ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIESPROJECT

TOPIC :

Introduction :

What is thermal pollution ?

Thermal pollutionis the degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature.

Diagrammatic presentation of Thermal Pollution :

Explanation :It occurs when an industry removes water from a source (e.g. , a

river) ,uses the water for cooling purposes , and then returns the heated

water to its source . Power plants heat water to convert it into steam, to

drive the turbinesthat generate electricity . For efficient functioning of the steam

turbines , the steam iscondensed into water after it leaves the turbines . This

condensation is done bytaking water from a water body to absorb the heat . This heated

water , which is at least 15 degreescelsius higher than the normal , is later discharged back into the

water body .

Causes :

Nuclear power plants .

Deforestation

Soil Erosion

Nuclear power plants

->Nuclear power plants use water as a cooling agent.->After the water is used, it is put back into a water supply at 9-20oC warmer .

Deforestation

->The decrease in vegetation increases the amount of light that hits the water, which increases the temperature of the water.->Deforestation also increases erosion .

Soil Erosion

->Erosion makes the water muddy, which increases the light absorbed .

Effects : -> Thermal shock – aquatic life adapted to a certain water temperature can go into shock when the temp is changed even 1 or 2 degrees.

->Oxygen dissolved in water decreases .

->Increases the rate of photosynthesis, which increases the amount of plant growth .

->Increases the metabolic rate of fish, which increases their need for oxygen .

Biotic effects :

-> Changes in the environment may also result in a migration of organisms to another , more

suitable environment , and to in- migration of organisms that normally only live in warmer

waters elsewhere . As a result one has the problem of compromising food chain of the old

and new environments . Biodiversity can also be decreased as a result .

-> 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 measures :

-> Energy chips (Energy Ciptm)->Desalination plants (what problems can this lead to?)->Less nuclear power (what are some alternatives?)->End shoreline deforestation->Prevent soil erosion (what are some methods?)

-> Cooling ponds , man made bodies of water designed for cooling by

evaporation , convection and radiation .-> Cooling towers which transfer waste

heat to the atmosphere through evaporation and/or heat transfer .

-> Cogeneration , a process where waste heat is recycled for domestic and/or

industrial heating purposes .

This 1988 thermal image of the Hudson river highlights

temperature changes caused by discharge of 2.5 billion gallons of water each day from the Indian

Point power plant . The plant sits in the upper right of the photo - hot

water in the discharge canal is visible in yellow and red , spreading and cooling across the entire width

of the river . Two additional outflows from the Lovett coal-fired power plant are also clearly visible against the natural temperature of

the water , in green and blue .

REFERENCES :

-> Google . -> Slide share .

-> Thermal effects . -> Wikipedia .

PRESENTED BY :SAVIJ JAIN

B.COM (HONS) .ROLL NO : 2010

Thank you