The Most Pollutant and Difficult to Separate Wastes from Water

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Human activity produces numerous residues and waste that, if not treated properly, can contaminate our waters. Among all the wastes, some are easier than others to separate. Those most difficult to separate and therefore more polluting share common characteristics such as that they are either very soluble in water, or that being of human origin there is no natural way to degrade them quickly and therefore they persist in the environment or well that their appearance in the environment is recent and neither the rest of living beings, nor we ourselves are capable of degrading them or adapting to their presence.

Next, in Green Ecologist we are going to talk about which are the most polluting and difficult waste to separate from the water.

What are the most polluting and difficult waste to separate from water - list

In summary, the most polluting and difficult to separate waste from water are as follows:

• Pathogenic microorganisms.
• Antibiotics, drugs and hormones.
• Nitrates and phosphates.
• Insecticides and other pesticides.
• Organic compounds.
• Radioactive substances.
• Thermal pollution.

Then, in each section we talk extensively about each of the types of water pollutants.

Pathogenic microorganisms

In water as in any ecosystem (even within our body) there are numerous microorganisms. The vast majority of them are beneficial but, nevertheless, there are others that can cause infections and even death if we drink contaminated water.

The microorganisms most harmful to health and those that can most contaminate the waters are those from fecal waste such as gastrointestinal bacteria Escherichia coli, Enterococus faecalis, Y Clostridium perfringens or other bacteria like Vibrio cholerae, famous for being the cause of cholera. Most microorganisms can be eliminated by chlorinating the water or through ultraviolet light, but today with the amount of antibiotics that are released into the environment it is more difficult to do so because they are becoming more resistant to these and other treatments.

Antibiotics, drugs, and hormones

Antibiotics, drugs and hormones are several examples of the so-called emerging polluted and that, furthermore, are closely related to the previous section on pathogenic microorganisms. The excessive consumption that we make of these substances is increasing their appearance in natural waters. In addition, antibiotics are also used as a prophylactic measure to prevent livestock and crops from becoming ill. Antibiotics are excreted by our bodies and reach water treatment plants through sanitation networks.

Currently, sewage treatment plants do not have the sufficient capacity to eliminate them and they are released into the natural aquatic environment in the effluent of water treatment plants. They can also reach the natural environment by leaching or diffusion and filtration from farms and crops. Once in the environment, these drugs can alter the physiology and behavior of aquatic organisms.

For example, it has been seen that the excess of hormones in the water causes the fish to change their sex, thus hindering their reproduction and the increased resistance of the microorganisms is of particular concern.

Nitrates and phosphates

Both are soluble in water and are the main nutrients for photosynthetic organisms that inhabit waters such as cyanobacteria, algae, diatoms, etc. When these appear in excess they generate eutrophication problems or enrichment of nutrients in the water causing the primary producers to proliferate. Learn more about What is eutrophication with this other Green Ecologist article.

The consequences of this exponential growth are that do not let the light pass plus end up depleting the oxygen in the water preventing animals from breathing. Unfortunately, the increase in both compounds is related to human activity, especially wastewater and the excessive use of fertilizers, detergents and fertilizers.

To eliminate them completely, a very sophisticated technology is necessary. and that it is very expensive so most water treatment plants do not remove nitrates or phosphates and end up reaching the water courses.

Insecticides and other pesticides, major water pollutants

Pesticides are substances that are used to kill pests of organisms that normally harm human activities. There are pesticides to kill insects (insecticides), plants (herbicides), and fungi (fungicides) among others. Pesticides They are generally applied in agriculture to prevent insects, fungi or weeds from damaging cultivated plants.

Once applied to crops, these can reach aquatic ecosystems through the surface runoff O well, seeping into the ground and polluting groundwater. In many cases pesticides dissolve very well in water and therefore become very difficult to separate. Although there are some that degrade if exposed to light and temperature, there are others that can remain in the environment for longer and even bioaccumulate in organisms, that is, they accumulate in the tissues of plants and animals. They can also be transmitted along the food chain, this is what is known as biomagnification. Currently, the permitted concentration of pesticides in European waters is regulated by the Water Framework Directive and each country also has its own limit. In the case of Spain, water is considered safe when the total concentration of pesticides is not greater than 0.5 micrograms per liter.

Organic compounds

This class of substances includes some of the pesticides mentioned above, but also others such as the oil, gasoline and other hydrocarbons, plastics, solvents, detergents, etc. These compounds have been created by man and have complex molecular structures so they cannot be degraded by microorganisms.

In the case of plastics, preservatives and hardeners are also added that make them have an even longer life and are even more resistant to degradation. In addition, due to the amount of plastic waste that is generated daily, it is difficult to completely remove it from the water as we can see, for example, in the five plastic islands that is in the oceans. It is equally difficult to eliminate microplastics and nanoplastics that come mainly from its fragmentation, since there are no adequate and accessible technologies to do so today. Although important advances are being made in this field, such as The Ocean Cleanup.

On the other hand, hydrocarbons they can seep into the subsoil contaminating the groundwater, which makes the waters even more difficult and expensive to clean.

Radioactive substances, one of the worst pollutants

The radiation in water It is due to the presence of soluble radioactive isotopes in it. Radiation sources can be diverse, such as accidents or leaks in nuclear plants, illegal dumping of radioactive waste or due to natural contamination. There are natural radioactive waters due to the presence of radioactive minerals from natural nuclear reactions (tritium, radon, uranium, etc.).

Remove radioactive contamination from water It can be a complicated and expensive task, in many cases it only requires time, although the problem is that this radiation can travel to the ground or air and above all be transmitted to living beings, causing us numerous damages and even death. Radiation in water can also be eliminated (although it also depends on what type and how it is contaminated) by applying air, with reverse osmosis or by filtering it through columns of zeolites (microporous aluminisilicate mineral) impregnated with manganese oxide as you are investigating. a group of professionals from the CIESOL (Solar Energy Research Center) of the University of Almería.

Here you can learn more about radioactive contamination: causes, consequences and solutions.

Thermal pollution

To end this list of the most polluting and difficult to separate waste from water we mention thermal pollution.

Despite not being a substance as such the increased water temperature it poses a threat to the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. Nuclear industries and plants are normally responsible for the release of hot water into the environment since they use it as a cooling system during the production of energy and other products. The increase in water temperature is especially worrisome because it prevents oxygen from dissolving in the water and causes living things to die from its lack. It can also induce physiological and behavioral changes in animals. Although attempts are made to adjust the temperature of the water before it returns to the ecosystem, it is very difficult to get it back to ambient temperature and in many cases even a one or two degree Celsius increase in temperature can harm the receiving ecosystem.

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