two main source of waste
water generation will be-
1) Non-Residential
sources or commercial or
industrial sources
2) Residential

There are two types of domestic sewage:

1. Black water
2. Grey water
 Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the verity of – plant , animal & lower life
forms their genes & ecosystems of which they together
form the basis of biodiversity. Hence it is something that is
all around us making us a part of it.
 Few hotspots effected by waste water pollutant runoff
covered in this presentation are-
 wetlands
 mangroves
 coral reeves
 marine animals &
 most importantly human beings.

Ref:
http://www.vub.ac.be/APNA/staff/FDG/cour
ses/TCB/biodiversity.jpg
 Importance of Biodiversity
At the ecosystem level, biodiversity provides the conditions and drives
the processes that sustain the global economy – and our very survival
as a species. The benefits and services provided by ecosystems
include:
1. Generation of soils and 8. Prevention and mitigation of
maintenance of soil quality natural disasters
2. Maintenance of air quality
9. Provision of food security
3. Maintenance of water quality
10. Provision of health care
4. Pest control
5. Detoxification and 11. Income generation
decomposition of wastes
12. Spiritual / cultural value
6. Pollination and crop production
7. Climate stabilization
 How wastewater effects
Biodiversity
Due to the drainage of wastewater from different sources
in to the main water bodies, the varied life forms are
effected in the following way-
 Increase in the B.O.D. & C.O.D. content of water bodies
 Increase in nutrient content- algal bloom & eutrophication
 Increase of soil deposition
 Formation of a film on top of the water body
 Some compounds dissociate in water yielding toxic
components
 EFFECT ON -
Wetlands- Algal bloom caused by waste
water discharges by industries and domestic
sources the water color of the wetlands has
turned greenish and has also increased the
turbidity of water , which directly influences the
light penetration and affects the production Trimmu wetland Punjab, India
efficiencies. Ref: www.panda.org
Mangroves- Mangroves are highly fragile
ecosystems. Wastewater
discharges cause asphyxiation and
clogging of roots & lenticels ; accumulation of
pesticides is lethal to mangrove wildlife

Mangrove forest, Bhiterkanika, Orissa, India.

Ref: www.earthisland.org/map
 EFFECT ON -
•Coral reeves- Wastewater
pollution causes – coral bleaching,
raising of temperature of water ,
epizootics. Brain coral showing
bleaching
Marine animals A part of South-East Asia's coral reef
Ref: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1899236.stm

Also Gangetic dolphins - these majestic

animals also called “tigers of Indian
rivers “ are facing extinction thanks to the
excessive wastewater pollution which
chokes their lungs , promotes thick algal
growth prevent these animals to reach
the surface in order to breathe.
Gangetic Dolphins
 EFFECT ON -
Like Sea turtle – these are rare wonders OLIVE RIDLEY SEA
of nature , which may live upto 500yrs TURTLE
left undisturbed ,yet due to the effect of Ref:
wildecology.ifcnr.com/
wastewater their productivity reduces, P
their young ones are born with defects. ictures/oliveridley.jpg

Other Benthic life forms requiring light to assimilate food, are effected
as the algal slimy layer prevent the light from penetrating to the lower
reaches thereby causing their death.

•Human being – The pollutants in wastewater are linked to various health

problems.Worldwide, over 1.2 billion people are at risk due to the lack of sanitary
waste disposal and clean water for drinking, cooking,and washing. Some 60% of all
infant mortality is linked to infectious and parasitic diseases , most of which are
water-related.Providing clean drinking water and ensuring proper sanitation facilities
would save millions of lives by reducing the dominance of water related diseases.
Effect of various pollutants on
human health
Heavy metals- As,Pb,
Cr,Cd,Hg
Detergents and
surfactants
Chlorinated solvents
Radioactive waste
Ref:
pubs.usgs.gov/circ/circ113
3/images/fig21.jpeg
Common Chemical water
quality indicator
Available oxygen
pH
Turbidity
Toxic organic
compounds
Heavy metals
nutrients
 Wastewater management
Due to the increasing awareness , now
people are thinking of curbing this
pollution by
1) Preventing the runoff of storm water-
• Recharge pits
• Natural boundaries
Source: Ground water department, A.P.

2) Promoting more seepage into soil

• By having grass pavers
3) Treating this wastewater before
releasing it into the water bodies
 Sewage treatment
1. Preliminary Treatment
Screening
Grit Chamber
2. Secondary Treatment
Aerobic Method
Anaerobic Method
3. Tertiary treatment
Desalination
Removal of excess of inorganic Nitrogen and phosphorus
Removal of soluble non biodegradable organic compounds
Disinfection
Sewage treatment process
 Wastewater management
4) Innovative method of managing this
water & creating new use for it.
5) Water conservation at individual
level :

FILL THE TUB STOP DRIPS

USE HALF FLUSH FILL THE MUG

TURN OFF SHOWER USE FULL LOAD

 Humans And Nature
Nature is both perfect and strong, Beautiful faces mask ugly thoughts,
But it never dues anybody wrong! Valiant lose battles never fought!

Humans are full of malice and revolt,
Due to which they are always at fault!
We think we are always right,
This leads us to test our might!
Nature is for centuries honest and kind,
Distributing bounties whether you seek it or
not...
Ayesha Raoof

Our arrogances takes us to imaginary lets,

But the downfall provides us a real insight!

Nature is pure and simple,

And by nature is never harmful!

We humans should stop polluting the nature,

To preserve it's attribute of being merciful!
References
R. Rajgopalan, 2006, Environmental studies, Oxford University Press.
E.P.Odum, 2005, Fundamentals Of Ecology ,Thompson & Brooke sole Publication
Angermeier, P. L. and Karr, J. R. "Biological integrity vs. biological diversity as policy directives:
Protecting biotic resources", Bioscience 44, 1994, 690-697.
Callicott, J. B. "On the intrinsic value of nonhuman species", in The preservation of species: the
value of biological diversity (ed. B. G Norton). Princeton N .J. Princeton University Press, 1986.
Callicott, J. B., Crowder, L. B. and Mumford, K. "Current normative concepts in conservation",
Conservation Biology 13, 1999, 22-35
Ehrenfeld, D. "Why put a value on biodiversity?" In Wilson E.O. editor. Biodiversity. Washington
DC National Academy Press, 1988.
Faith, D. P. "Phylogenetic pattern and the quantification of organismal biodiversity", Philosophical
Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series B. 345, 1994, 45-58
Biodiversity, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/biodiversity.htm,
Effect of wastewater on biodiversity , http://www.globalissues.org/env.issues/biodiversity.asp
Mangroves, http://www.mangroveindia.org ,
Biodiversity,www.unep.org ,
Coral reefs,http://psbsgi1.nesdis.noaa.gov ,
http://www.undp.org/biodiversity/biodiversitycd/frontPage.htm