THERMAL POLLUTION
When water is released into an environment at temperatures much higher or
lower than those of the ambient conditions, “thermal pollution” may result.
Since water temperature is closely associated with physical, chemical, and
biological conditions, the aquatic ecosystem may be significantly disrupted as
a result of a thermal discharge.
An inverse relationship exists between water’s temperature and its oxygen-
holding capacity, the water’s dissolved oxygen concentration can be
diminished to a point below which some aquatic organisms may be able to
survive.
Source of Thermal Pollution
Coal-fired Power Plants: Some thermal power plants use coal as fuel. Coal-fired power
plants constitute the major source of the thermal pollution.
Industrial Effluents: Industries generating electricity require large amount of Cooling
water for heat removal. Other industries like textile, paper, and pulp and sugar
industry also release heat in water, but to a lesser extent.
Nuclear Power Plants: Nuclear power plants emit a large amount of unutilized heat
and traces of toxic radio nuclear into nearby water streams. Emissions from nuclear
reactors and processing installations are also responsible for increasing the
temperature of water bodies.
Hydro Electric Power: Generation of hydro-electric power also results in negative
thermal loading of water bodies.
Domestic Sewage: Domestic sewage is often discharged into rivers, lakes, canals or
streams without waste treatment. The municipal water sewage normally has a higher
temperature than receiving water.
Effects of Thermal Pollution
Many organisms are killed instantly by the hot water resulting into a high mortality. It
may bring other disturbance in the ecosystem. The egg of fish may hatch early or fail
to hatch at all. It may change the diurnal and seasonal behaviour and metabolic
responses of organisms. It may lead to unplanned migration of aquatic animals.
Macro-phytic population may also be changed. As temperature is an important limiting
factor, serious changes may be brought about even by a slight increase in temperature
in a population
High temperature limits oxygen dispersion into deeper waters, contributing to
anaerobic conditions. This can lead to increased bacteria levels when there is ample
food supply. Many aquatic species will fail to reproduce at elevated temperatures.
Effects of Thermal Pollution
Primary producers (e.g. plants, cyanobacteria) are affected by warm water
because higher water temperature increases plant growth rates, resulting in a
shorter lifespan and species overpopulation.
The increased temperature can also change the balance of microbial growth,
including the rate of algae blooms which reduce dissolved oxygen
concentrations.
Temperature changes of even one to two degrees Celsius can cause significant
changes in organism metabolism and other adverse cellular biology effects.
Principal adverse changes can include rendering cell walls less permeable to
necessary osmosis, coagulation of cell proteins, and alteration of enzyme
metabolism. These cellular level effects can adversely affect mortality and
reproduction.
Control of Thermal Pollution
Cooling Ponds:
Cooling ponds or reservoirs constitute the simplest method of controlling thermal discharges.
Heated effluents on the surface of water in cooling ponds maximize dissipation of heat to the
atmosphere and minimize the water area and volume. This is the simplest and cheapest
method which cools the water to a considerable low temperature. However, the technique
alone is less desirable and inefficient in terms of air-water contact.
Cooling Towers:
Using water from water sources for cooling purposes, with subsequent return to the water
body after passing through the condenser is termed as cooling process. In order to make the
cooling process more effective, cooling towers are designed to control the temperature of
water. In-fact, cooling towers are used to dissipate the recovered waste heat so as to
eliminate the problems of thermal pollution.
Control of Thermal Pollution
Artificial Lake:
Artificial lakes are man-made bodies of water which offer possible alternative to
once through cooling. The heated effluents may be discharged into the lake at
one end and the water for cooling purposes may be withdrawn from the other
end. The heat is eventually dissipated through evaporation.
These lakes have to be rejuvenated continuously. A number of methods have
been suggested and developed for converting the thermal effluents from power
plants into useful heat resources for maximizing the benefits.
Control of Thermal Pollution
Some of the potential physical applications for thermal discharge (rejected
heat) of power plants are:
Industrial and space heating.
Biological applications such as soil warming.
Fish culture, livestock shelters and for heating greenhouses.
Most of these potential physical applications are of colder regions or locations.
