Chapter 8. The Water Crisis and Water Quality Parameters_compressed

Water Crisis

A global issue where unsafe water leads to more deaths than violence, highlighting the need for clean water access.

Environmental Science

The study of interactions between biological, physical, and chemical components of the environment.

Freshwater

Water that is not saline, making up only 2.8% of the Earth's total water.

Desalination

The process of removing salt from seawater to make it suitable for consumption.

River Basin

An area of land drained by a river and its tributaries, crucial for water management and ecosystem balance.

Aquifer

A layer of rock that can contain or transmit groundwater, serving as a significant water source.

Groundwater

Water located beneath the Earth's surface, often stored in aquifers, essential for drinking and irrigation.

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)

A measure of the amount of oxygen consumed by microorganisms during the decomposition of organic matter in water.

Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

The amount of free oxygen in water, crucial for the survival of aquatic life.

Nitrate

A compound that can be beneficial for plant growth but harmful at high concentrations, leading to water quality issues.

pH

A measure of how acidic or basic water is, on a scale from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral.

Fecal Coliform

Indicator bacteria found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals, used to assess water contamination.

Water Quality Guidelines

Regulatory standards for assessing the safety and quality of water for various uses such as drinking, irrigation, and recreational.

Eutrophication

An excessive nutrient build-up in water bodies, often leading to oxygen depletion and harm to aquatic systems.

Suspended Solids

Particles not dissolved in water, affecting light penetration and aquatic life.

Temperature

A factor affecting the solubility of gases in water and the types of organisms that can thrive in aquatic environments.

Chloride

An ion that increases water's electrical conductivity and can corrode pipes; originated from various salt sources.

Phosphate

A nutrient essential for plant life, but when present in excess can contribute to eutrophication.

Tributary

smaller stream or river that flows

Drainage Basin

entire area of land where rainwater and run off are collected and drained into the river

watershed

dividing line between two adjacent drainage basins

Confluence

point where two rivers or streams meet and combine their flows

Primary Parameters

are the required minimum water quality parameters to be monitored for each water body

Secondary parameters

are other water quality parameters to be used in baseline assessment as part of Environ mental Impact Assessment