Definition causes effects and control measures of thermal pollution
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Definition causes effects and control measures of thermal pollution
Thermal pollution is defined as the addition of excess of undesirable heat to water thereby making it harmful to man, animal or aquatic life. Thermal pollution may also cause significant departures from nor activities of aquatic communities.
Effects of Thermal pollution
Reduction in dissolved oxygen: Concentration of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) decreases with increase in temperature.
Increase in toxicity: The rising temperature increases the toxicity of the poison present in water. A 10C increase in temperature of water doubles the toxicity effect of potassium cyanide, while 80C rise in temperature triples the toxic effects of o-xylene causing massive mortality to fish.
Interference in biological activity: Temperature is considered to be of vital significance to physiology, metabolism and biochemical processes that control respiratory rates, digestion, excretion, and overall development of aquatic organisms. Temperature changes cause total disruption to the entire ecosystem.
Interference in reproduction: In fishes, several activities like nest building, spawning,hatching, migration and reproduction depend on optimum temperature.
Direct mortality: Thermal pollution is directly responsible for mortality of aquatic organisms. Increase in temperature of water leads to exhaustion of microorganisms thereby shortening the life span of fish. Above a certain temperature, fish die due to failure of respiratory system and nervous system failure.
Control measures for thermal pollution
The following methods can be adapted to control high temperature caused by thermal discharges:
Cooling towers: Use of water from water systems for cooling systems for cooling purposes, with subsequent return to the water way after passage through a condenser, is called cooling process. Cooling towers transfer heat from hot water to the atmosphere by evaporation.Cooling towers are of two types:
(i) Wet cooling tower: Hot water coming out from the condenser (reactor) is allowed to spray over baffles. Cool air, with high velocity, is passed from sides, which takes away the heat and cools the water.
(ii) Dry cooling tower: Here, hot water is allowed to flow in long spiral pipes. Cool air with the help of a fan is passed over these hot pipes, which cools down hot water. This cool water can be recycled.
Cooling ponds: Cooling ponds are the best way to cool thermal discharges. Heated effluents on the surface of the water in cooling ponds maximise dissipation of heat to the atmosphere and minimise the water area and volume. The warm water wedhe acts like a cooling pond.
Spray ponds: The water coming out from condensers is allowed to pass into the ponds through sprayers. Here water is sprayed through nozzles as fine droplets. Heat from the fine droplets gets dissipated to the atmosphere.
Artificial lakes: Artificial lakes are man made water bodies that offer once-through cooling. The heated effluents can be discharged into the lake at one end and water for cooling purposes may be withdrawn from the other end. The heat is eventually dissipated through evaporation.
Hope it helps you
The definition causes effects and control of thermal pollution are given below.
Explanation:
Thermal pollution is the discharge of heated effluents from industrial processes such as electric power generation, atomic power stations and other factories at temperatures that can affect the life process of aquatic organisms.
Thermal pollution is caused by industrial activity, which introduces heat into the environment in an uncontrolled manner, for example: The use of water as a cooling system: the main causes of this pollution are industrial and manufacturing plants.
The major impacts on aquatic ecosystems attributable to thermal pollution are
1. Loss of biodiversity by massive death of aquatic plants, insects, fish, and amphibians as a consequence of thermal shock.
2. Shifting of organisms to a suitable environment due to slight deviation in temperature of water ecosystem.
Thermal pollution can be controlled by the following
1. Cooling towers and artificial lakes.
2. Save Electricity.
3. Use of alternative cooling agents- other than water.
4. Release heated water in less vulnerable regions.
5. Circular plowing to prevent erosion.
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