Question

What are the four major water Pollutants?

Answer 1

Water pollutants: These are the substances that cause water pollution which affects the water bodies' normal temperature, pH, oxygen content, aquatic lives, etc.

The four major water pollutants are as follows:

1. Household Detergents: The household detergents include the compounds of phosphate, nitrate, ammonium, alkyl benzene sulphonate, etc. These are harmful substances that gather in the water.
2. Industrial wastes: The wastes of industries are discharged into the running water, rivers, and canals. Industrial wastes mainly contain inert suspended particles such as dust, coal, toxins like acid, base, phenols, cyanides, mercury, zinc, etc., and inorganic materials like-ferrous salts, sulfides, oils, and other residues of organic material and hot water.
3. Sewage: Sewage contains the highest amount of carbonic materials and biological materials. These carbonic materials increase the number of decomposers like bacteria and fungus. The rate of deoxygenation is reduced as compared to deoxygenation in water reservoirs.
4. Oil spills: The accidental discharge of petroleum from oil tankers, offshore oil drilling, and oil refineries also pollute coastal waters.